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Striking a Safe Chord
Exercises
From cantinas to concert halls, musicians are plagued by ailments ranging from overuse injuries to hearing loss -- and few have health insurance. Fortunately, things are changing.
By Chris Woolston
CONSUMER HEALTH INTERACTIVE
They put their wrists and fingers through as much strain as any secretary or computer programmer. They do the heavy lifting of a warehouse worker. Many of them breathe as much secondhand cigarette smoke as a bartender. And all too often, they do it without health insurance or regular medical care. Welcome to the carefree world of musicians.
A musician's life may seem glamorous, but it's often a blueprint for poor health, says Cathi Fontenot, MD, medical director of the Medical Center of Louisiana at New Orleans. She should know. Every week, Fontenot treats a new batch of musicians, ranging from jazz singers to Cajun fiddlers, at the LSU Medical Center Musicians Clinic.
The ailments musicians suffer are as varied as their styles, Fontenot says. The repetitive strain from plucking strings, striking keys, or pulling a bow often leads to osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and other overuse injuries. Instrument sounds, pumped up by amplifiers and mixed with crowd noise, can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears) or partial hearing loss. Musicians frequently hurt their backs while hauling instruments and amplifiers from gig to gig. And in many cases, all those late nights in bars and clubs lead to alcohol and drug abuse.
Read more........
Hand Support
You’ve got some pain in your hands, arms, wrists, shoulders or neck when you play. Is this just happening to you? Is your situation unusual?
In an article called, “When the Work You do Costs You An Arm and A Leg”, Richard Wilkomer, a journalist, wrote that 60 of the 130 journalists in the Reuters newsroom reported some degree of repeated stress injury. Friends, take care of yourselves.
General Aids
These aids have been suggested by local health personnel. If you look them up on Amazon, for example, a variety of other devices will be shown as well. As with all specific ideas shown on this website, they are presented fro information only, and are not specifically recommended by this website or anyone affiliated with it.
Isotoner ¾ Length Open-Finger Therapeutic Gloves $14.95
This specially designed therapeutic glove from Isotoner helps ease pain and swelling due to arthritis or injury. Use this glove anytime day or night and the gentle even compression will
sooth and reduce swollen aching hands. The open finger design allows freedom of movement
and Seamless Support keeps seams away from pain sensitive areas like the base of the thumb.
Isotoner has worked with Certified Hand Therapist in designing this glove for therapeutic use.
Please consult your Doctor of Therapist before using. Latex Free. Imported.
TheraDesign™ Wrist Band $19.95
The same FIR frequency energy that is given off by the sun is given off by our bodies, every day. What TheraDesign technology does is harnesses the body's FIR energy in the form of heat.
A special light energized Jade and bio-ceramic powder (the formulation of which is a trade secret) is layered in between the fabric on the polypropylene. This jade and ceramic powder reflects released energy back into the body in the form of FIR energy. The energy warms up the area of the body, increasing circulation and releasing toxins.
The combination of FIR technology in a polypropylene material both warms and insulates the body, providing maximum benefits; you can feel confident that microcirculation is improving, toxins are being flushed, fresh nutrients and oxygen are reaching the cellular level, and pain is relieved.
Thumb Support
Thumb/Wrist Tendenitis: Tendinitis below the base of the thumb, on the inside of the wrist.
Comfort Cool Thumb Restriction Splint
This splint provides joint support and tight compression for CMC joint arthritis and instability, or for the discomfort associated with repetitive motion.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
The median nerve supplies sensation to the thumb, index, middle, and half of the ring finger. It passes through a tight space between the carpal bones in the base of the palm, called the carpal tunnel. The nerve can be squeezed byt the finger tendons, especially if the fingers are used while the wrist is bent. This eventually causes it to push on a very sensitive nerve. Symptoms are numbness or pain on the thumb side of the hand, especially at night. There may also be pain up to the elbow.
Prevention: Use positions that allow the wrist to remain in a neutral position- the wrist should be where it rests when you make a fist. Forearms should be parallel to the floor.
A five minute break every thirty minutes with gentle stretching is a good thing to do.
Wrist Extension Immobilization Splint
This is a custom made splint, made from measurements of your wrist and hand. It can’t used by anyone but you. Contact Angie Kamins, 466-4263, if you’re interested in this.
Icing
Ice packs- a musician’s best friend (except for your other best friend, but you know what we mean: This is really good for you hands, arms). (From Angie Kamins)
A double sealed gel/ice pack is great for decreasing inflammation on a daily basis. Unfortunately, after checking around, there is nothing that I can recommend available here in Santa Fe.
I have large ones 12" x 16" from a company called Bruder, www.bruder.com. I have them in stock for about $20 - call me at 466-4263
Daily gentle icing, not necessary to freeze the whole forearm down-wrap the ice pack in a towel, then wrap around the arm/hand for about 30 minutes. It’ll will make the hand a bit stiff and achy until it warms up again, about 10 minutes, then all should feel much better.
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 Resources
Health Practitioners
Angela Kamins, Occupational Therapist. 466-4263
Angela is a specialist in the the treatment of hand, arm and shoulder injuries, and has treated many local musicians for many years.
Robin Avalon, Alexander Technique practitioner. 670-2596
Robin’s work focuses on postural alignment and proper movement of the skeletal- muscular system. This work has been incorporated into the standard curricula of music preparation programs around the country, and is seen as fundamental to avoidance and repair of injuries.
Michael Nunnally, Chiropracter 982-7229
Chaz Schatzle, D.C. Back to Health Chiropractic
1651 Galisteo St. Suite10 505-690-4057, fax: 505-982-9770 www.backtohealthsantafe.com
I'm a chiropractor in Santa Fe. We provide a broad variety of services including chiropractic adjustments to the spine, extremities, and cranium, postural evaluation and treatment, rehabilitative exercise programs, nutritional evaluation and counseling, and pain management with trigger point injections. We also have a massage therapist in the office. Our office has in house high frequency x-ray equipment, a spinal decompression machine, and electro-therapy for pain management. We are providers for most insurance companies including BCBS, Lovelace, Presbyterian, United Healthcare, CNN and Medicare. Please feel free to contact me my email or phone. Thank you.
Rosanna Singarella, Nutritional Guidance 808-938-0141
www.joyofvitality.com
How to reach the highest level of performance and function as a musician? Health challenges can often effect the quality of life and performance where it can limit or even force the musician to quit their passion, their work. My expertise is assisting the body in functioning at the highest level, with "efficiency", through super foods and diet. Your performance will soar perhaps like never before!
I have tremendous passion for music, And the utmost admiration and appreciation for musicians. I embrace the joys of music several hours per day. I was raised in a musical family, and for a brief time, was a music major in college.
Musicians face several challenges with their profession.
Some of which, repetitive movement, late/long hours, poor sleep, poor environmental conditions/toxins/smoke, stress, cramped quarters, strained eyes to read music, alcohol, (dehydration especially in NM), digestive difficulties, enervation/exhaustion, noise pollution, pharmaceuticals, poor diet/overweight, long standing and or sitting in one place, unusual/irregular hours of eating, high fat/poor oils, high salt, restuarant food, etc.
Rose offers a "High Performance" nutritional program, "custom made" for the individual. Call for free consultation
"Within a quiet healthy heart we can see clearly for oneself and for the benefit of others. To lead a life filled with learning, and to strive for a harmonious spirit... enables one to become a profound teacher."
Jayne Dearth RPT, 984-0796.
She has been stretching people out of pain for over 40 years. Uses lots of Yoga in her work. Backs, knees, hips, shoulders, the usual PT places. She is also very busy right now so people would need to be patient, with that. Also she is willing to negotiate her fees and is a BC provider.
Karen Klinefelter, Psychotherapist 988-5027
Particularly with regard to performance anxiety and related issues, Karen employs a very specific and gentle technique called brain mapping to facilitate greater comfort on stage for the performer.
Lou Levin, Ph.D. Psychotherapist, 473-3719
A performing musician, Lou has over thirty years’ experience helping clients with a variety of concerns and issues. He sees creativity, in all its forms, as a vital life force. The life of the musician, from the joys and agonies of creativity to the struggles of making a living in the music business, is of particular interest to him; he uses psychotherapy in a practical, “active listening” way in helping musicians deal with these challenges.
* Please let us know if you've had a good experience for your music-related injury with a health practitioner we haven't yet listed.
Send info to: loulevin@yahoo.com
Websites
- At the University of North Texas, graduate staff and students are researching the causes and treatment of hand problems for musicians. This link takes you to one of the articles about hand pain, and, from there, you can find out more about what they’re doing at UNT. http://www.unt.edu
- A Listing of All the Healthcare Institutes for performing artists in the country! http://www.yourtype.com/survive/clinics_for_performers.htm
- Paul Marxhausen's Web site at: http://eeshop.unl.edu/music.html is a comprehensive compilation of practical health-related articles, books, and videotapes. It is well worth checking out for any string, keyboard, drum, vocal, performer, as well as a great source of general information about using your body well.
These sites cover a variety of subjects.
Tinnitus Foundation. http://www.ata.org.
Also Charlie Haden, bass player, has a website addressing hearing loss/injury issues as he suffers from that. Google Charlie Haden tinnitus; this will lead you to information about Charlie, as well as others with tinnitus, resources, etc.
The Feldenkrais Foundation is an excellent resource. Peter Cover --jazz pianist- 505-898-1774 in Corrales--is a Feldenkrais practitioner...
 Books
The Musician's Survival Manual: A Guide to Preventing and Treating Injuries in Instrumentalists, Richard Norris, M.D. $19.95. To order, call 800-543-3771.
Play It Safe: A Health resource Manual for Musicians and Health Professionals, Christine Zaza, ARCT, MSc, PhD, Available from the Canadian Network for Health in the Arts.
On Piano Playing: Motion, Sound, and Expression, Gyorgy Sandor. A resource for pianists looking for pain-free techniques for playing. Available in bookstore.
The Taubman Techniques: An In-Depth Analysis of a Technique for Virtuosity and the Prevention of Injury among Musicians. Call 518-2394756 or 800-826-3720.What Every Musician Needs to Know About the Body:The Application of Body Mapping to Music/G6518 (Spiral-bound)~ Barbara Conable $22.50
And, if you have kids, know kids, like kids, or just feel like a kid sometimes, you’ll want to have Jazz for Juniors, by Randy Sandke Animals travel in search of forming a band, piece by piece. It's got Sandke the trumpeting tiger, bassist Jay Leonhart as an elephant, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon as a hip hippo, guitarist Howard Alden the long-necked giraffe, drumming dromedary John Riley, penguin pianist Ted Rosenthal, two swans in saxophonist Wayne Escoffery and flutist Chuck Wilson, cockatoo clarinetist Ken Peplowski, blue bison Harris, and pretty robin Carolyn Leonhart. The CD contains a video slide show with illustrations and the music for PC usage, but is not Apple/Mac friendly. There is a kid-oriented accompanying booklet, including all the lyrics.
Video:
Therapeutic Exercises for Musicians, by Richard Norris, M.D. 60 minutes - $35.00. To order, call 800/543-3771.
Thanks to Lenny Tischler and Angie Kamins for providing much of this information.
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