Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Nick Collis Bird]

How many of our gang are finding it more and more difficult to play?
Since the Ops last year I find I can't play for more than a few minutes without pain. (Back and chest)
  I can accompany my Morris Team by adding a few pushes and pulls only with a lead musician. Bourne River Morris and dear Glynis. I just tried to play, and don't laugh, Delilah and couldn't get through even the first part. It's a sad time. I suppose and hope that I am the only one.
  Maybe the Organette will be easier. At least it's just suck and blow.

[arty]

You poor ol' bugger Nick. Have you spoken to your doctor about it? I have no medical knowledge at all, so can't advise but could it be that your insides just haven't fully repaired yet, after the operation? It depends on what kind of operation you had but maybe there is still a weakness deep inside and your doctor or physio could give you some exercises to help strengthen you up again. In the meantime, take it easy and stop playing as soon as you feel discomfort. Maybe more cross rowing would lengthen the time you can play. Squeezing a melodeon is a physical thing.

Chin up! and take care of yourself.

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

Physiotherapy is almost certainly, the way to go. Takes a long time to rep[air old bodies, as I know to my cost.
Don't know what the system is where you are, but up here in the medically more civilised, and less stretched NHS, we can self refer to a physio.

Keep on keeping on, is my best advice

John

[malcolmbebb]

Try taking the Bullworker out of the bellows... but certainly I can't see how a chat with a physio could go wrong. Do they have physios in Swanage?

However, if you complain about stabbing pains and then confess to playing Delilah, they might send you to a shrink instead.

Thinking about heading down your way in the next few weeks,

[Phil B]

 I would echo what Cugiok  says after heart surgery and stiff fingers from hard manual labour, now five years on with a regime of regular, sensible exercise I am playing better than ever.
Don,t give up

[Thrupenny Bit]

Hi Nick,
As you know, a mutual friend has had something similar done.
He was on a regime of physio and encouraged to exercise well. It took him a fair old time, but he's now back dancing and better than he has been for a long while.
It does take an inordinate amount of time to get going again, don't give up, but do take medical advice whether from a physio or perhaps start with a chat with your recent 'plumber'.
take care mate
Q

[brazilian.BOX]

Well, I believe we can't or we shouldn't relate it directly with the age. Or at least no only with the age. For any musician playing regularly, with any discipline daily, the PAIN is something that comes also in your routine so. I've been doing typing exercises in my melodeons accordion, to improve the performance of the typing and increase the velocity. So, in the weekends I do more of these exercises and play more hours. So yesterday (sunday) in the end of the day I was feeling some little pains in my fingers.

Two friends of mine are professional musicians. They play long sessions daily, and play with their bands, and give musical instrument classes. So, they have long sessions playing in their daily routine and they have it as a needing (cause it is their WORK). And I knew that they have physical injuries around the body because this physical routine with the instrument. One of them made a long medical treatment involving also a surgery in the backbone, cause the loooong time seated in the bench daily. The other had problems in the shoulder cause playing the cello.

So we should deal with the regular playing of a musical instrument I believe, as a kind of physical exercise also, not cause any needing of strength necessarily but by the aspect of the REPETITION. So, what we can do that is also important with physical exercises??? >>> stretching exercises before.
Professional bus drivers, that have it in their very daily routine for example, they use to suffer in any time of their life, use to suffer injuries in theirs shoulders and elbows... cause the soooo repeatedly gears changings.

So, for the people that are having pains with the playing of the musical instrument, I recommend try to include any warming and streching exercises always before a good session playing. Trying in google images or youtube about streching exercises for the fingers, for the wrist, for the elbow, shoulders.

These same professional musicians that I know, that they had problems with injuries by the excessive playing sessions daily, after the treatment I knew that they included these kind of "preparation" before playing sessions. It was a kind of medical recommendation as I knew with them. So, if these opinions comes from doctors, so I believe can help for the health of any musician. 

[Stiamh]

Good advice above. Nick, is the pain due to arthritis or other forms of inflammation? If so, careful attention to diet might be a great help. Could well involve a radical change in eating habits though...

[Broadland Boy]

Sorry to hear that Nick  Would a Streb or similar be a less demanding alternative until things have improved ? if so see if you can get you GP to prescribe one as medical aid 

Richard (currently looking to the NHS to remedy being a traction engine owning individual born into the body of someone who hasn't got one  )

[stevejay]

Walking helps a lot, as long as you don't have injuries which limit.

It's easy, it's free, and a nice chance to practice photography 

[malcolmbebb]

Steve et all, Nick's current discomfort is due to some pretty invasive repair work to re-plumb his metronome. I believe he has the usual others that many of us share, but that's the primary

[Nick Collis Bird]

It's true Gang, Malcolm's right. We walk our little dog twice a day although he's getting as staggery as I am. I know this is not a real melodeon thread, but am so pissed off with not being able to play for too long. My Doctor says it ain't going to get better. It's now nearly a year since mega surgery and making medical history by the way.
Ho Hum. There may be another competition throwing a box in the direction of you lot.
However I've not given up yet.

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

Well, unless you have adhesions, then it's only going to get better. However, walking, while it's good exercise, isn't as targeted, as what a physio would give you, when he is given your symptoms.

John

[911377brian]

Started playing a couple of years ago and suffered a lot of discomfort due to a plated radius and ulna and a fused wrist, half an hours playing made my teeth water and it was getting steadily worse. Then I had a lend of a Mignon,played it without discomfort and encouraged, bought one from Lester of this parish.I find I can 'play' for long periods without pain,so it seems to me that the bold Broadland Boy is correct in saying try a streb perhaps, finding the right bit of kit to fit an ageing, busted body may be the way forward. Worked for me...

[Chris Ryall]

11 hours of bowel surgery, radiotherapy,  brain. poisoning from chemo, 29 fractures including both shoulders, amazing that I can play the box at all, but it seems to work.

I blame the red wine collection in the cellar …

[911377brian]

You could try giving the Chanson collection back to Nick, Malcolm, he won't find much to push against there....

[The Blues Viking]

How many of our gang are finding it more and more difficult to play?

I certainly am. My main problem right now is reaching the inner bass row; I'm getting a bit arthritic and it gets a little harder every year. Eventually I'm going to have to have all my basses moved to the outer row and chords to the inner; I seldom use chords anyway.

After my heart surgery I don't imagine I was able to play, but a previous stroke had rendered me unable to play so I really don't know. These days, with my body breaking down in new and interesting ways I am continually having to find new and interesting ways of playing. Make adjustments, keep moving and never stand still.

TBV

[pikey]

But Nick,  you ARE Spartacus !! 

[TomB]

11 hours of bowel surgery, radiotherapy,  brain. poisoning from chemo, 29 fractures including both shoulders, amazing that I can play the box at all, but it seems to work.

I blame the red wine collection in the cellar …

You're a long time dead, Chris, so make the most of what you've got now.  Oh, and bring some of that red wine to Bull Bay at Easter 


Nick, take it easy, play more quietly, play slower. Little and often. Do what the medpros tell you. Giving up isn't an option for peeps like us.

[Chris Ryall]

thank Tom,  but there are two more problems

 1. Just booked in to play the English Bridge Union Easter tourney in London
 2. My bridge partner collects whiskeys