 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Becky
Date: 1999-10-10 01:30
I've recently been diagnosed with tendonitis in my right wrist. I'm a junior in high school with some pretty high hopes, but I've been told I really have to take it easy. The doctor gave me a cortizone shot, and I'm wearing a brace right now. If the inflamation doesn't go down in 3 weeks, I'm going to wear a cast for 6 weeks. That's pretty hard for me, since it would mean missing district, regional, and state bands. If anyone else has ever suffered from this problem, or if you just have some advice, please let me know. Thanks!
Becky
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Author: D. Blumberg
Date: 1999-10-10 02:18
You must rest it Becky. Tendonitis is not something to mess around with. Progress is measured in months, maybe weeks, never days. Do not play your Clarinet until the inflamation is down, or you may (will) re-injure yourself.
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Author: anonymous
Date: 1999-10-10 03:37
I also suffer from tendonitis. A teacher of mine told me to try a neck strap and it did wonders for taking the presure off my wrist. There is also a fancy thumb rest out that is supposed to help really well. I'm not sure who distributes it or what it's called but I know that it costs more than $100. It's really big and re-adjusts the weight of the clarinet onto the back part of your thumb where there is more strength.
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Author: Rick2
Date: 1999-10-10 04:05
I also had tendonitis (from a keyboard, not clarinet) but the truth is you must heal the injury or risk permanent damage. Winning a regional championship is nothing if it's the last piece you can ever play. You are not only looking at clarinet, you are looking at the risk of losing the ability to do things that normal people do without a second thought...things like lifing a glass of water to your mouth with that hand. Rest the hand. You might ask your doctor about electrical stimulation. It helped me.
Just as important as getting it healed is preventing it from coming back. Here, the neck strap idea is a very good one. You should be doing as little work as possible when you play. Check your wrist positions and eperiment with rotating the middle joint a few degrees left or right. I found on my plastic clarinet that rotating it a couple degrees helped my wrists stay in a neutral position.
Finally, educate yourself. There are books on repetitive strain injuries. Buy one and read it. Understand what is happening to your wrists.
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Author: Kimberly Nisius
Date: 1999-10-10 13:41
It is very important to educate yourself about any injury you have. The doctor knows best at what he/she knows, but sometimes there are other measures that they don't perscribe that are worth checking out. A chiroprator also works on extremidies. Sometimes people think they just do backs, they too know other ways to help. There are lots of exercises out there to help with the wrist, and books on this is the only way you will lear about them. There is one for musicians on the windplayer magazine website. It is very helpfull, but I don't exactly remember the site address.
As for the thumb rest, it is Koubimen, or something like that. It adjust the point that the instrument rests over into the crutch of you thumb. It could be a life saver for you. It would be placed on your instrument instead of your thumbrest you have now, and will take some getting used to, but it is worth the thought if you already are running into problems.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-10-10 14:07
Becy,
Not only do you need to scrupulously follow your doctor's advice (not <b>our</b> medical advice!) but, as Kimberly mentions, you need to educate yourself about your condition.
Another avenue you may want to explore is getting your doctor to consult with a specialist on physical injuries caused by musical instruments. Check the Resources section here on Sneezy to start getting pointers to medical schools with these specialists. Most doctors know what they're doing in the "average" case, but music (and clarinets) hold special problems.
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Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 1999-10-11 07:26
Just for your information:
You may want to read the <a href=http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=2009>Tread 2009</a>, also <a href=http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=10571> Post 10571</a>.
Manufacurers (and designers of such thumb rests):
<b>Casper van der Spek</b> / Kabelgastkaade 42 / 1019 KR Amsterdam / Netherland / Tel. +31 20 4194849
<b>Ton Kooiman</b> / Veldhuizenlaan 10 / 3454 ED de Meern / Netherland / Tel. +31 3066 63379
<img src=http://www.dolce.co.jp/syohin/../jpg/tonkooiman/kooiman1.JPG><imb src=http://www.selmer.com/selmracc/tonlg.gif>
[Pictures from <a href=http://www.dolce.co.jp/syohin/sho-aku.html>http://www.dolce.co.jp/syohin/sho-aku.html</a> and selmers web site]
(Prices: approx. 110 Euros to 170 Euros + taxes)
Laurie mentioned in <a href=http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=3070>Post 3070</a>, they're listed in <a href=http://www.wwandbw.com/>The Brasswind and Woodwind catalog</a>.
Also you may want to get some information about the 'FHRED' from <a href=http://quodlibet.com>QUODLIBET</a>, metioned in Posts <a href=http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=6511>6511</a> and <a href=http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=2594>2594</a>.
<img src=http://quodlibet.com>
Arnold, the basset hornist (who enjoys floor support)
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Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 1999-10-11 07:34
Sorry for the lost pictures!
<img src=http://www.selmer.com/selmracc/tonlg.gif>
[Picture from selmers web site]
<img src=http://quodlibet.com/graphics/FHREDGroup.gif>
[from Quodlibet]
Arnold, the basset hornist (who enjoys floor support)
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Author: Andrea Bergamin
Date: 1999-10-12 09:40
Just a little anecdote.
The preferred product for tendonitis in Italy is Orudis Gel, which is produced by the factory of the Poulenc family ("our" Poulenc)!!!
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Author: michael
Date: 1999-10-12 12:08
Andrea Bergamin wrote:
-------------------------------
Just a little anecdote.
The preferred product for tendonitis in Italy is Orudis Gel, which is produced by the factory of the Poulenc family ("our" Poulenc)!!!
Hi Andrea. I once wrote a prescription for Orudis cream or ointment (can't remember exactly.) A local pharmacy in Houston was compounding it at their store. I don't think it is avoilable in the US as a pre-packaged product. I had never heard of it until the patient requested it and the pharmacist told me how to write for it. I think it is a great idea. I don't know how well Orudis works as a topical. Michael
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 1999-10-13 15:38
When I had tendinitis, I went to Alan Bishop at the Mayo Clinic. He's a hand specialist who also happens to play principal oboe in the Rochester (MN) Symphony. I discovered that there were several things that I was doing to cause the problem. They repositioned my hands and had me play with a biofeedback machine attached to my arms. This not only taught me how to use my hands correctly; it showed me which key tensions to have lightened. The man who readjusted my clarinet to help with my tendinitis problem also now lives in Rochester, MN.
His name is Tom Hiniker, and he's an excellent repair technician. I've been playing pain-free for ten years now, after my treatment there. If you have any more questions, feel free to e-mail me.
Chris
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Author: Ginger Martin
Date: 1999-10-15 03:22
Becky,
Clarinets are actually built badly and cause this problem by their very design. The thumb rest is too low, which puts a strain on your wrist. I took my clarinet in and had the repairer redrill the thumbrest so that it was as high up on the clarinet as it could be. That, and using a neckstrap have taken all the pain out of my right wrist. Now I've got arthritis in my left!! Sometimes you just can't win!
Ginger
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