Guitar Fingers: How to Ease Finger Pain While Playing?

Want to strum without the ouch? 

Finger pain is quite a common scenario among guitarists. 

A 2020 study looked specifically at classical guitarists where 88.9% said they experienced playing-related pain, especially in the base of the thumb.

(Source: Inside guitar)

This has to happen. Such pain originates from problems like overuse-overstressing, incorrect technique, lack of proper warm-up, and improper setup. 

Result: it brings a series of issues.

• Puts pressure on your fingers
• Tears up the internal muscles and tendons
• Causes inflammation, and
• Ends in pain

In case, you don’t take steps and continue being careless, this can lead to further conditions. 

So, it’s time to care for your fingers. Know what you can do to ease guitar finger pain. 

Among multiple tricks, the most effective ways are–

• Taking rest
• Warming up before playing
• Correcting posture, techniques, and setup
• Increasing practice time gradually

Highlights: Relief From Finger Pain 

• Finger pain while playing guitar comes straight from common errors and mistakes. 
• These include overuse, improper technique, lack of warm-up, and incorrect setup. 
• You can reduce the pain by correcting all the errors that you make in the first place. Start with loosening up your hand before playing. 
• Then make sure the adjustments, techniques, and posture are right. 
• Take necessary breaks and increase practice time gradually. All these can help ease finger pain while playing. 

4 Common Causes of Finger Pain

Causes	Conditions	Solutions
Overuse and Strain	Repetitive strain injury, Tendinitis, and Tenosynovitis	Take some breaks between jams. 10 to 30 minutes after every 1 hour of playing
Incorrect Playing Techniques	Nerve Compression Syndrome	Adjust playing technique. Use wrist supports and wrist braces.
Inadequate Warm-Up	Tendonitis and Nerve Compression Syndrome	Have a warm-up sesh for 10-15 minutes before playing. Stretch fingers, hands, and wrists.
Inappropriate Guitar Setup	Quervain’s tenosynovitis	Learn how to adjust the guitar setup properly for better ergonomics.

Overuse and Strain

Being a guitar enthusiast, it’s common to give most of your time to your buddy instrument. That’s okay! The problem pops up when you do it without breaks for a long stint. This combination of overuse and strain ends in— guitar finger pain. 

A specific term for this condition is repetitive strain injury (RSI). 

When you repetitively press down on the strings, your fingers get tired and start aching. This leads to blunt trauma and microtearing of the muscles and tendons. Result— it causes inflammation and pain in your finger joints and surrounding areas.

If you continue to overplay the guitar, the RSI can turn into other conditions. You might suffer from inflammation just because of prolonged overuse. Inflammation as in—

• Tendinitis (pain in tendons) 
• Tenosynovitis (pain in tendon sheathes)

Incorrect Technique

This mostly happens to newer players. You might still be learning how to play guitar. Not knowing how to do it means incorrect playing techniques. 

Wrong techniques are one of the major guilty parties of finger aching. It could probably be—

• Poor hand positioning
• Poor finger placement
• Incorrect guitar holding
• Incorrect posture

Let’s say, you press the strings too hard or bend your wrist awkwardly. This puts unnecessary stress on your fingers. Such a strain goes deep into the tendons and leads to conditions like Nerve Compression Syndrome. 

Here, the median nerve in your wrist gets compressed. It causes tingling and numbness, then aches in your fingers. 

Wrong finger movements and hand posture also impose tension and stress on the muscles, tendons of your hands, and forearms. 

Result–you get pain in your fingers and extremities. 

Inadequate Warm-Up

A warm-up sesh gives a boost to your fingers. Skip it or do it improperly and you put your finger at risk of pain. 

This is a mistake that even experts make. Without a warm-up, your fingers and hands won’t be limber enough to play the guitar. Rather they aren’t ready for the strain that’ll come from jamming. 

Muscles remain cold and the blood inside flows slowly. This causes stiffness and tension, then pain in your fingers.

Not just that! The unprepared muscles are also prone to— injuries, more strains and sprains, and microtears as you keep playing the guitar. All of these can make your fingers ache. 

In case you keep playing guitar without limbering up, it can lead to carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis over time. 

Inappropriate Guitar Setup

Guitar setup done wrong means– 

• Action too high
• Incorrectly set bridge saddles
• Improper wound strings
• Poorly positioned bridge 
• Improper adjustment of truss rod 

All of them make playing your guitar much harder than you think. Consequently, it contributes to finger pain. 

Among them, high action is the most common. It requires more force and strength to press down the strings. So when you play with high action, it puts excessive stress on your hand muscles and joints. Result– discomfort, then finger pain. 

Besides, any incorrect adjustments in the guitar can force you, your hands, and your fingers into uncomfortable positions. Not only does it bring pain but worsens the risk of multiple conditions. For instance, Quervain’s tenosynovitis. This is sort of an inflammation around your thumb tendons.

4 Steps of Preventive Measures

Proper Warm-Up Exercises

The first thing to do is have a proper warm-up session. 

It helps awaken and sensitize the brain-nerve-muscle connection and get the nervous system ready. This works well to prevent finger pain. 

Start with some nice and gentle finger stretches. Try to spread your fingers wide apart, then bring them back together. Also, gently pull each finger backward to stretch them. All of these should improve flexibility.

Do it for 5 to 10 minutes every time before grabbing your guitar. A combination of stretches and light movements can make your fingers up and ready to run the strings without causing pain. 

Correct Playing Technique

Maintaining the proper way to riff on your guitar is a must. 

Make sure to learn the correct playing techniques. You can talk to a pro and get their help. Correct techniques include—

• Proper finger and hand positioning 
• Correct posture 
• Holding the guitar properly
• Keeping your thumb positioned behind the neck of your guitar
• Keeping your fingers curved to press down the strings 
• Strumming and picking it right
• Proper muting techniques

Don’t press too hard. It should be enough to get a clear sound. 

Use wrist supports and wrist braces to protect your fingers. They help relieve pain while you work on strengthening it.

Try to stay relaxed and just let the hands and fingers flow. Keep them smooth. This will make playing more efficient without causing pain in your fingers. 

Gradual Increase in Practice Time

It’s quite tempting to practice for hours and hours, especially when you just started. 

However, don’t practice for too long from the get-go. Instead, gradually increase your practice session. Give your finger time to build strength and endurance for the strain. 

First week: Start with a shorter sesh. Play it for 10 to 15 minutes once or twice a day. 

Following Weeks: Add 5 to 10 minutes to each practice session. 

As you approach the end of the month, practice for 30 to 45 minutes every sesh. 

Take care of your body and listen to it while playing. If you feel any pain, stop right there and give it time to heal. 

Regular Breaks

No matter what, always take regular breaks during each sesh. 

It gives your fingers time to charge up and prevents overuse. Take a short break. Give yourself—

• 5 to 10 minutes every 30 minutes of playing or 
• 10 to 30 minutes after every 1 hour of playing

Such breaks will help:

• Rest your fingers 
• Reduce finger fatigue
• Reduce the risk of finger pain
• Prevent overuse injuries
• Enhance focus
• Improve long-term playing ability

5 Effective Solutions for Easing Finger Pain

Finger Stretching and Flexibility Exercises

You can soothe guitar finger pain to a great extent through stretching and flexibility exercises. 

Try these out if you wish to improve your hand or finger strength and decrease all the aches. 

• Finger lifts– Place your hand flat on a table. Lift each finger one at a time. Gently extend each finger upward as much as possible. Hold it for 2 seconds. Lower it. 
• Spider walk– Place your fingers on a table. Walk them up and down just like what a spider does. 
• Flexor stretch– Place your forearm and hand flat on a table. Using your other hand, pull each finger back gently toward your wrist until you feel resistance.

Use of Lighter Gauge Strings

Heavy gauge is one of the common reasons why your finger aches when playing. 

In that case, it’s wise to switch to lighter gauge strings and low-action ones. The benefits? They—

• Require less pressure to press down the strings.
• Reduce stress on the fingers. 
• Help reduce hand and finger fatigue.
• Lower tension, making it easy to play.
• Provide faster note articulation.
• Provide smoother bends. 

Consequently, all these help reduce the pain in the finger.

The good news is many companies now make guitars with such perks. For instance, Zager guitars are popular because of their low-string action and lighter gauge. This ensures ease of play and helps relieve finger pain. This way, you can effectively build finger strength. 

Guitar Setup Adjustments

Make proper and necessary adjustments to your guitar. This can help relieve finger pain. 

Set it up in a way that reduces the amount of pressure required to press down the strings. You can try these out to ease finger pressure—

• Lower the action
• Use lighter gauge strings
• Adjust the truss rod properly
• Make sure the frets are smooth and well-polished
• Set the intonation correctly 

If you don’t know how to set up the guitar—take it to an expert to help you out or go through this blog. 

Moisturizing and Care for Finger Skin

Your finger surely needs some care and love. 

So, make sure to keep them moisturized. Dryness does nothing but worsen the finger state and pain when you try to play your guitar. 

To avoid that, use moisturizers and hand cream. These keep the skin around your fingers soft. Plus, they prevent the skin from getting dry and cracked. 

These products have essential oils, vitamins, and proteins in the form of active components like— humectants, occlusives, and emollients. All these ingredients are extracted from plants and nature that help moisturize the skin. 

Try to look for products focusing on jojoba oil, aloe vera oil, argan oil, tea tree oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil as they have incredible moisturizing properties.

In case the pain lingers and feels intense, use ointments with components– menthol, methyl salicylate, and camphor. They have effective pain-killing qualities and work to soothe guitar finger pain. 

Ice and Rest

Give yourself a break in case you’re having acute finger pain.

Apply some ice packs for 15 minutes or until the pain subsides. Cold compresses help ease short-term— pain, swelling, strain, or sprain. This further reduces inflammation and numbs the ache.

Also, take proper rest. The fingers need some time to heal before you jump back into guitar jams. 

4 Long-Term Strategies

Build Finger Strength Gradually

It’s a gradual process. 

You can work on the pain by building finger strength. For this, regular exercise and warm-ups are a must. Have a workout session in your routine that focuses on finger strength. Mix up practice sessions and work out different muscles. This should help prevent repetitive strain. 

No matter what you do, start slow and be gentle when working out. Try activities like–

• Do a crumpled paper exercise
• Squeeze a soft stress ball
• Use a finger exerciser

These can make your fingers stronger and more resilient. That way, you can play guitar for an extended period without feeling pain. 

Incorporate Rest Days

Rest days bring recovery faster. 

To get rid of finger pain, have some scheduled breaks. The best would be to–

Practice guitar 4 or 5 days a week and give yourself 1 to 2 days off to rest.

On days off, try out light activities like gentle hand exercises or stretching. This will help improve blood flow and activate your extremities to play. 

Moreover, having some rest days lets your fingers rest and repair. It prevents potential tearing of muscles and injuries. Consequently, you get long-term playing comfort. 

Monitor and Adjust Technique

When riffing on your guitar, try to assess your playing technique. 

Let’s say the problem lies in incorrect methods. In this case, set up the guitar properly so that you feel comfortable playing it. This should help ease and prevent finger pain. 

Take a look at how your hands and fingers feel when you hold the guitar and play. Make necessary adjustments to the guitar. 

If you have no idea about guitar parts, check the tutorial videos, go through how-to articles, or get an expert’s help. 

Even small tweaks can make a big difference.

Seeking Professional Advice

Even after trying out all the solutions, the pain might still linger.

In that case, go straight to a medical expert. Consult a doctor or physical therapist. Seek professional advice. They might suggest some effective medicines, ointments, or workouts that can help ease finger pain. 

Also, talk to a guitar pro or teacher. They can help correct technique issues and give you personalized tips to work on the playing style. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Play It Without Guitar Finger Pain  

Although finger pain doesn’t stop any guitarists from playing the instrument, you must take care of it. If you continue grinding on the guitar in pain, not only will it become tougher to do it right but also result in different conditions. 

So, take necessary measures– give yourself a break, have a warm-up before playing; correct posture, techniques, and set up; and use ice packs and menthol ointments to alleviate the finger pain.