The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ryder
Date: 2008-05-16 03:14
I have, in the last year or so, developed what is known as lock-jaw. No the serious kind which includes extreme pain, stomach pain and neck pain. Just the form that occasionaly prevents me from opening my mouth wide. Since I practice quite a bit, I was wondering if it is possible to develop this problem from playing the clarinet. Anyone had it? What should be done to solve it?
thanks
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-05-16 04:15
Have a doctor check it out. You could get TMD syndrome if you were susceptible to it from playing, but a doc can diagnose it.
Lead Alto Sax of the Marine Band had it and had to take a year off.
Now Audrey stretches her mouth for a warmup before playing.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Chelle
Date: 2008-05-16 04:26
I had a problem with that when my community theater did My Fair Lady. Typcially, I double, but on that show, I just stayed on bass the whole time. By the middle of the second act, it felt like my jaw was out of alignment and I could barely move it. It wouldn't ease up until the next morning. Eventually, by the 3rd weekend of the show, it finally got to where I could go through the whole show w/o a problem.
I figure it was just because I was locked into the same embachure for such a long time rather than varrying it like when I double.
-Chelle
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Author: Joseph Brenner, Jr.
Date: 2008-05-16 16:46
Do follow David Blumberg's advice right away. You do not want to allow your jaws to become unstable. If you do not address the problem, the problem will worsen. I experienced some TMJ instability a few years ago when I had a crown installed over one of my molars. Having my jaw wide open and manipulated over several hours created just enough extra stress to destabilize it. Until you go to your doctor or dentist try to be careful about wide-open flexure of your jaws such as wide-open yawning or taking a big bite out of an apple. Resolving the instability may take a while.
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