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Some people can play all day at top speed for years and never suffer. Others will develop tendonitis, carpal tunnel or any of a number of elbow, arm, wrist or finger problems.

Part of that is the genetic luck of the draw. There’s not much to be done about that (yet). But you can shift the odds in your favor by monitoring and possibly modifying your technique.

Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon, the body part that forms a connection between muscles and bones. It can show up as a burning sensation around the joint, or as an ache.

Carpal tunnel, by contrast is caused by compression of the medial nerve in the wrist. As the nerve travels through its tunnel, it gets pressed on repeatedly and eventually sends pain signals to the wrist and/or up the arm to the elbow.

There are other conditions possible, but these are two common ones guitarists face.

A warm up stretch has long been thought to help reduce muscle injury, including tendon stretching. It certainly can’t hurt, but current research suggests that it only helps a certain amount. Injuries occur about as frequently to athletes whether they stretch or not.

To what degree that research is applicable to guitarists hasn’t been carefully studied yet. But warming up unquestionably makes the fingers, wrist and arm more limber.

Regular practice is important in learning to play well, even for the greats. Clapton, Segovia and other great guitarists practiced for hours per day, long after achieving mastery of their instruments. But don’t overdo it.

What that amounts to exactly will vary from person to person. For some, three hours is the limit. For others, they can practice six hours per day for a year and never feel a strain. Judge according to your own circumstances by monitoring yourself.

Monitor, and if necesssary alter, your technique by recognizing that playing the guitar doesn’t take huge force. It requires close attention and focus, but making a guitar string vibrate takes only a touch. It’s how those touches are carried out that makes the difference between a fifth-rate garage band pounder and a professional.

The old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, is trite but true. It’s much easier to stay healthy than to get healthy.

One signal to watch for is stiffness or soreness. That’s the result of lactic acid build up in the muscles and/or micro-tears in the muscle fiber. As the muscle heals itself, it produces discomfort to send a signal to ease up on activity. Heed that signal.

Once that injury happens, though, do ease up. Go easy on practicing for a week or a month, until the pain is gone. If it comes back right away, seek medical attention.

But try to find a physician who specializes in sports injuries or treating guitarists. They’ll be more familiar with the specific ways your technique might be causing or worsening your condition.

Some guitarists have had good success with magnesium citrate supplements, others found glucosamine and chondroiten helpful. But any treatment should be discussed with your doctor.