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Author Topic: Shoulder Pain?  (Read 14949 times)

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EastAnglianTed

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #40 on: January 13, 2013, 11:22:33 AM »

Ah good point! Had given long term problems no consideration  :o  >:E
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Matthew B

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #41 on: March 02, 2015, 04:10:50 PM »

Reviving this old thread -- I am having problems with my right elbow at the moment.  I've been on the road for the past eight months playing my travel box -- a Microbot Liliput.  The small keyboard, short straps, and continuously playing just the one box seem to have tweaked something.  Because of the size of the instrument my playing position is quite cramped.  My elbow is bent closed, and so my wrist is bent sideways into what I now think of as the square root position -- ()

There's a very tender spot on the outside of my elbow joint which sends out a big warning pain when I press backwards on my RH little finger or ring finger, or twist my hand around backwards.

So, I'm looking for a bigger box to play, and taking a break for a few days.  Next stop is my friendly local GP -- However I suspect the "Melodeon Related Injuries" section of his notebook may be quite short (NfN?).  As ever, any thoughts and advice from the melnet community would be much appreciated. 

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Clive Williams

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #42 on: March 02, 2015, 04:27:43 PM »

First thought ... get a longer strap :-) No point in using the existing strap, if it's not fit for purpose. 2nd thought ... my preciosa has a similar (relatively) original short strap - I tend to find it sits snuggly round the back of my elbow, rather than shoulder, and that makes playing quite comfortable. Only works sitting down of course.

Mike Carney

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #43 on: March 02, 2015, 04:55:14 PM »

I highly recommend finding a sports massage practitioner. Massage, exercises and advice has helped me with various strains.
Mike
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IanD

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #44 on: March 02, 2015, 08:54:02 PM »

This doesn't sound like any muscular strain that a sports physio can help with, it sounds more like an inflamed nerve sheath problem -- I have cubital tunnel syndrome (inside of elbow), you may have radial tunnel syndrome. Suggest you see your doctor and maybe get referred to a specialist if this is suspected.
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Matthew B

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #45 on: March 03, 2015, 12:01:59 PM »

Thanks folks.  Clive -- I wish it were just a strap issue.  Mike, I fear massage may not be all that's needed.  I think Ian may be closer to the real cause.
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The Happy Wanderer

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #46 on: March 04, 2015, 01:11:25 AM »

I get shoulder pain a lot after long sprees of playing. When that happens, I play my Harmonica. After I start hyperventilating, I go back to the Melodeon.  ;D
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Sebastian

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #47 on: March 04, 2015, 09:36:24 AM »

I get shoulder pain a lot after long sprees of playing. When that happens, I play my Harmonica. After I start hyperventilating, I go back to the Melodeon.  ;D
I would love to be your neighbour. ;)
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Lonnie

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #48 on: March 04, 2015, 09:35:09 PM »

I've found that playing box 1 with RH thumbstrap only gives me a pain inside my right elbow before very long.

Playing box 2 with left and right side shoulder straps there is no discomfort at all.

Amateur sleuth conclusion: using the right arm to drive the bellows or control the instrument causes pain in my elbow.

Given that, if I was set up like in this pic: http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hteXJX4jkIw/hqdefault.jpg
then I might try to fix a left side shoulder strap to remove pressure on the right elbow when compressing bellows.

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Matthew B

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #49 on: March 04, 2015, 11:02:39 PM »

Thanks Lonnie: That's te position all right!  But my arm still ends up that way even if I use two straps.  I just need a bigger box for long-term playing, I think.
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Harp2

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #50 on: March 08, 2015, 02:49:34 AM »

My highly paid medical professional told my wife that I need to buy more and more boxes until I find one that doesn't cause my shoulder to become sore.  ;)

But seriously I find it really helpful to play a variety of tunes.
I have a real tendency to sit and play the same song or phrases over and over and that's when I get the most soreness.
I also am always thinking "try to keep it on one row" and intentionally trying not to cross rows. I know I am probably making a lot more work (and soreness)  for myself, but I just like that in and out sound.
« Last Edit: March 08, 2015, 05:42:02 PM by Harp2 »
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AirTime

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #51 on: March 08, 2015, 04:31:44 AM »

It's a bit difficult to offer advice to another person on this subject, because aches & pains - their causes & remedies - are such a personal thing. Since I started playing, I have been subject to a wide variety of aches - elbow, shoulder, wrists, hands. I'm fairly sure that these have often been the result of playing the same sequence of notes repeatedly.

I think the key is to avoid too much repetitive playing & I'm sure that varying the box being played would also help.
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MarioP

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #52 on: July 01, 2017, 01:30:28 PM »

I am having the left shoulder muscle pain from day one.

Being a drummer I know I'm prone to tense up in the moments I get excited.

I agree on the repetitive. I'm also addicted to playing my favorite song over and over.

The double strap did help to keep the wrist and biceps from going numb.

But the shoulder pain continues now even on my right shoulder 😂

I do believe is sort of a workout for those muscles that I never worked out before.
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odonovanchris

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #53 on: July 10, 2017, 03:31:28 AM »

My grandad had trouble with his shoulder for years due to playing a 9 coupler Paolo. I don't know how he did it all those years. A lighter box definitely helps!
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #54 on: July 12, 2017, 10:20:26 AM »

I've never suffered from any pains....until a few weeks back.
I returned from holiday, started to play a new 'old' box as I needed to get to grips with it.
My neck/shoulder muscle running along the top of my shoulder became incredibly sore and almost cramping. You could feel it was knotted.
It is  now calming down, and despite unhelpful comments like ' you're playing that thing too much' from family, I think I've now understood what happened.

I think the root cause was returning from hols, straight back into an early start at work during a hot period
 and for  a few days I'd return, sit in the new armchair and nod off. Really fall heavily into sleep and my head dropped forward , then I'd wake and.....nod off again. I now realise this is the root cause.
Sitting in the chair made it feel uncomfortable. My workstation at work exacerbated this  left hand shoulder pain as my computer chair had dropped slightly so the left hand should would rest in a higher position on the desk.
...and an old Hohner with tighter bellows is not as easy to drive as my well run in Castagnari.
A multitude of little things building into shoulder pain and preventing me from playing.

Luckily it is now resolving but it reminds me it is lots of little things that build up and add up to one problem. I resolved them one at a time and luckily the boxes are now being played.....but a salutary lesson for me.
cheers
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

george garside

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #55 on: July 12, 2017, 08:11:43 PM »

I have moderate to strong arthritis (depending on the day of the week and which way the wind is blowing) in my right shoulder  and  the two things that make it less of a problem as far as box playing are (and I regularly play boxes ranging from a Lilly to a 96 bass gaelic)

- broad  well padded shoulder straps--

- adjustment of the straps to bring the keyboard more or less under the chin so the right arm does not look as if I am attempting to take off!

As far as arthritis in the left shoulder ( or should it be called arthleftus)  the key is to   to keep the bellows as near closed as possible for most of the time, only going ever outwards when it is totally unavoidable. This also facilitates fine bellwos control  particularly when there are lots of quick ins and outs involved , these being done entirely with wrist rather than arm or shoulder movement.

george

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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #56 on: July 13, 2017, 07:31:04 AM »

George, your experience reflects mine.
My keyboard tends to be under my chin, or close to, and I was becoming very conscious of my left arm and hand movement.
Playing my little Tommy meant I could get away with a virtually wrist action only movement, a touch subdued because of the situation.
As it improved I realised my larger Hascy, though heavier, is large enough to rest the case on my thigh. This means the left hand shoulder strap is loose across the tender muscle which helped. The Tommy's too small to rest on my thigh unless I double over so though less weight, it's all on both shoulder straps.
I did notice my upper left arm doesn't move much, such is my style, not being a particularly expansive or physical player.

It is useful to have boxes of different sizes to be able to change if suffering pain.
This could be a genuine excuse for MAD  >:E
Q
 
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!

MarioP

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Re: Shoulder Pain?
« Reply #57 on: July 13, 2017, 04:21:01 PM »

Excuses of madness totally 😂

I do realize now after reading the previous two posts that I love extending the bellows just to see them flashy unnecessary as mentioned. I am stating to keep them shut as often as possible which takes away some of the fun in my part. Definetey good to know your options.

I found an exercise to practice using the bottom belows side shut only keep the top of the bellows open.

Again just an option but do love the spreading as wide as possible on a 12 bass Corona is more brutal thank on my 8 bass Corso.
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Hohner Pre Corona II BsEsAs,Club IV C/F Pre-War, Liliput C/F, Mignon I (G) Piano from the 30s, Kromatica III from the 60s harmonica. Hohner Kids I. Pearl Forum series 80s, Zildjian, Sabían, Wuhan cymbals. Ludwig snare 70s.
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