Klarinet Archive - Posting 000201.txt from 1996/08

From: Jacqueline Eastwood <eastwooj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Neckstraps
Date: Wed, 7 Aug 1996 18:01:42 -0400

Sorry to join in the conversation so late...

It DOES seem rather strange that "all of a sudden" musicians are being
f felled by the dozens with these problems, I agree with that. And yet I
am one who has both TMJ and problems with a double-jointed thumb. The
TMJ was aggravated by learning to play the basset horn -- the larger
jawbone opening did something weird to the joint. As long as I stick to
soprano and Eb soprano, I'm fine -- absolutely no problems, so that's
what I do. The thumb problem has been there for years, as well as some
nerve damage in my right elbow, and SOMETIMES, only sometimes, when I'm
feeling particularly fatigued (like 6 hours of opera rehearsal in one
day) i will pull out .... A NECKSTRAP!!!!! My A clarinet, which is old
and particularly heavy, had a ring soldered onto the thumbrest when I
bought it, so obviously someone before me thought it was useful. I
agree, it can get in the way, and you have to watch out that you don't
bash your front teeth in. I prefer to rest the horn on my knee, but if I
start feeling twinges or numbness, that's a warning sign to get the
pressure off the joint.

I also agree with the majority (all?) of you that it's silly to buy a
neckstrap for a kid with no apparent physical problems. The twist is
that, when I was first having problems, the "treatments" I endured in the
way of physical therapy actually exacerbated the problem -- I would be
almost screaming in pain because the nerve in my elbow was throbbing from
excessive manipulation. Many medical professionals simply do not
understand what it is that musicians DO. I would even take my horns with
me to appointments to show them, but it usually didn't work. I am
self-treated at this point, with the knowledge that if excessive pain
ever returns, the only alternative is cortisone shots directly into the
joint (OW, OW, OW!!!)

That's been my experience -- maybe it will help someone else out there.

Jacqueline

On
Tue, 6 Aug 1996, Edwin V. Lacy wrote:

> On Tue, 6 Aug 1996, Fred Jacobowitz wrote:
>
> > The fact that a
> > condition is finally DIAGNOSED has nothing to do with the fact that it
> > exists. People have been having strokes and heart attacks for millenia.
> > It is only relatively recently that an "attack of apoplexy" can be
> > differentiated into stroke, heart attack, etc. Musicians (and, indeed, all
> > other professionals) have always had medical problems specific to their
> > conditions.
>
> All very true, and yet, it seemed to me that about 15 years ago, we had
> an "epidemic" of TMJ (Tempora-Mandibular Joint Syndrome, I think) among
> musicians, which of course is impossible due to the fact that it is not,
> or should not be contagious. It seemed that a quarter of our woodwind
> students suddenly couldn't play for months at a time, and yet I had never
> heard of the syndrome, or even anyone who experienced the symptoms in my
> 30+ years in music.
>
> Now, the "diseases ju jour" are CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome), RUI,
> (repetitive use injury) and other acronyms which I can't keep up with.
> I'm certainly not denying that the conditions exist, but I also can't
> explain the fact that in the 1950's and 60's, I was acquainted with
> literally hundreds, perhaps thousands of woodwind players in school and
> professional situations, and never heard one of them complain of such
> symptoms.
>
> Perhaps someone can help me understand this.
>
> Ed Lacy
> *****************************************************************
> Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
> Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
> Evansville, IN 47722
> el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
> *****************************************************************
>