For several months I have been experiencing severe hand/wrist pain in both hands. In my work the use of my hands is required continuously for twelve hours a day, three to four days a week; there have been some excruciating days to endure. About three months after the pain began I went through testing, and was consequently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in both wrists. It has been a measure in endurance, as where I work is scheduled to close within the next couple of months, to keep on working through until the closure. With the skills I possess, this is not a diagnosis that can be taken lightly, but life goes on.
No, it has not been easy, but not too many things in my life have been, so I choose to take it one day at a time and see what transpires. Medications have been prescribed, some relatively expensive, considering our Health Insurance was discontinued a couple of months ago. Throughout this process, where I work has been purchased and they are in the process of removing and re-allocating the assets, to eventual closure. In the process the employees have been picked up by a Temp Agency, after re-applying for our jobs for a 60-90 day period, and we continue production. Trips to the Rheumatologist and the Pharmacy have been paid for out of my own pocket. Its a challenge, but one I will do my best to be up to.
In the meantime, production continues in order to keep the remaining customers content, while contracts are completed and they build up their inventories awaiting relocation and set up of presses for continued production. The number of employees has dropped considerably due to terminations, layoffs, attrition, and those moving on to other jobs. While those of us remaining continue to do our jobs, sometimes more than one, in order to "get the job done." Some days are never-ending, particularly when we are required to work the twelve hour shift three day weekends and sometimes during hours we do not prefer, meaning a real workout for the wrists and hands. Typically once the day is over, there is considerable discomfort to be dealt with, even on the medications. At home, living alone, the housework and household chores still await completion. Considering the problems associated with having this chronic progressive disease, a person must learn new ways to do things, that lessen the strain or stress on the hands and wrists, while still getting the job done. Failing to take the disease into account, can result in severe pain and debilitation due to not exercising precautions.
Even with continuous wrist and hand pain, although not quite as excruciating due to medication, I still do what I have to do. Whether its hand-washing the dishes, my car, cleaning house, mowing the lawn in season, planting flowers or whatever. I have never been one to shirk responsibilities or work, and that is still the case. Although these days I don't really have a lot of choice, its either me or it does not get done. Rheumatoid Arthritis will make my life considerably more of a challenge, possibly even getting worse over time, but I will not allow it to get the best of me. I will attempt to live my life to the best of my capabilities and fortitude, and hope for the best.
Selasa, 31 Oktober 2017
Rabu, 11 Oktober 2017
8 Secrets of Coping With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Wrist Pain
Thousands of people every year succumb to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or wrist tendonitis. This is a kind of repetitive strain injury, usually caused by repeated and excessive unnatural movements of the wrist and fingers.
This article will look briefly at the possible causes and a few treatments, including one highly effective yet little known one, that do not involve taking pills (other than vitamin pills) or having steroid injections or surgery.
If you have a tingling feeling in your fingers, a feeling of weakness or pain in your grip, or shooting pains that go into your fingers or forearm, then you probably have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or wrist tendonitis (it's worth checking with your doctor, though, before you do anything else, that it's not arthritis).
It used to be carpenters and typists who mostly suffered from this most painful condition, which comes on gradually over a period of weeks or months. Now, with so many people using computers and keyboards, the problem has become much more widespread.
Some authorities believe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused simply by a vitamin B6 deficiency. The cure, according to them, is to take large daily doses of vitamin B6. If you choose this course, take medical advice as to how much you should take exactly, as it is toxic if taken in excessive doses. The vitamin B6 route does not bring immediate relief by any means. It is often as much as 6 weeks before you can expect to feel any improvement. After that you should continue but with a smaller dosage.
If you prefer a herbal remedy then perhaps the best herb to take is Turmeric, a common kitchen spice, which is good for reducing inflammation. The typical dosage is up to one teaspoon of powdered spice per day mixed in with your main course, or one 300 milligram capsule containing 95 per cent curcumin (the active ingredient) one to three times a day.
Is there anything you can do to bring more immediate relief? Yes, there is. The first thing is to assess what it is that has caused the onset of the complaint. If it is typing at a keyboard then consider the height of the keyboard compared to your own body position. It's important not to have the desk too high. If it is, then lower the desk, if possible, or raise your seat. Most office desks these days come at the correct height for a person of average height.
Take a regular break from typing (or whatever activity it is that is causing the problem) every 30 to 60 minutes until your wrists feel relaxed enough to resume. Do stretching exercises regularly throughout your working day. Rest your forearm on the desk and use your other hand to gently pull your fingertips back for 3 to 5 seconds at a time.
Next, raise your arms above your head and rotate and stretch your hands and wrists. Do this for up to 2 minutes around four times a day. You'll feel much better and relaxed for it, and it will help relieve feelings of stress and tension in your neck and shoulders as well.
Another beneficial exercise every now and then is simply to gently clench your fists and then open your fingers and bend them backwards towards your forearm as far as they will go. Hold for a few seconds and repeat. This is very good for dispersing any tingling sensations.
If you feel like using a bandage or a splint then be careful. If a bandage is applied too tightly it will impede your circulation. Splints with a metal insert and Velcro fasteners are preferable to plastic splints, which are often too hard, and can be hot and sticky. Make sure it fits properly so that your thumb and fingers are free.
Finally, try the following exercise several times a day to obtain lasting relief from carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist tendonitis. With your left thumb, follow the outside of your right arm to the hollow in the centre of your wrist, at its crease. Place your middle finger directly behind it on the inside of your wrist. Gently press with both middle finger and thumb for one minute before changing hands.
This article will look briefly at the possible causes and a few treatments, including one highly effective yet little known one, that do not involve taking pills (other than vitamin pills) or having steroid injections or surgery.
If you have a tingling feeling in your fingers, a feeling of weakness or pain in your grip, or shooting pains that go into your fingers or forearm, then you probably have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or wrist tendonitis (it's worth checking with your doctor, though, before you do anything else, that it's not arthritis).
It used to be carpenters and typists who mostly suffered from this most painful condition, which comes on gradually over a period of weeks or months. Now, with so many people using computers and keyboards, the problem has become much more widespread.
Some authorities believe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is caused simply by a vitamin B6 deficiency. The cure, according to them, is to take large daily doses of vitamin B6. If you choose this course, take medical advice as to how much you should take exactly, as it is toxic if taken in excessive doses. The vitamin B6 route does not bring immediate relief by any means. It is often as much as 6 weeks before you can expect to feel any improvement. After that you should continue but with a smaller dosage.
If you prefer a herbal remedy then perhaps the best herb to take is Turmeric, a common kitchen spice, which is good for reducing inflammation. The typical dosage is up to one teaspoon of powdered spice per day mixed in with your main course, or one 300 milligram capsule containing 95 per cent curcumin (the active ingredient) one to three times a day.
Is there anything you can do to bring more immediate relief? Yes, there is. The first thing is to assess what it is that has caused the onset of the complaint. If it is typing at a keyboard then consider the height of the keyboard compared to your own body position. It's important not to have the desk too high. If it is, then lower the desk, if possible, or raise your seat. Most office desks these days come at the correct height for a person of average height.
Take a regular break from typing (or whatever activity it is that is causing the problem) every 30 to 60 minutes until your wrists feel relaxed enough to resume. Do stretching exercises regularly throughout your working day. Rest your forearm on the desk and use your other hand to gently pull your fingertips back for 3 to 5 seconds at a time.
Next, raise your arms above your head and rotate and stretch your hands and wrists. Do this for up to 2 minutes around four times a day. You'll feel much better and relaxed for it, and it will help relieve feelings of stress and tension in your neck and shoulders as well.
Another beneficial exercise every now and then is simply to gently clench your fists and then open your fingers and bend them backwards towards your forearm as far as they will go. Hold for a few seconds and repeat. This is very good for dispersing any tingling sensations.
If you feel like using a bandage or a splint then be careful. If a bandage is applied too tightly it will impede your circulation. Splints with a metal insert and Velcro fasteners are preferable to plastic splints, which are often too hard, and can be hot and sticky. Make sure it fits properly so that your thumb and fingers are free.
Finally, try the following exercise several times a day to obtain lasting relief from carpal tunnel syndrome and wrist tendonitis. With your left thumb, follow the outside of your right arm to the hollow in the centre of your wrist, at its crease. Place your middle finger directly behind it on the inside of your wrist. Gently press with both middle finger and thumb for one minute before changing hands.
Jumat, 29 September 2017
Confused About Wrist Pain? How Upper-Body Tension Causes Carpal Tunnel Symptoms and Wrist Pain
If your wrist treatments have not relieved your pain, your problem could be in your upper-body muscles. Tension in your back, neck and shoulders could be causing you wrist pain.
Muscle tension and restriction.
Overworked muscles can get tense. If they are repeatedly overworked, and their opposite muscle groups stay underworked, they become tense and shortened. When this happens, the tension can affect other tissues.
Some of those nearby tissues that get affected by muscle tissue include nerves, blood vessels, organs, and connective tissue. Pain can be a sign that nerves and blood supply are restricted due to muscle tension.
Upper-body muscles.
The muscles of the upper back, neck and shoulders play an important role in wrist health. The nerves that command the arm and hand travel from the neck, through these upper-body muscles, to the arm and hand.
If you are feeling pain in your wrist, consider muscle tension in your upper body. Are your neck, upper back, or shoulder muscles tense? Could that tension be constricting around the nerves that travel into your wrist?
Posture and repetitive stress.
Poor posture contributes to tension and restrictions. It may be causing pain, and leading to a repetitive stress injury (RSI). Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common type of RSI, but there are others.
The repetitive stress of poor posture can give you carpal tunnel symptoms, including wrist pain, without actually giving you carpal tunnel syndrome.
One way of knowing if a pinched nerve is causing your problems is by describing your pain. Do your hands fall asleep? Do your arms, hands or wrists get numb, or tingly? Do your wrists feel like they are being zapped with electrical impulses? These signs can indicate restricted nerves.
Muscle tension and restriction.
Overworked muscles can get tense. If they are repeatedly overworked, and their opposite muscle groups stay underworked, they become tense and shortened. When this happens, the tension can affect other tissues.
Some of those nearby tissues that get affected by muscle tissue include nerves, blood vessels, organs, and connective tissue. Pain can be a sign that nerves and blood supply are restricted due to muscle tension.
Upper-body muscles.
The muscles of the upper back, neck and shoulders play an important role in wrist health. The nerves that command the arm and hand travel from the neck, through these upper-body muscles, to the arm and hand.
If you are feeling pain in your wrist, consider muscle tension in your upper body. Are your neck, upper back, or shoulder muscles tense? Could that tension be constricting around the nerves that travel into your wrist?
Posture and repetitive stress.
Poor posture contributes to tension and restrictions. It may be causing pain, and leading to a repetitive stress injury (RSI). Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common type of RSI, but there are others.
The repetitive stress of poor posture can give you carpal tunnel symptoms, including wrist pain, without actually giving you carpal tunnel syndrome.
One way of knowing if a pinched nerve is causing your problems is by describing your pain. Do your hands fall asleep? Do your arms, hands or wrists get numb, or tingly? Do your wrists feel like they are being zapped with electrical impulses? These signs can indicate restricted nerves.
Rabu, 13 September 2017
Exercises to Prevent or Reduce Hand and Wrist Pain
Many of those who spend most of their days in front of a computer often experience hand and wrist pain due to repetitive hand and wrist movements from typing and using the mouse. Those whose jobs include using computers such as secretaries, assistants, writers, transcribers, and encoders are ones that are affected the most.
While some offices carry out proper ergonomic designs, it all still goes down to too much strain on the forearms and the wrists. The case may be worse for those with poor posture while typing. Normally, the hands should be aligned with the forearms when typing so that the wrists are neither flexed nor extended, just straight. What usually happens is that the wrists rest on the table and the hands are angled upwards over the keyboard. When the wrists are positioned in this manner for prolonged periods of time, nerve and musculoskeletal problems occur. Since the wrists rest on a hard surface, the nerves become compressed and trapped. Aside from the muscle strain, this nerve entrapment causes the pain. From repetitive stress injury, it could progress to more serious cases such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
One of the ways to relieve pain and prevent further damage is through proper exercise. Doctors recommend strengthening and stretching exercises to help the muscles of the forearm and the hand become stronger. Here are some hand exercises that you can do. Do not continue if you experience pain or if the pain gets worse.
Range-of-motion Exercises
Wrist extension and flexion
Hold the fingers of your right hand together with a firm grip from your left hand. Slowly extend your hand up toward the direction of the right forearm as far as you can. Hold for a few seconds and repeat at least 5 times. Do the same to your left hand. When you are done, repeat the same procedures to both hands but this time, flex your hands downward.
Wrist pronation and supination
Hold out your hands with the palms up. Turn them over so that your palms are now facing down. Bring them back to the starting position and repeat at least 10 times.
Strengthening Exercises
Grip strength
Hold a hand exercise ball just big enough for your hand. Try to crush it in your hand using only your grip strength. Repeat at least 10 times. You can also have it ready in your pocket so that you can get your hands busy every now and then.
Dumbbell Exercises
This exercise combines range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. In a sitting position, hold a dumbbell with your hand and rest your forearm on your knee. Do wrist flexion and extension while holding the dumbbell. This adds more tension to your forearm muscles. Remember to do the exercise slowly to avoid muscle strain and pain.
Aside from exercise, proper ergonomics is very important. Awkward positions when using the computer can affect not just your hands and wrists but also the other parts of your body such as your back, neck and shoulders. Remember also to take a rest now and then especially when your wrists, hands and fingers feel tired and/or painful.
While some offices carry out proper ergonomic designs, it all still goes down to too much strain on the forearms and the wrists. The case may be worse for those with poor posture while typing. Normally, the hands should be aligned with the forearms when typing so that the wrists are neither flexed nor extended, just straight. What usually happens is that the wrists rest on the table and the hands are angled upwards over the keyboard. When the wrists are positioned in this manner for prolonged periods of time, nerve and musculoskeletal problems occur. Since the wrists rest on a hard surface, the nerves become compressed and trapped. Aside from the muscle strain, this nerve entrapment causes the pain. From repetitive stress injury, it could progress to more serious cases such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
One of the ways to relieve pain and prevent further damage is through proper exercise. Doctors recommend strengthening and stretching exercises to help the muscles of the forearm and the hand become stronger. Here are some hand exercises that you can do. Do not continue if you experience pain or if the pain gets worse.
Range-of-motion Exercises
Wrist extension and flexion
Hold the fingers of your right hand together with a firm grip from your left hand. Slowly extend your hand up toward the direction of the right forearm as far as you can. Hold for a few seconds and repeat at least 5 times. Do the same to your left hand. When you are done, repeat the same procedures to both hands but this time, flex your hands downward.
Wrist pronation and supination
Hold out your hands with the palms up. Turn them over so that your palms are now facing down. Bring them back to the starting position and repeat at least 10 times.
Strengthening Exercises
Grip strength
Hold a hand exercise ball just big enough for your hand. Try to crush it in your hand using only your grip strength. Repeat at least 10 times. You can also have it ready in your pocket so that you can get your hands busy every now and then.
Dumbbell Exercises
This exercise combines range-of-motion and strengthening exercises. In a sitting position, hold a dumbbell with your hand and rest your forearm on your knee. Do wrist flexion and extension while holding the dumbbell. This adds more tension to your forearm muscles. Remember to do the exercise slowly to avoid muscle strain and pain.
Aside from exercise, proper ergonomics is very important. Awkward positions when using the computer can affect not just your hands and wrists but also the other parts of your body such as your back, neck and shoulders. Remember also to take a rest now and then especially when your wrists, hands and fingers feel tired and/or painful.
Kamis, 31 Agustus 2017
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - How to Get Relief From Wrist Pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome may begin as a tingling in the fingers, but left untreated can develop into a serious condition. Let's address the situation before it becomes a liability by applying some common sense!
My Thumb Is Numb
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a swelling of the tissues in the wrist. This swelling puts pressure on the median nerve, a major nerve in the hand for both movement and feeling.
Initial symptoms may show up as wrist pain or hand pain that can extend up the arm. This can then develop into tingling and numbness in the thumb and middle fingers, and a weakness or tendency to drop things.
However, if the sensation is accompanied by pain or pinching in other areas, it may indicate that the problem is not limited to the wrist. The median nerve is formed from branches of five nerves that originate in the neck and upper back. Because of this, the nerve can be impinged in many different areas (neck, upper back, shoulder, forearm) and all of these will produce similar symptoms in the wrist.
What Brought This On?
Repetitive clasping movements, rheumatoid arthritis, hormonal imbalances, and even fluid retention with pregnancy can bring on carpal tunnel syndrome. There are no definitive studies, but many people have developed carpal tunnel syndrome from excessive forceful typing or holding a mouse, or from holding a steering wheel too hard.
In addition, poor alignment or tight muscles in the upper back and neck could also radiate into the arm and cause wrist pain. If your neck is especially tight, this can put excessive pressure on the delicate branches of nerves in the neck and upper back.
How Do I Make It Better?
Mild to moderate symptoms can be treated with simple, non-surgical therapies. But if symptoms are persistent and getting worse, you may want to consult a doctor for further options.
These three techniques can be applied immediately:
1. Loosen your grip, change the angle and sit up straight! Take a few moments to assess your daily habits and movements. If you grip your steering wheel or mouse tightly, see if you can consciously loosen your grip. If you repetitively strike a keyboard or cash register, use less force.
Also, pay attention to the angle in your wrist, and the placement of your arms. Move the keyboard to elbow height to keep the wrists in as neutral a position as possible. Sit with good posture, with the shoulders relaxed. And take frequent breaks to rest the wrists.
2. Ice and splints If your wrist is swollen, apply a cold pack or ice to reduce the inflammation. You can also wear a wrist splint at night while sleeping to keep the wrist in a neutral position while you sleep.
3.Stretch and strengthen Begin to integrate yoga therapy exercises to stretch and strengthen both the wrists and the upper back and neck, so the body can hold itself in healthy alignment and protect the nerve as it travels through the arm to the wrist.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common problem, but with a little attention and some simple stretching and strengthening yoga exercises, it doesn't have to be!
My Thumb Is Numb
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a swelling of the tissues in the wrist. This swelling puts pressure on the median nerve, a major nerve in the hand for both movement and feeling.
Initial symptoms may show up as wrist pain or hand pain that can extend up the arm. This can then develop into tingling and numbness in the thumb and middle fingers, and a weakness or tendency to drop things.
However, if the sensation is accompanied by pain or pinching in other areas, it may indicate that the problem is not limited to the wrist. The median nerve is formed from branches of five nerves that originate in the neck and upper back. Because of this, the nerve can be impinged in many different areas (neck, upper back, shoulder, forearm) and all of these will produce similar symptoms in the wrist.
What Brought This On?
Repetitive clasping movements, rheumatoid arthritis, hormonal imbalances, and even fluid retention with pregnancy can bring on carpal tunnel syndrome. There are no definitive studies, but many people have developed carpal tunnel syndrome from excessive forceful typing or holding a mouse, or from holding a steering wheel too hard.
In addition, poor alignment or tight muscles in the upper back and neck could also radiate into the arm and cause wrist pain. If your neck is especially tight, this can put excessive pressure on the delicate branches of nerves in the neck and upper back.
How Do I Make It Better?
Mild to moderate symptoms can be treated with simple, non-surgical therapies. But if symptoms are persistent and getting worse, you may want to consult a doctor for further options.
These three techniques can be applied immediately:
1. Loosen your grip, change the angle and sit up straight! Take a few moments to assess your daily habits and movements. If you grip your steering wheel or mouse tightly, see if you can consciously loosen your grip. If you repetitively strike a keyboard or cash register, use less force.
Also, pay attention to the angle in your wrist, and the placement of your arms. Move the keyboard to elbow height to keep the wrists in as neutral a position as possible. Sit with good posture, with the shoulders relaxed. And take frequent breaks to rest the wrists.
2. Ice and splints If your wrist is swollen, apply a cold pack or ice to reduce the inflammation. You can also wear a wrist splint at night while sleeping to keep the wrist in a neutral position while you sleep.
3.Stretch and strengthen Begin to integrate yoga therapy exercises to stretch and strengthen both the wrists and the upper back and neck, so the body can hold itself in healthy alignment and protect the nerve as it travels through the arm to the wrist.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a common problem, but with a little attention and some simple stretching and strengthening yoga exercises, it doesn't have to be!
Kamis, 03 Agustus 2017
Beating Carpal Tunnel Wrist Pain - How Pianists Even the Score
Musical instruments were never designed to be ergonomic and some of them wreak havoc on our bodies, particularly for keyboard and string players. Pain in the hands and wrists, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, is one of the most common conditions as almost without exception proficiency in an instrument requires rapid movement of the fingers or hands.
Up to 80% of professional musicians experience pain and injury in their playing career and these are primarily through occupational overuse, repetitive strain injury (RSI), and/or carpal tunnel syndrome.
The main focal areas for piano players are hands, wrists, shoulders, neck and upper back, and the player should try to achieve efficient, stress-free movement to minimize pain and injury, and use carpal tunnel wrist exercises to build up the body's strength.
Stretching
Stretching the hands at a young age can often cause issues and lead to serious problems in later life. It's recommended you don't overstretch your child's hands during piano practice.
Before you begin to play piano, though, you should perform some light stretches of the fingers and wrists to warm the muscles up.
Hand position
The correct technique is to have the back of the hands horizontal with the fingers falling gently onto the keys. For this, you will need the correct height stool. This also throws up the problems of leverage for your shoulders as they will have to work to lift your hands for a long period of time while remaining in the same position. This is called static muscular activity and inhibits blood flow. One way to get around this is to over-exaggerate your movements, lifting your hands high or letting them drop down load when they're not being used. It may look unnecessarily flamboyant, but it works.
Awkward positions weaken your playing, so always ensure that your wrists are not unduly held at extreme angles and playing positions. The aim is for your forearms and wrists to be perpendicular to the keys being played.
Using excessive force on the keys can also result in carpal tunnel syndrome. The standard piano key only takes around 50g of weight to push down.
Rapid and repetitive playing can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. The muscles in the arm and wrist become inflamed and cause irritation of the median nerve and tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. The tendons are the weak link in the pianist's wrist as they are the most likely to get inflamed by rubbing against other tendons and ligaments.
Shoulders experience problems related to static muscular activity. Strengthening the shoulders will alleviate this.
The neck is often craned forwards to read the music, or through bad posture. This in turn puts stress on the upper back and can cause a permanent hunched back if left long enough. In this case, postural realignment, massage, and strengthening techniques should be used.
Curing pain associated with playing piano
Removing the cause of the pain is important, and the body does have an amazing capacity to heal itself. A period of complete rest may be required in the most severe cases. Conditioning of the body, though, should be the main goal.
Primarily the pianist can be looked at as an athlete. Athletes must perform physical movements over and over in the most efficient way, and their bodies must be strong enough to withstand the requirements. Proper training - physical, postural and mental - is important to undertake to achieve the best result as a piano player.
Up to 80% of professional musicians experience pain and injury in their playing career and these are primarily through occupational overuse, repetitive strain injury (RSI), and/or carpal tunnel syndrome.
The main focal areas for piano players are hands, wrists, shoulders, neck and upper back, and the player should try to achieve efficient, stress-free movement to minimize pain and injury, and use carpal tunnel wrist exercises to build up the body's strength.
Stretching
Stretching the hands at a young age can often cause issues and lead to serious problems in later life. It's recommended you don't overstretch your child's hands during piano practice.
Before you begin to play piano, though, you should perform some light stretches of the fingers and wrists to warm the muscles up.
Hand position
The correct technique is to have the back of the hands horizontal with the fingers falling gently onto the keys. For this, you will need the correct height stool. This also throws up the problems of leverage for your shoulders as they will have to work to lift your hands for a long period of time while remaining in the same position. This is called static muscular activity and inhibits blood flow. One way to get around this is to over-exaggerate your movements, lifting your hands high or letting them drop down load when they're not being used. It may look unnecessarily flamboyant, but it works.
Awkward positions weaken your playing, so always ensure that your wrists are not unduly held at extreme angles and playing positions. The aim is for your forearms and wrists to be perpendicular to the keys being played.
Using excessive force on the keys can also result in carpal tunnel syndrome. The standard piano key only takes around 50g of weight to push down.
Rapid and repetitive playing can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. The muscles in the arm and wrist become inflamed and cause irritation of the median nerve and tendons that pass through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. The tendons are the weak link in the pianist's wrist as they are the most likely to get inflamed by rubbing against other tendons and ligaments.
Shoulders experience problems related to static muscular activity. Strengthening the shoulders will alleviate this.
The neck is often craned forwards to read the music, or through bad posture. This in turn puts stress on the upper back and can cause a permanent hunched back if left long enough. In this case, postural realignment, massage, and strengthening techniques should be used.
Curing pain associated with playing piano
Removing the cause of the pain is important, and the body does have an amazing capacity to heal itself. A period of complete rest may be required in the most severe cases. Conditioning of the body, though, should be the main goal.
Primarily the pianist can be looked at as an athlete. Athletes must perform physical movements over and over in the most efficient way, and their bodies must be strong enough to withstand the requirements. Proper training - physical, postural and mental - is important to undertake to achieve the best result as a piano player.
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