Klarinet Archive - Posting 000212.txt from 1996/09

From: Lisa Gartrell Yeo <ux403@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Authoritative advice needed
Date: Sat, 14 Sep 1996 23:36:09 -0400

Neil,

I have experienced tendinitis on more than one occasion and may have some
pointers for you.
My first bout was the most severe, partly because I did not know what was
happening and played for too long without doing anything. I urge you to
deal with the problem immediately.
What I have found to be successful is the following:
1. Reduce the amount of playing you do ( you don't have to stop entirely
necessarily). Take frequent breaks in your practising.
2. Take some kind of anti-inflammatory. I take Ibuprofen 3 times a day
in the beginning.
3 Ice your hand several times a day, after playing but not before. I
found that using ice directly on the spot rather than with an ice pack
seemed more effective. My teacher gave me a good tip: Fill dixie cups
with water and freeze them. Use these to place on your wrist.
4 After icing, I found it helpful to soak the area in warm water to
bring the circulation back and to reduce stiffness.

With these treatments I have been able to control any flare ups
until they go away on their own. Like you, I always seem to have
problems when I suddenly increase the amount of practising I do. In
future, you may want to gradually increase your practise time. Also, it
is a good rule of thumb to always take frequent breaks, even when you
are not experiencing any pain. My teacher advocates 25 minutes of
pracatice, followed by 5 minutes of rest. Changing what you do in a
practise session is also a good idea: if you have been sweating over a
difficult technical section for awhile, switch to a more lyrical passage
for a break.
I would like to offer you some long term suggestions for prevention once
you have your condition under control:

1. A neckstrap is certainly worth considering. I used one for a few years
and I did find it helpful. The down side was that I didn't really
resolve the problem with my wrist, which was related to hand position and
tension.
2. What I recommend is that you examine how you are playing, and see if
you feel that you have undue tension in your wrist, arm, shoulder, neck.
My feeling is that this is what really causes all our repetitive strain
injuries. You can do this on your own, and of course with your teacher
if you are currently studying with anyone.
What I found invaluable was to take Alexander Technique lessons. These
have had a profound effect on my playing: I no longer play with a
neckstrap, and feel much freer in my playing. My hand positions are
more open and relaxed. I still have a long way to go, but I really feel
the benefit. So, if there are any Alexander teachers around, I urge
you to try a few lessons! Maybe some others on the List could also testify
to their effectiveness?

So, in conclusion, medical advice, drugs, ice, and modified playing (or
a complete rest if necessary) will all help you to get over your
injury. But my experience has been that once you have tendinitis,
it will recur unless you take some steps to change how you play the
instrument. That process is much harder, but well worth the effort.
Good luck!!

Lisa Gartrell Yeo

If you want any more info on Alexander lessons and what they entail,
please reply.