Klarinet Archive - Posting 000125.txt from 1995/04

From: Helen Emerson <helen.emerson@-----.NZ>
Subj: Re: A Different Tendonitis
Date: Mon, 10 Apr 1995 08:22:23 -0400

Bill Tomczak wrote (9/4)

>I've been particularly interested in the tendonitis issue but my problem is
>slightly different. I've never had any trouble with my wrist, but my right
>shoulder and upper arm will start giving me pain after a particularly hard
>weekend of playing. Stretching excercises help as well as a massage
>therapist on one particularly bad week. Has anybody else had this problem?

IMHO problems such as this may be related to posture. I have had problems=
with my lower right arm (and thanks to all the helpful info from people on=
the list, I'm going to try a neck strap) - but I know that ultimately my=
problem comes down to posture. I've seen physiotharapists on several=
occasions for overuse syndrome - and the underlying theme in their=
treatment is correcting how I sit and stand.
As a tall child (and female too, and always taller than the boys at school!)=
I slouched to shrink my height! Now, still sitting and standing with=
rounded shoulders I put all kinds of undue stresses on my shoulders and=
arms when playing.=20
Many on the list have talked about correcting the way we position our right=
hand on the clarinet - and certainly in my case - and maybe many others- it=
is also a case of examining how I sit and stand......

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Helen Emerson *
* Department of Music *
* University of Otago *
* New Zealand *
* helen.emerson@-----.nz *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *