Another lip injury

windandsong · Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 5:51 pm Post subject: Another lip injury

So five years after a smack in my top lip I decided to get a new hobby and attend a jiu jitsu class as a beginner and get a feel for it, bit of self defence, new fitness regime, why not???

After running some drills the instructor got me to spar a little with some young persons just to get a flavour. Since jitsu doesn't involve people punching and kicking each other I didn't even think to wear a mouthguard and low and behold some idiotic teenager tried to pin me down (successfully) and at some point either his or my arm rose up from the floor and drove my bottom teeth into my bottom lip somewhat (left side).

Whilst there was no blood or serious pain I of course stopped proceedings and told the instructor I was a trumpet player and this was a bad idea. End of session.

Forgot all about it and today picked up the horn after work and thought hmm I don't sound great but that happens quite a bit and I'm tired so no prob. Walked up to the shops, felt some swelling and thought 'hang on'.

Doesn't feel too great when I'm playing and after I do my lip swells, feels like crap etc. Definately not sounding good either.

Have cancelled gigs and rehearsals for a week and have packed away equipment. I've been here before and know the drill. Could well be a month or two and when I come back to the horn I know it will not be plain sailing and may have several outcomes.

I am really quite .... It reads like a freakin' movie, goes to jiu jitsu class etc...you couldn't write it.

Spare me the mockery guys but this is something of a set back!

Hope other injured players out there have had success recovering from this kind of stuff.

G

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Bflatman · Heavyweight Member Joined: 01 Nov 2016 Posts: 720

I would never mock anyone who has a desire to learn but suffers an unfortunate accident.

Jiu Jitsu is about striking and throwing, injuries are likely, and it is unwise to participate if injuries can cause problems in other areas of life.

Beginners cause more injuries to their partners than more experienced participants do due to their enthusiasm, poor skill and lack of control.

I would advise against continuing with Jiu Jitsu due to the risks to you as a trumpet player.

As a trumpet player you must protect your hands fingers arms eyesight hearing face teeth and lips, all of which are likely to suffer injury in sparring.

As for recovery, it will take time, without knowing more I cannot suggest how long.

dstdenis · Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 5:54 am Post subject:

No mockery from me. I know what it's like to try something that seems fun, get hurt, then wonder "what was I thinking?" It's a learning experience.

Best of luck to you. Heal well!
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Turkle · Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 6:41 am Post subject:

I'm reminded of an interview I saw with Miles Davis.

He told the interviewer that he enjoyed boxing in his spare time. The startled interviewer asked him, "what if you get hit in the lip?"

Miles croaked in that illimitable voice of his, "I don't get hit in the lip."

Good answer, Miles.

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windandsong · Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2017 1:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys, guess I feel like a bit of an idiot. The fact was I was concentrating on not screwing up a couple of fingers that have been playing up on my left hand, so the lip thing totally bypassed me.

Very bad luck though I think however.

Did a little bit of playing today and all is not terrible plus I think I am dealing with bad bruising so am hoping things will return to normal in the not to distant future.

Cheers for your replies.

G
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Trumpetingbynurture · Heavyweight Member Joined: 18 Nov 2015 Posts: 898

Is there any visible bruising? If not, it's really just a mild inflammation response. There is some injury to the lip tissue. When you play, the body creates inflammation because you're causing additional damage and it's trying to protect the area so it can heal.

At one point, I had a seriously swollen and black and blue top lip from getting hit pretty hard in the face by the edge of a door. The impact was right where the left side of the mouthpiece sits. I stopped playing until it looked and felt normal again - about a week - and then eased back into it. The first day felt like I hadn't played for a week, but otherwise was totally normal.

Your injury sounds pretty mild by comparison so I'm confident that you'll be totally fine. Just leave it alone for a few days. Don't play and don't take painkillers or anti-inflammation pills as they will slow down the healing.

Most importantly, just relax. You'll be fine. People have had a lot worse than a bruised lip and recovered fine.

windandsong · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:10 am Post subject:

Hey thanks for that.

Yes the temptation is always to see if, can I still play? Can I get a note etc? when you're right I should probably stay well away.

Going to head up to the coast tomorrow until next week and leave my horns here in London so as to get a good break then I'll take it from there.

Thanks for your advice.

G
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windandsong · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:38 am Post subject:

As an addendum..

Weirdly, it was something of a relief to say no to a gig or two this week and actually question what i'm doing in music at the moment.

Lately I haven't really interacted with audiences, purposefully and started to question my role in the present outfits I've been with.

It's possible I have hit a wall and or become incredibly bored with my own musical output, almost felt as if I have very little to say.

Likening this to martial arts and the belts system. The idea of reaching a point or a colour and having to sit with that level for years, plodding away wondering when you will make another breakthrough. Or the idea of being at sea in a boat that will eventually sink but that which you must keep afloat, that sometimes it is attrition with no uplifting horizon.

If you think of the work ethic or the actual day to day physicality of keeping the instrument alive in your hands there can come a point when just muscle memory and fitness are ticking away but musical growth seems not to be happening even though it probably IS.

I've not found much inspiration in jazz lately and its' vocab but I refuse it is dead to me so am going to make a concerted effort to go back to old recordings again and again and find that inspiration.

I think for me there is at the heart of all this very little desire to be in front of an audience right now or actually perform. Probably a passing feeling.

The trumpet has been with me 35 years and it's not going away. I just need to reinvent it again.

Welcoming your thoughts...

G
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