Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Pain and a Competition

Hello everyone. I hope I'm not becoming a nuisance!

I started having a lot of pain in my wrists and the larger muscle on the hand (the thumb and below). I'm wondering how it can be helped? I'm also getting some recent pains in the shoulder and the mid-arm and upper arm. I don't think it's my position/posture because I check to make sure and my teacher checks it and makes sure that nothing's wrong with it. I'm not sure why I'm having pains, but please give me some advice on how I can help it a little bit.

Secondly, I have a piano competition coming up--not sure which one, but I'm having a lot of fun with my piece. It's Rachmaninoff's Etudes-Tableux No. 9 and it's a great piece! I just want to know how I can practice it without getting really bored of it. I practice about an hour to two hours on average--I'm trying to get to two and a half or so. But usually my time doesn't allow for long practice hours.

Advice please? Thanks in advance to all!

Careful about the pain-you don't want to end up with an injury that could last for months or longer. My advice, above all, is first to STOP playing for a little while. Let it rest and heal, and in the meantime try and figure out what caused it. Pain is never a good thing in piano playing. I know you have a competition coming up, but weigh your options carefully...

SPS, thanks so much for the advice. The pain is not so bad that I've had to stop. Mostly, it's just little twinges and stuff, but sometimes it is a lot. I've taken to bandaging it during the night as I sleep with an Ace bandage or a cloth bandage of the type. I did it for two days and it was better afterward. I think it's the excessive practicing that does it. I also play the violin and usually go straight to the piano afterward.

I'm weighing them carefully. When I DO practice and I'm in pain, I usually limit it to just playing the piece through or going over a part or so. If it gets bad enough that it hurts, I stop immediately. I'm hoping it'll stop soon, but as of right now, it's still going on a little bit more.

Thanks for the input!

If you want to continue to practice, try this:

1. Cut your practice time in half for a few days to see if your condition improves. Or...

2. Practice each insrument on alternate days (again with shortened time frames) to see if that changes your condition.

Since you want to figure this out empirically, you have to systematically isolate the variables which may be causing the pain.

Good luck.

playlizst,
Thank you so much for the input! Those sound like great ideas, and I've tried them before, but the pain only started recently. And I honestly don't think it's age that is doing it. I was thinking maybe excessive practicing, but other than that, I can't think of another reason way.

How exactly do you suggest systematically isolating the variables of pain? Are there any ways I can try to prevent them? I've bandaged my wrist and hand two nights, but that's all I've really done. I've shortened my practice times to about half, but recently have had to pull them up because of being 'out of commission', per say, for so long. I wasn't able to really practice for about three weeks, so I started practicing longer and longer. I'll try your suggestions and see how I fare.

Thank you!

if your posture is ok, then check your tension level when playing/practicing. one thing you could try is to practice everything with very light/soft touch, no matter what the actual dynamic is. the reason for doing so is to force yourself to relax or minimize your effort as much as possible even with all those fast/difficult passages.

signa,
Thanks for the suggestion! I have tried that before and found some tension. I do play the whole song soft as well, because that's when my teacher tells me that I make the most progress. IT's also a good technique to use, no matter what the piece. I'm still unsure though as to what I should do when I have pain. I saw some other people suggest wrist-guards or something during the night, I did bandage my wrist and hand up for two nights and it seemed to be better, but other than that, I don't know what else to do.

Those practicing tips seem great though! I do believe that tension is going to be a lot of the factors in my pain. The worst of it was yesterday though. And it was pretty bad. I'll try checking and being more aware of my tension and relaxation though!

Thank you! I'm sure it'll help me a lot!

melody,
i've noticed in your profile you've posted 122 times since sept. 3. check your computer use maybe? --just a thought. good luck with your Rachmaninoff.

Brilliant!

Freecell nearly ruined my mouse hand.

Chrysler Imperial,

I thought about that too! But, the only problem with THAT theory of ours is that ever since I've been able to go on the computer, I've been on it and never have had any pain. In only started recently. I've thought about that too because I'm always on the computer typing, but only because I NEED too. I'm not offended, don't worry. I thought that that was one of the main factors, actually.

But honestly, if that is a part of the problem, then I think it's a fairly small amount. I hope that it'll improve soon, but I've just finished practicing my piano and it's starting to hurt again a little bit.

Thanks for the luck and for the input!

Really? That's interesting, Palindrome!

Thanks for the input! I'm really glad you commented! I need the help, trust me!

i spend my days teaching 5 yr olds how to play the triangle. simplicity is my forte--that and atrophy of the mind.