Topic: MEDICAL PROBLEMS CAUSED BY PLAING MUSIC
IS"NT IT A STRANGE TOPIC?
At first sight yes, what the h** is this topic doing here.
THIS TOPIC ar SECOND SIGHT MEANS MORE THAN YOU THINK.
You can think that it is not belonging here, BUT IT BELONGS HERE, because of some crucial medical advise.
Just think about the fact that your fingertips start to be, sometimes extremely painful, causing problems. Here: no harm done, it happened or happens to almost all of us. So what can you get, playing instruments, like violin and here of course the guitar.
THIS IS A REAL DIFFICULT TOPIC, BUT I THOUGHT THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT, JUST BECAUSE MOST OF US DON'T PAY ATTENTION, OR IGNORE THIS PROBLEM.
1) Singers: sound quality of the voice comes from the larynx, tongue, lips, palate, pharynx, nasal cavity, quit a combination. Just think of a common cold, coughing, and nasal problems. This a hard one for a MD. Other people can be silent, but a singer? If he continues to sing, he risks even to develop nodules on the vocal chords. Needless to say, smoking is extremely damaging to oral, lung, and throat mucosa and has to be avoided.
Of course, there is a treatment, or extra help to stay singing: Cortisone, Inhalations with Eucalyptus
still there is only one solution: DON'T SING.
2) Instrumental musicians are a special risk group for repetitive motion injuries, you play guitar, when you play a chord JUST LOOK AT YOUR HAND USED TO TAKE CHORDS. It is an unnatural position, so evident that you never look how that hand is twisted around the neck. I wrote: repetitive motions, or (I prefer) movements. The fact that, when playing guitar, you make repetitive movements can cause a "tendinitis", an inflammation of a tendon. Electric bass guitar players have an even greater likelihood of problems. Plucking versus bowing is more difficult on fingers, and the thicker strings of bass guitars are more difficult to pluck than those on lead guitars. Size and weight of instrument are problematic, even with shoulder straps.
All guitarists use hyperflexion of wrists, and flexion of left fingers across strings, causing tension problems. The size of the players versus their instruments may cause difficulties.
Nerve entrapments are common, see again the "specific" unnatural position.
Guitar players will initially notice tingling, heaviness, coldness, tightness, or lack of flexibility in fingers or hands. If these problems are ignored, the result may become a nerve root compression in the neck. Carpal, median, cubital, and ulnar nerves are all subject to entrapment problems. In English: problems with nerves, caused by a kind of irritation, and even, still ignoring it, finally compression. Typical: THE CARPAL TUNNEL syndrome, and leading to surgery, if again ignored. Another important fact is a chronic back problem caused by playing in the same position for hours. Try to stand right and play a Gibson guitar, if it is a hobby, you will feel "your back, after 30-60 minutes.
CONCLUSION: ALWAYS NERVE/MUSCULAR, BUT I AM THE LAST PERSON TO SAY THAT THIS IS COMMON AND FOR ALL GUITAR PLAYERS. If playing guitar is a hobby, it is easier to rest.
BUT if you live from playing guitar, it can be a catastrophe.
OK guys, don't panic at all, it doesn't occur in 100%, it is more "bad luck". Doctors will treat the
guitar player, by administrating injections, painkillers...
DRUMMERS seem to have lesser problems, I think because their muscles are developing, and so they keep the right balance.
WOW, this one took me 3 hours. But I really hope that you appreciate this topic, because nobody stands still about medical problems. If hobbyist: easy to rest or playing less, Professional artists; this is another "thing".
I would be pleased if guitar (bass included) players, singers can provide suggestions, or other problems.
I REPEAT AGAIN: THIS IS CAUSED BY REPETITIVE MOVEMENTS.
SGinCYQX, very clever, he mentioned the fact that you can treat some medical problems. I DID write advise about that point. I broke my wrist in 1988 and after an X-ray the found an 3IMPACTION FRACTURE". When you are falling, you will reach in a reflex your hand (my left hand) you can break your wrist. An impact fracture occurs when my wrist bones entered in my fore arm bones. Better to understand: you jump from 5 metres and land on your feet. The most common fracture you will see, is one bone that enters in another. My wrist: once the splint or cast was removed, I had to go to a physiotherapist, I never went, and I discovered a strange fact, that playing the guitar, and using your left hand to "create" a chord, it was really hard, but AGAIN: Don't cross the pain "border". Stop before the pain starts to be worse, and it depends from person to person, how fast it will heal and more important to play my beloved guitar.
I am convinced that I wrote it here, and being busy to write this correct AND to explain everything not in MD terminology, resulting in adding, deleting, adding.. but I do hope that guitar players (I mentioned the other musicians too) is able to learn something. It surely don't happen 100%, 75% is closer. BUT THANKS SGinCYQX for noticing it. It took me a few hours, and the edit/delete was used a lot. IF YOU BREAK YOUR LEFT HAND: I AM STILL CONVINCED THAT THIS IS THE BEST TREATMENT,AFTER REMOVING THE SPLINT. NEVER TRESPASS YOUR PAIN LIMIT, and this goes together with a lot of other problems
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]
