Specifically seeking out fellow guitarists with similar "arm/shoulder/neck problems," Case pondered why more musicians don't talk about the job-related pain. "Is it a secret cause the shit HURTS?"
Guitar players seldom talk about arm/shoulder/neck problems. Is it a secret cause the shit HURTS?
— Neko Case (@NekoCase) May 17, 2018
Well, people are certainly talking about it now.
Jason Isbell responded to Case's tweet, trying to place the blame on tour vans rather than guitars. That brought up another example of a music-related injury, with Case revealing that she had to have surgery on a "bad leg vein from driving."
😂 I have a bad leg vein from driving, had to get it surgeried 😳
— Neko Case (@NekoCase) May 17, 2018
Word. The truest of statements.
— Neko Case (@NekoCase) May 17, 2018
Other followers, meanwhile, offered some solutions, linking to a YouTube yoga video specifically tailored to musicians and suggesting modified equipment.
Here you go! Hope you find it helpful. https://t.co/bWNTHr27tG
— Jamie McKelvie (@McKelvie) May 17, 2018
My waist is WAY too short or I would.
— Neko Case (@NekoCase) May 17, 2018
Actor Paul Adelstein chimed in, dubbing the affliction "#rockneck" — and Case didn't argue with the name.
Don't I know it..
— Neko Case (@NekoCase) May 17, 2018
See some of the other musician and fan response below.
oh, it all hurts.
— superchunk (@superchunk) May 17, 2018
I'll talk to you about it. Super annoying occupational hazard.
— rosanne cash (@rosannecash) May 17, 2018
Don't ignore persistent pain-your body is trying to tell you something! Small changes in positioning/gear/technique can make a huge difference. I asked David Lindley about left hand pain playing lap steel-he told me to get a lighter bar and the pain has never come back :)
— deltaslide (@deltaslide) May 17, 2018
Kurt Cobain talked about the scoliosis it gave him:https://t.co/abJt0eDPga
— Ryan Shaffer ﾗｲｱﾝ･ｼｪｰﾌｧｰ (@compRyanShaffer) May 17, 2018
(he talks abt it + his stomach ulcers around 3:36)
I remember reading Laurie Anderson writing about how the violin fucked up her neck.
— nothings monstered (@nothingsmonstrd) May 17, 2018
It was Ringo I believe.
— Craig Trombley (@CraigTrombley1) May 17, 2018
Here's hoping Case finds a comfortable solution to some of the pain before embarking on her upcoming North American tour. Her latest record, Hell-On, is due out June 1 via Anti-.