Posted by Answers on January 14, 2004 at 01:19:03:
In Reply to: Wrist Pain posted by Joey on January 13, 2004 at 00:16:22:
I would recommend you see a physiotherapist, or better yet an osteopathist, if there are any in your area. Try and find someone who is used to dealing with musicians. Here in Toronto there is a 'musician's clinic' - I'm sure other major cities have something similar (you may wish to contact your local orchestra to see if they know anything). Bring your horn and show the doctor how you play, and he will better be able to diagnose your injury. Someone else suggested a hand surgeon, and this makes me nervous, but as long as you are getting advice and NOT SURGERY it could be helpful. Surgery is an absolute last resort as one slip of the knife could end your career permanently.
It's very important that you not confuse this pain with 'muscle pain' that you get from working out. This pain is indicitative of injury and is usually caused by some combination of overuse and poor ergonomics. Many players, including myself, have dealt with similar problems. SEE A PROFESSIONAL AND GET A DIAGNOSIS before you do anything with your hand. It could be carpal tunnel, it could be tendonitis, it could be any number of things. Some people may advise you to do strength exercises or wear a brace, but how can they know what's best for your hand without knowing the precise nature of the pain? (just like when a kid comes on to this board and says "I can't play high! What can I do to fix my embouchure?" - the only advice we can give is to go to a teacher.) Without professional advice, you might worsen the injury by treating it with the wrong techniques. Stretching and massaging as other people have described is a probably a safe idea, though, and a physiotherapist can show you the best kind of stretches.
You're a little worried about this or you wouldn't have posted here on this BBS. This may be because you've heard horror stories of careers being destroyed by carpal tunnel or tendonitis. In most of those cases, the injury was allowed to linger and worsen and the musician tried to 'play through' the pain without allowing the mechanism to heal. Pain is your body's way of saying 'something's wrong'. If it gets worse, it means your body's getting worse. It is imperative that you take every step to deal with this injury (this should include taking it easy on the horn for a while) while you are still in the early stages. It most likely won't be anything serious - you'll probably learn a few exercises to strech your wrist, work on the way you hold your tuba, rest for a while and be back in gear. And you'll be much more conscious about your health as a performer and athlete (yes, athlete), which is an invaluable benefit.
Good luck,
Rob Teehan
kontrabass64(AT)hotmail.com