As guitarists, we use our hands A LOT! Hours of practicing and playing can lead to different kinds of pain in the hands/wrists. There are 3 types of hand pain that guitarists can have:
1. Shooting pain in the thumb
Cause: You may be playing too hard! Try squeezing less and use lighter pressure on your guitar.
2. Numbness/tingling in the fingers
Cause: You may be overworking your median nerve! It can cause swelling in the area of your wrist called, "the Carpal Tunnel." Sometimes this is caused by playing on the neck of your guitar without a flat hand.
However, you should go consult your doctor. That area of your wrist is very complex and you should make sure that there are not any developing issues in that area. (Did you know there are 8 bones in your wrist?! Exactly why it's best to get a doctor's guidance on this kind of pain)
3. Calluses
Cause: Calluses are thickened areas of skin that form from repeated friction or irritation. Calluses are basically a shield for your fingers to help protect them! When you are first playing guitar, the tips of your fingers may feel raw. That is very normal! You may be experiencing this pain because your "shields" are still being "built."
We hope this helps some of the new guitarists out there! What kind of hand pain are you experiencing?