Hi all,
While searching the web for info on MSI (I’ve got the pains and tingles appearing in my left arm for which I’m seeking treatment) I came across this PDF document -
http://www.shape.bc.ca/resources/pdf/part2.pdf
Has some good info if you’re interested.
Cheers,
DavidG
Hmmm… nothing about the pain in the ears when listening to an out of tune instrument…
Dave, your left arm? Is that your bag or bellows arm? I am sorry to hear this is happening to you…but it would seem that you aren’t waiting for it to worsen before you seek out treatment, good on you.
…Just visited your site and see that you are right handed. Good luck with the treatment.
Good info in there for all. The part about selecting an instrument tells me I made a good health choice moving to a better quality instrument than I had before. I already knew that, as far as the sound and peformance quality of the set, but never really thought about it in terms of health!
Anyway, best to you David with the problem in your arm.
Ailin
I think it’s painfully ironic that this post should show up now that I’ve just found out that my playing days are more or less over. I’ve got all the classic symptoms this paper describes, but mine are permanent and occur when I’m not playing as well. I’ve had an MRI, nerve conduction test, x-rays, test for carpal tunnel, yadda, yadda, yadda… all of which indicate that I am perfectly healthy. I’ve taken anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, gotten electro-stim treatments, been to a chiropractor and a shiatsu therapist. All with no effect. Since the doctors can’t fix what they can’t detect, I’m basically screwed.
Like David, I have the whole left arm thing going. One cautionary note: Don’t think just because you are doing the stretching and warming up that you won’t get injured. When I got injured about a year ago, I was practicing three hours a day, but I was also doing Yoga (had been for years), stretching and warming up before each practice session, careful of my posture and playing relaxed. I also took the regular breaks they recommend, and I would only play an hour at a time, with breaks. I did everything I could to avoid injuries and thought that my carefulness would shield me from injuries. Didn’t work out that way in the event. I think what caused me to get injured was simply that I had a certain goal to reach each day and I pushed myself to hit that goal even when I might have been feeling tired or fatigued from my last practice session.
It may sound ridiculously obvious, but if you don’t really feel like playing that day (physically or mentally) don’t do it. This is a principle I learned later on when I took up weight lifting. Not wanting to workout/play is often your body’s way of letting you know you need a rest. Know when to put the pipes down and you will ensure may years of happy playing in the future.
Be Safe,
James
Thanks for the encouragement guys. Here’s hoping it’s something I can recover from and continue playing.
I have a freind whose been playing UPs for a lot longer than I who also has injured his shoulder in much the same way as I have - with all the symptoms. His therapists have encouraged him NOT to stop playing, but to be more conscious of what he’s doing with his shoulder etc. He seems to be pulling through okay. I’m going to give the pipes a rest for a while though until I can find out more about what’s going on.
Cheers,
DavidG
A tough, but wise decision IMHO.
Not to be morbid or anything, but if you guys do find out what it is you’re doing that is causing you the injuries, I hope you won’t be too embarassed to come back and explain it to us. I don’t mean to belittle the problems you are experiencing, but I don’t have any of these difficulties. This doesn’t make me any better or anything, it just means I haven’t stumbled upon what you may be doing wrong yet, which still leaves me a potential victim. So if you wouldn’t mind, please let us know what you uncover so we can all avoid the same.
Thx,
djm
Hey James,
Sorry to hear you’re still having problems. I am suffering from increasingly worse thumb pain these days, myself, so I’m trying to take it easy with playing. I’ve also started taking glucosamine, so we’ll see if that helps. I get carpal tunnel on and off occasionally, and I need to go without playing for days or weeks every once in a while when it acts up. (I’m really not supposed to be using the computer either, oh, well).
Anyway, I hope that you recover from your arm pain soon. It may be that you could have to give up playing for years, which happened to a musician I know here in S.F., but he is back to playing again now. Don’t give up hope, anyway.
Justine
I’m off to the witch doctor tomorrow. I’ll keep you all posted.
One piece of advice - if you start to feel pain in your upper arm just below your shoulder, give it a good rest. That’s where my pain started.
Djm,
I know exactly what caused my injuries. Simply overplaying. I was playing 3 hours a day consistently 5 or 6 days a week. When I talked to Todd Denman, he said that at his height of practicing, he played 2 hours a day at most, and not necessarily every day. He said most of his skill came more from playing for 20 years than from killing himself at any one time.
From my gym experience I’ve learned that people vary widely in their recovery times. One person may be able to play 3 or more hours a day and be fine, while another might get injured off of an hour a day. It’s really a matter of listening to your body and finding the amount that is right for you. My mistake was ignoring what my body was telling me. Of course, you want to stack the deck in your favor by making sure your pipes are set up well, keeping good playing posture, and doing all the recommended warm-ups and breaks etc.
Justine,
Thanks for the encouragement. Is it your top or bottom hand thumb that is hurting? If it’s the bottom, I know a fool-proof exercise for fixing it. What pipes are you playing now? I thought I remembered you having some difficulties with your set before. Of course, that was a while ago so I could be mis-remembering. If you want, I could lend you my Hughes half set. I don’t want to sell it in case I can play again at some point in the future, but if I let it sit in my closet un-cared for, the reeds will probably collapse. If you don’t want it, I’ll probably lend it to the L.A. pipers club as I’m moving to L.A. after Thanksgiving. Well, let me know.
Later,
James
Hey James,
It is both thumbs, actually, but the right one is much worse. I’ll send you a pm and we can talk about the half set…It would probably work out great for me, actually, because I still have a long wait on my Rogge set…
Later,
Justine