Musicians With Injuries

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Comment by Richard Bohn on February 24, 2010 at 7:28pm

Kevin--my teacher had the "getting the notes" syndrome, to my cost!
Emily-- I have to retract my denial of playing with too much force. I WAS bearing down a lot. I have been playing very lightly lately and I'm beginning to feel the vibrations of the string through the bow. My tone is improving , and so is my hand.
Thanks for your suggestion, I'm headed back to reread your blog.

Comment by Kevin Keating on February 20, 2010 at 10:08am

I think this is a very helpful and necessary discussion group. I played guitar, banjo and mandolin for years and my aches and pains were more wrist and elbow related. Posture wasn't really a big issue. However, since I started playing violin over a year ago, I found that posture is extremely important. I think students new to the instrument often aren't taught this well, like playing the right notes is somehow more important. It is important, but if concentration creates tension then it won't be long before pain sets in. Your body and posture should be just as relaxed when playing as when you're standing with your arms by your side. I go to a chiropractor now from time to time. I do several different (but not time consuming) stretching exercises before playing as well as off and on during the day (being a diesel mechanic doesn't exactly help either). I pay attention not just to the notes, but to the muscles involved in drawing out those notes. I have much less pain now than I had before with only simple routine changes, no drugs and NO SURGERY!!!

Comment by Richard Bohn on February 20, 2010 at 12:14am

(Feb. 19, 2010)
Emily, the doc says I have tendonitis in the middle finger of the right hand. It is manageable, but probably permanent. I have been trying to relax and have found a good tone I can make with the bow just gliding over the strings.
The doc recommended Aleve for the inflammation.

Comment by Richard Bohn on February 4, 2010 at 1:45pm

Thanks for your concern, Emily. Your blogs are a gas, if I may use an expression from times gone by. And I love listening to the cello!
I don't think I use excessive force--but it is a question.. As a someone lacking the years and years of discipline that musicians accumulate, however, pressure control of both hands starts to collapse as I play louder and faster. Lately I've been trying to keep to the basics while assimilating what my first teacher taught me (we got up to Telemann's Viola Concerto in G).
I feel that what I learn face to face from a teacher sinks in much more deeply at this stage than anything I do on my own. Years ago I ruined a knee trying to do hatha yoga without a teacher. I have learned my lesson.
My first teacher was good (and incredibly patient), but focused on classical music exclusively. He didn't check my posture, bowing, or left hand very often. He didn't seem to think I was capable of any finesse, either (Grrrrr!) Classical viola, especially solo music, can get difficult at an early stage. The health issue here is that I built up a lot of tension learning a new piece every week or so. I sure learned to read music, but after playing I was sore all over arms, hands and back.
I'm now looking for a teacher who has done other styles also, and doesn't neglect the physical side of playing .
This is getting long-winded, but maybe you can see where I am at.
I hope your rehab is progressing well!

Comment by Emily Wright on February 4, 2010 at 11:31am

Yep. Have you checked out my blog? I have a lot of stuff on there about pain and prevention. Playing strongly is not about more effort, just being efficient with what little exertion you do use. How's the right thumb when you play?

Comment by Richard Bohn on February 4, 2010 at 11:28am

Emily, the pain goes away after a few days' rest; I just want to make sure there is no underlying injury which will keep coming back. There is an orthopedist hand specialist in my area and luckily I'm covered. I am also going to try to find a new teacher who can help me with my bow hold. I started playing much more firmly a few months ago, trying to get a fuller tone. Probably I shoudn't have gotten into changing my bowing without a teacher--I have only been playing a little more than three years.

Comment by Emily Wright on February 4, 2010 at 8:16am

Richard: Although I am a proponent of less is more and lots of Eastern medicine, sometimes a weeklong course of ibuprofen/naproxen is just what you need. Are you doing this? Unlike other pain relievers, they both take the actual inflammation down. Sometimes pro athletes (inflammation machines that they are) alternate two weeks off, one week on an ibuprofen regimen, simply because it decreases the cause of long term injury. I thought that was compelling.

Comment by Richard Bohn on February 3, 2010 at 8:17am

I aggravated my bowing hand a few months ago doing some pruning with a nipper that was too heavy. I waited a few days to let it recover; but ever since my right hand periodically got stiff and sore after playing.
I have stopped playing and am seeing a doctor next week to see if there is a serious problem or if I have to discontinue playing for a while. Possibly, I did not allow enough time for recovery after the initial strain.
Hoping for the best--

Comment by Asher Wade on February 3, 2010 at 6:50am

Coming outta the closet, yes, I admit it: I have a chronic aching {sometimes debilitating} pain directly in the joint of my left shoulder. I believe I got this about 16 months ago when I first obtain a viola (my primary instrument being violin). "That" viola, I discovered too late, had extremely high ribs (1.9cm above the norm), but, hey, how was I suppose to know that, ...I'd never played the viola before. At first, it wasn't too painful, but if I followed the ['golden'] rule of any instrument playing {or, any activity at all, except maybe karate!} that "when experiencing pain: 'Stop!', I felt I'd never learn how to play it, because I began feeling pain after the first 5mins.! So, I played on, stoically, 'through-the-pain'. Also, because I don't use a shoulder rest (because I had my aches & pains with "that thing" many years ago, and play normally on my violin without one), I figured I'd play my new viola also without a shoulder rest. Now the damage is done. A chiropractor colleague in my clinic discovered that by me resting the edge of my viola on my collarbone, I had levered that extended bone [the one right on top of the shoulder] up & out of its proper place. Needless to say, I have since traded that viola in & obtained one with much smaller ribs. No 'new' injury, just chronic pain from before.

Comment by Emily Wright on February 1, 2010 at 8:02am

I need to get more people involved here, because I think half of the injuries are exacerbated by folks not wanting to take this stuff seriously at first presentation! Thanks for joining! :)

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