Nerve damage making it difficult for Eric Clapton to play guitar

The legendary English guitarist Eric Clapton says he can’t play the guitar as he is suffering from what is called peripheral neuropathy.

English rock and blues guitarist Eric Clapton finds it tough to play the guitar these days as some of his nerves have been damaged over time. The Tears in Heaven hitmaker suffers from peripheral neuropathy, which can impair sensation and movements, and he admitted the pain the condition causes has made playing his instrument close to impossible, reported Female First.

The Tears in Heaven hitmaker suffers from peripheral neuropathy. (AP)

“I’ve had quite a lot of pain over the last year. It turned into what they call peripheral neuropathy, which is where you feel like you have electric shocks going down your leg.

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“And I’ve had to figure out how to deal with some other things from getting old... (It’s) hard work to play the guitar and I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that it will not improve,” Clapton said.

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However, the musician feels lucky to be alive because of his past struggles with addiction to alcohol, prescription drugs, cocaine and heroin.

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“Because I’m in recovery from alcoholism and addiction to substances, I consider it a great thing to be alive at all. By rights I should have kicked the bucket a long time ago.

“For some reason I was plucked from the jaws of hell and given another chance,” he said.