 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2003-05-17 20:56
Hello!
I went to the doctor with some lingering pain in my rh 4th finger, and she believes it is overuse and possible osteoarthritis. The occupational therapist doesn't know much about music, but I did take my horn with me to my first visit so he could see how the finger fits down into that tone hole.
My question is, have any of you worn finger splints over time? The therapist has made a plastic splint that keeps that joint from straightening all the way or hyperextending. It seems to help. Before I have a more expensive one made I thought I would see if anyone out there has any experience with this sort of thing. Can you play the clarinet with them? Has it helped?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2003-05-18 01:14
A couple of years ago I had pain, heat, and swelling in the joint of one finger - for a few months. I pulled the joint apart while the doctor injected cortizone. The problem was gone within hours and didn't return. Some doctors seem very reluctant to do this.
Of course, my condition may have been quite different from yours, and this treatment may be quite inappropriate for YOUR condition. There is high risk in making any inferences from internet discussions of medical conditions.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: beejay
Date: 2003-05-18 10:36
I had a similar problem to yours, and thought I had the beginnings of arthritis in the fingers of my left hand. Upon investigation, it turned out that the problem was in the left shoulder, which affects the nerves all the way down to the hand. I have the shoulder professionally massaged once a week, and the problem in my fingers seems (touch wood) to be going away. I hasten to add that I'm sharing an experience, not giving medical advice.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2003-05-18 13:14
Point well taken, of course, from both of you. Sharing experience is what I'm after. The doctor and therapist are the ones who have seen me and are working with me on treatment.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JJiimm
Date: 2003-05-18 17:17
I took up the clarinet after I retired, when I was about 68, and was getting a lot of pain in the left hand finger next to the pinky. I placed my hand on a flat surface and took my right hand first and second fingers and rubbed that end joint of the sore finger, messaging it for about three or four minutes, each day for a couple of weeks. rubbing it hard enough to hurt..The pain went away...I am now 80 years old, play my clarinet and flute every day. And have no more problems!
Any one for duos or trios in Los Gatos, Calif. I'm your man!!
JJiimm
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2003-05-19 06:47
Hi, JJiimm 
Have you met Bob Gardner yet? He lives up in Philo. I'm Ron and I live over in Sacramento. Lots of us small town tooters in a big world all livin' just a wee bit too far apart for regular Saturday afternoon get-togethers.
Just curious... are any BBers planning to attend the Jazz Jubilee in Sac'to, CA this year?
Maybe this question should be a new topic.
- rn b -
Post Edited (2003-05-19 06:49)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-05-19 15:42
There are doctors and physical therapists who specialize in the problems of musicians. Not to take anything away from your doctor and therapist, but it might help to get a second opinion from someone who sees these kinds of problems frequently.
Right hand pain can often be relieved by repositioning the thumb rest, getting a special one (like the Kooiman), using a neck strap or resting the bell on your knee. It's a very individual thing, and your therapist needs to look at you while you play to see where there is strain.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2003-05-19 18:40
Thanks for your ideas, Ken. I agree that there are folks out there that know more about performing arts medicine. I don't really have the resources to seek such advice out of state, which is probably what it would take.
I don't think I need a neckstrap, since the pain is not in my thumb and/or wrist but in my ring finger. I will explore the thumbrest issue--one of my horns has an adjustable thumbrest, but my orchestral horn does not. I have found over the past week that the splint does help keep me from bending the finger back when I am doing housework or playing with the kids. The therapist also advised a melted parrafin dip to warm the area before I play, and that does help.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-05-19 20:22
Pain in the right ring finger often comes from a strained hand position. I get it on German system clarinets, where there is a wide spread between the right index and middle fingers, which means my ring finger has to go outside its natural position. Everything is inter-related. There's an elastic strap called a ClariCord, I think, that's not very expensive and worth trying.
One easy (and free) change is to get a jeweler's screwdriver, take off the thumb rest and turn it upside down, putting a piece of rubber tubing over the rest to avoid pain. If you don't want to do it, any repair shop (or jeweler) can do it in a couple of minutes, usually at no charge.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: CJB
Date: 2003-05-19 21:24
Can anyone suggest a foolproof way to tell where the thumbrest should be? I keep reading here that most thumb rests are too low, yet I frequently find myself trying to support the instrument (esp Eb) without using the thumbrest as it seems too high. I do have particularly small hands but have some problems with pain in my right hand and wrist and am a little concerned I might be making it worse through bad hand position, particularly when playing the larger instruments.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2003-05-20 01:18
I do feel like my thumbrest may be too low. The adjustable thumbrest I have will not accommodate the the holes that are already there for the current thumbrest on my Selmer 10G, so I am going to flip it over and see if it helps. I would also be interested in what people have to say about CJB's question.
It certainly is true that misalignment or stress in one part of the body can bring pain in a different spot. I suppose I have nothing at all to lose by trying a neckstrap as well. My father-in-law really stressed to my husband as he was growing up that "you never know until you try/ask"
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarob
Date: 2003-05-21 00:56
I am a physical therapist/ athletic trainer. I would not see that a splint is your answer here. My advice is to ice the dayllllights out of the sore area- 10 minutes at least 4 times a day for several days in a row to relieve the inflammation. We all have arthritis in some oof our joints but that doesn't necessarily cause pain. Looking at your positioning on the instrument is a good idea as some above have suggested. Try the ice- it usually does the trick- but you have to stick with it for a while. Good luck.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
