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Musicians Injuries: OUCH, It Hurts When I Play (But Please Dont Tell Me To Stop!)
This article takes a look at musicians' injuries. For an expert perspective, I interviewed Dr. Sarah Mickeler, B.Mus., D.C. Dr. Mickeler is a former professional musician and a chiropractor who concentrates on musicians' injuries in her practice. 1) What led you to specialize in musicians' injuries? I have a very personal connection to musician's injuries. I had trained as a classical clarinet player and it was during my undergrad that I started to have all sorts of problems from playing too much and with poor posture. Unfortunately, I was told, as many others are, that I should just play through the pain and that maybe it would get better! Of course, it didn't, and it eventually led to the demise of my career as a clarinetist, because I was totally unable to hold up my instrument. So, I decided to pick a new career that would help others musicians - and hopefully before they got to the point that I was at! Chiropractic appealed to me because of the whole health care paradigm that it embodies - as chiropractors, we diagnose and fix the cause, rather than masking the symptoms. 2) What is different about treating musicians than treating the general population? Often, what I tell people who don't understand the specifics of musicians' injuries, is that "it takes one to know one". As a musician, it can be very difficult to explain to a physician or physiotherapist or even another chiropractor what the mechanics look like when you are playing your instrument. But when someone comes into my office and says that they play flute, or guitar, or tuba, or whatever, I know exactly what the physical component of playing their instrument involves. That is a very important first step. Secondly, not only do you have to be able to have a good understanding of what playing that instrument involves, but you have to be able to see that person play. Even if someone tells me they play violin (I automatically think: "ok, so they will be leaning their head to the left and have right shoulder problems, etc..."), I am often shocked to see how over the years of playing they have contorted themselves into a little pretzel while they play! So, on the first or second visit, all of my musicians bring in their instruments and I do a thorough playing analysis to see what it is that they're doing right and wrong. It could be that their posture is contributing to their injury. Or maybe there's something about the instrument that we could change; it might just need a minor adjustment in the thumb rest or a key positioning. For instance, I have very small hands and found it difficult to reach some of the alternate fingering keys on my clarinet - so I had them sawed off and re-soldered on in a different direction so I could reach them. Thirdly, it is important to recognize that there are some really common reasons for performance injuries. The most common ones are a change in repertoire, a change in the instrument (such as a new mouthpiece or something similar), a change in practice time or an upcoming recital. If we can pinpoint what it is that the performer has been doing differently lately to contribute to their injury, that helps immensely. And lastly, it is so important to realize, especially for freelance artists, that you can't just tell them to take a muscle relaxant, and take a few weeks off. If these people took a few weeks off, they wouldn't have a roof over their head or food on the table. While it's occasionally absolutely imperative that a break be taken, most of the time I take a holistic approach to treating performers and change and fix what we can, within the obvious limitations of current gigs and upcoming events. 3) What's the most common injury that you see in your office? In my office, there is a tie for the most common injury. The first is upper back/shoulder/neck pain - I lump these together because those terms can mean the same thing to a lot of people - often someone will come in and say that their shoulder hurts and point to the pain, but to me what they're pointing to is actually their upper back or lower neck. This one is often a function of poor posture or poor practice ergonomics. If we can figure out how to improve the overall posture and ergonomic situation then this tends to resolve quickly. And the second most common injury is hand and arm pain. You would not believe how many people walk into my office with numb and tingly hands and fingers - which can be very scary if you're the one to experience it - to find out that the problem isn't actually their hands and fingers at all, but it's a little further up the arm and can be quite easily treated once properly diagnosed. Or they come in with tennis elbow - but they have never held a tennis racket in their life! In my office, I call tennis and golfer's elbow "musician's elbow" because it is a repetitive strain injury. It is really, really common and surprisingly easy to treat. 4) What can musicians do to prevent injury? First of all, don't be a hero! There is just no reason to practice for hours on end without a break. Always remember to take a little break for every 30 minutes that you are playing. Secondly, don't play through pain. The pain signal is there to tell you that you are doing something wrong. Playing through it is not going to get you anywhere - other than in more pain and in worse shape down the road. Thirdly, be aware of your ergonomics. If you sit to play, does your chair fit you properly? In rehearsal, do you have to strain at all to see both the stand and the conductor? Are your arms contorted oddly in order to be able to play properly? This is not good. And lastly, seek the help of a professional who can not only help you with the injuries that you are currently dealing with, but can help you avoid future injury and optimize your overall performance. You can find out more about Dr. Sarah Mickeler and her Toronto-based chiropractic practice concentrating on musicians' injuries at http://www.drsarah.ca. To echo Sarah's advice, please pay attention to any pain signals your body is sending you! Admitting you're having a physical problem doesn't make you any less of a musician - it means you're a very smart musician with years of playing ahead of you!! This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriter's Resource website (February 2005) http://www.musesmuse.com. (c) Copyright Linda Dessau, 2005. Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, "Everyday Artist", subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html
MORE RESOURCES: 10 Fourth of July Gear Sales for the Music Lover in You American Songwriter Continuing the Music - BCTV bctv.org Stephen Bishop reflects on his life in music in 'On and Off,' an autobiography with a dramatic twist The San Diego Union-Tribune Review | This 'Music Man' wins us over in sign language The Washington Post News Briefs: Winners of Art in the Village; Music Institute raises $750,000 at annual benefit - The Record The Record North Shore Final Fantasy VII Remake Music Disc Locations: The Power of Music & where to get all Music Discs RPG Site Afrobeats new music weekly roundup Vanguard Ermonela Jaho, an Albanian Soprano, ‘Can Sing Your Music’ The New York Times Celebrate the Music of Woodstock with Gary Burtnik's Summer of Love Concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse This Month Broadway World Fiesta Noche del Rio music revue celebrates 65 years in San Antonio KSAT San Antonio Black residents chosen to manage music venue Charlotte Observer Beyoncé and Drake are making this the summer of house music — and we are here for it - New York Post Column: Hirschman to direct second music tech camp The Sheridan Press Andrew Pincus, classical music critic who covered Bernstein and Ozawa, takes his final bow Berkshire Eagle NPR's favorite music of June, from salty joy to heart-wrenching slow jams : All Songs Considered NPR Loud music, strobe lights and Michael Myers: An inside look at Cincinnati's Squat Fest The Cincinnati Enquirer Microsoft Is Preserving Music On Glass Slides Under A Mountain In Norway For A Post-Doomsday World Metal Injection Kacey Musgraves, Big Sean, and More: Step Inside the Music Rooms of 6 Famous Musicians | Architectural Digest Architectural Digest Richard Taruskin, Vigorously Polemical Musicologist, Dies at 77 The New York Times Manteo's annual 4th of July Celebration promises games, live music, contests, and much more! OBXToday.com Famous American Music Festival Faces Risk from Climate Change VOA Learning English THIS WEEK IN THE ARTS | Fireworks, live music, comedy night and more Manhattan Mercury A Look Back at Robin Thicke's Thrilling Music Career - A Look Back at Robin Thicke's Thrilling Music Career Talent Recap Crash Test Dummies joins Pleasantville Music Festival lineup News 12 Brooklyn Chosen Few Picnic Celebrates 30th Anniversary With 14 Hours Of House Music In Jackson Park Saturday Block Club Chicago The Best Experimental Music on Bandcamp: June 2022 bandcamp.com 'Grover's Corner' dedicated with memories and music behind Town Hall in Great Barrington Berkshire Eagle Letter | Upcoming Civic music events will require masks Santa Cruz Sentinel Ray Chew bringing Black music elements to Macy's July 4 show New York Daily News Dennis Cahill, Irish traditional music great from Chicago, dead at 68 Chicago Sun-Times Local music store closes after serving community for decades WGBA NBC 26 in Green Bay Born to Dance — Catherine Knight: Multi-Media Artist 'Visual music' Terre Haute Tribune Star Monmouth kicks off Fourth of July celebrations with music and fireworks Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel Frank Zappa Estate Sold to Universal Music Group Ultimate Classic Rock Many activities and road closures as Newburgh puts on music festival Eyewitness News (WEHT/WTVW) 5 Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now The New York Times Randolph College group researching how children engage with multimedia music Lynchburg News and Advance Usher Celebrates Black Music Month in New Tiny Desk Concert: 'This Is Black Magic Right Here' PEOPLE 10 Best Movies & Shows To Feature Eminem's Music Screen Rant Manhattan band Crosswind to be inducted into Kansas Music Hall of Fame Manhattan Mercury The Country Music Hall Of Fame's Upcoming “Western Edge” Exhibit Explores Los Angeles' Influence On Country Music Whiskey Riff ICYMI: Wyclef Jean and Amazon Music Announces 25th Anniversary Livestream Honoring 'The Carnival' The Source Magazine School of Music, Theatre, and Dance Ithaca College Jack White Vows Not to Mess With Prince's Music Ultimate Classic Rock The 200 Greatest Rap Albums of All Time Rolling Stone The music lives on Apple Pop Music's Nostalgia Obsession The Atlantic Is Old Music Killing New Music? The Atlantic The Best Music of 2021 The New Yorker Jack Antonoff’s Gift for Pop-Music Collaboration The New Yorker Jorge Drexler’s Music Connects Genres, Generations and Continents The New York Times Ambient Music Isn’t a Backdrop. It’s an Invitation to Suspend Time. The New York Times Spotify Takes Down Neil Young's Music After His Joe Rogan Ultimatum - WSJ The Wall Street Journal Spotify backlash offers rare insight into reeling music industry — and struggles of working musicians The Washington Post Depeche Mode’s Andrew Fletcher dies aged 60 The Guardian Apple Music Apple 25 Artists Shaping the Future of Music Pitchfork 500 Best Songs of All Time Rolling Stone |
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