 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DennisCheng
Date: 2007-02-10 14:45
hi guys, i posted a thread in the past regarding the aching of my jaw.
I heed you guys' advice and decided to pay a visit to the dental surgeon.
I was diagnosed with TMJ disorder.My doctor advised me to stop playing clarinet or practise lesser.
Now my problem is i can only endure practising 30-45 minutes continuously.
It's so so so frustrating when i want to practise longer but my jaw just cant take it. It starts to ach after playing that long. Anyone with the same disorder please help me! Is there any way i can delay the aching so that i can practise longer?
Sigh, sometimes i find my path to become a great clarinetist especially hard and bumpy. I'm already suffering from scoliosis ( sp?) which affects my lung capacity adversely due to wearing the brace.And now TMJ disorder .....
Just so pissed off........
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-02-10 15:56
!!! I am not a dentist !!! but...
go to www.dentaldepot.com
there is a TMJ section! look for a proudct called 'Aqualizer'- this is what I use when I sleep.
I will not pretend to diagnose you but you might want to bring a print out to your dentist and ask if it is good for your mouth. It might be what you need. Even if they never saw it, they can get an idea from the explanation.
good luck!
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Author: mk
Date: 2007-02-11 01:28
Now that you have been diagnosed with TMJ, you have to investigate ways in which to relieve the stress on the jaw. The amount of stress you put on the jaw while playing the clarinet should be examined. Perhaps practicing with double-lip will give you an idea of the amount of pressure that will be acceptable with your condition. Limiting your practice sessions to shorter intervals will give your jaw a chance to rest. You might consider spacing your practice times at different times of the day. Relaxation is the key here. Alexander technique is definately something you need to look into as mentioned previously.
The scoliosis is a problem that is important to address while you are young. I am not sure exactly what options are available to help ease your breathing problem. You might want to check your Dr. and/or technician who fit you with the brace to see if a more suitable brace can be designed to allow for lung expansion while practicing.
Your problems can be overcome....do not be discouraged. Just remember that if you push yourself to hard you can do more harm than good. I would practice as smart as possible. Make your practice sessions work towards goals that are reasonable considering your condition. good luck.....
mk
clarinetist, Rph
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Author: markm
Date: 2007-02-11 04:34
I"m going through this now. Mk is right. Stress on the jaw...My dentist put me through a TENS treatment. I forget what it stands for, however, she put electrodes over the jaw joints and one at the back of neck. Specifically shaped high voltage pulses are put through both jaw electrodes with the one at bottom of neck being the return path (ground). What this does is relax the muscles and allow them to be at their natural state. This is not an uncomfortable proces. Then impressions are taken and short story is you have a plastic mouthguard (bottom teeth) to wear at night and even during day if needed. Being, that it's on the bottom, you can still talk etc. It was starting to work well for me until I broke it. Fortunately the lab is going to replace it. My bet is you are grinding or clenching your teeth at night and even during the day. I am doing both. I catch myself doing it. Working in the aerospace industry (lots of overtime) can be stressful. My embrochure was/is all over the place. I could work up reeds and the next day, none would work. The day after that: totally different again. My bet is that it's not the practicing causing the problem. It's other "things". LOL
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Author: DennisCheng
Date: 2007-02-11 09:28
Thanks for the replies!
Markm , how long can you play the clarinet continously?
Does the TENS treatment help to improve the duration of playing ?
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Author: markm
Date: 2007-02-11 22:37
I play first in good community band and second in the local semi pro orchestra. Before my "problems" surfaced, I could go all night. At the height of my problem, I was lucky to get through an hr before things started going flat. Don't look for the TENS treatment as a cure all to immediately make you play longer. The TENS treatment specifically is for the TMJ issue which, in my case, was the root cause of not being able to play longer periods. The other part of the equation is also wearing the appliance faithfully so that the muscles are not continually strained the wrong way. Once that is under control, then start building the chops again and you're playing time and pleasure will increase. (IMHO). You should be able to Google "TENS" and get some info on it.
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Author: DennisCheng
Date: 2007-02-12 04:48
Markm, thanks for your reply.
i've started wearing the plastic mouthguard in the night.Sometimes i forget to wear it -.- . i will find more info abt TENS. Thanks.
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