This subject looks stupid, I know….but you still need to read it.

Dr. Lou Jacobs, Chiropractor and Musician Specialist for over 23 years

Thanksgiving is fun, loud, chaotic and full of movements that can quietly undermine your ability to play your instrument. Whether you’re a violinist in Portland, a guitarist in Biddeford, or a drummer sprinting between the stove and the dining room, the holiday can create sneaky strain patterns that mimic or worsen common playing-related injuries.

This short guide connects the most common Thanksgiving-day tasks with the physical demands of musicianship, and offers safer, smarter ways to host without waking up the next morning unable to play. Silly sounding or not, these little things add up, and may affect your playing if things go south.

1. Setting the Table: Rotator Cuff Fatigue & Wrist Irritation

Reaching forward repeatedly to place plates, glasses, and decorations strains the rotator cuff and small stabilizers around the shoulder blade. These are the same muscles that keep your bow arm steady or help support your picking, drumming or strumming hand(s).

Risks for musicians:

  • Shoulder fatigue that destabilizes fine motor control.

  • Wrist extension strain from carrying stacks of plates.

  • Neck tension from forward head posture. For every inch of forward head tilt, double the weight of your head!

Safer strategies:

  • Set the table in zones if you have a huge table, so you aren’t reaching across it repeatedly.

  • Keep plates stacked at waist height rather than the floor. Reduce bending over.

  • Take 10 seconds between rooms to reset shoulder posture: roll back, breathe, relax.

2. Decorating: Overhead Work That Mimics “Ibuprofen Season” Injuries

Hanging garland, stringing lights, or taping signs above eye level leads to upper-trapezius overload. This is the same muscular tension pattern that causes bow-arm fatigue, picking-hand numbness, and headaches in musicians. Ever feel like there was a straw that “broke the camel’s back” when you reached for a toothbrush and your shoulder seized up? little things matter, including hanging decorations. These activities often carry over into the weekend of Christmas decorating, only multiplying their impact on your important body parts!

Risks for musicians:

  • Arm numbness from prolonged overhead reaching – not a good sign. Often indicates underlying risky tension.

  • Neck stiffness that alters your playing posture, which snowballs into other problems like headaches and shoulder injuries.

  • Flare-ups of old shoulder and low back injuries when climbing stools or ladders.

Safer strategies:

  • Use a step stool so your arms stay below shoulder height. Or hire someone.

  • Decorate in short bursts instead of “one big push.” Or hire someone.

  • Use both arms symmetrically to balance the load. Or hire someone.

3. Lifting the Turkey: The #1 Thanksgiving Injury for Musicians

A 12–25 lb turkey lifted from a deep oven forces you into a rounded-back, arms-out, awkward-angle deadlift—essentially the worst combination of forces for spinal and wrist stability. Oftentimes the “destruction is in the details”, lift with your brain, not your back. Your brain will tell your legs to engage, but the last thing you need is to miss a gig because of a turkey injury. Laugh all you want, but I’ve seen it happen.

For musicians, this can compound existing issues:

  • Lower-back strain that makes sitting or standing to play painful.

  • Wrist compression from gripping heavy pans.

  • Sudden neck tightening that alters finger coordination.

Safer strategies:

  • Slide the oven rack all the way out before lifting. Make sure it locks first though.

  • Keep elbows close and lift with legs, not arms.

  • Tag-team the lift. Don’t be a Thanksgiving hero turned zero.

4. Carving & Food Prep: Repetitive Wrist and Thumb Overload

Chopping vegetables, carving the turkey, peeling potatoes—all involve repetitive gripping and wrist flexion/extension. These are the same tissues involved in fretting, bowing, keyboard technique, percussion grip, and wind-instrument hand stabilization. Need more info on kitchen injuries and prevention in musicians? Click HERE!

Risks for musicians:

  • Base of thumb inflammation.

  • Carpal tunnel–like symptoms. Do you already have carpal tunnel syndrome?

  • Forearm fatigue that shows up the next time you practice

Safer strategies:

  • Use sharp knives so you’re not over-gripping. Try not to cut your fingers off.

  • Take micro-breaks every 5–10 minutes.

  • Switch hands when possible for light tasks. If you can strum with one hand and use your other hand on the neck, you can use your non dominant hand for light tasks.

5. Hosting Stress: The Invisible Amplifier of Physical Tension

As you know well from practice and performance, stress changes how the nervous system perceives pain and tension. Hosting amplifies this:

These work against the relaxation and motor control musicians depend on.

Reset strategy:
Every hour, step into another room and take three slow breaths, expanding the lower ribs. This resets the vagus nerve response and drops overall muscular tension.

Turkey Day Take Away

Thanksgiving can be a marathon of bending, lifting, chopping, reaching, and hosting…all movements that, when combined, can create the exact stress patterns that lead to lost practice time, increased pain, or even injury.

With a few intentional adjustments, you can enjoy the chaos of the holiday without sacrificing the thing you love most, playing your instrument.

If you’re a musician dealing with pain, tension, or recurring issues after the holiday, early intervention makes a difference. My practice in Portland focuses on helping musicians stay resilient, recover quickly, and protect their careers and passions. I am available for Tele-consulting as well.

When you’re ready, I’m here to help.

Dr. Lou Jacobs, Chiropractor and acupuncturist in Portland, Maine, has been working with and specializing in the health and performance of musicians of all types, for over 23 years. His work has been highlighted in Guitar Player Magazine, and his client list is extensive, having worked with some of the best horn players in the world today. Dr. Lou is always accepting new patients and offers tele-consulting for musicians outside of Southern Maine. Dr. Lou also works with families and is board certified in chiropractic care for children and  pregnant moms. Dr. Lou may be reached by calling (207) 774-6251 or by messaging his office manager, Sandra Escobar, at Sandra@DrLouJacobs.com.