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fels
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Joined: 26 Oct 2010
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2022 7:24 pm Post subject: embouchure atrophy |
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| Early COVID years (Fall 2020) I had MOHS surgery on the back of my neck (left side) to remove Basal Cell Carcinoma. It was four layers deep. Subsequently I have experienced left cheek numbness and deterioration of embouchure control. I have done recovery routines, cold and warm compresses, long tones etc. There are days when playing an A in the staff is iffy. On the other hand, if I stick with the warm up and continue to play with appropriate abdominal and breath support, I can play above the staff for an hour concert. But afterward my left cheek is painful and stiff. I suspect the trigeminal nerve was damaged during the MOHS surgery. Noted it to the doc who suggested a steroid shot in the neck. No relief. Any Thoughts? |
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Pops
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Joined: 14 Sep 2002
Posts: 2039
Location: Dallas (Grand Prairie), Texas
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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The scar from something like that can fully heal in 12-18 months, but nerve damage can last a lot longer.
I have had several students with nerve damage in the cheek and they had zero feeling. Usually their damage was from things as simple as a tooth extraction or root canal. I have seen the nerve start to feel again after 4-5 years and sometimes never recover.
The good news is that you can return to playing and play quite well. I had a young man loose all feeling in his cheek and the lips as well; from wisdom tooth extraction while in HS. The feeling never returned yet he got 3 degrees in trumpet performance BM, MM and DMA.
You learn to use other ways to control your playing and feeling in other areas like tongue, stomach (for support) and your hearing to regain accuracy.
The pain you also work on. Work on slowly increasing your playing time. Work on relaxing the cheek muscles (playing the didgeridoo helps with this). Work on stretching the muscle so it isn't locked in such a painful position. Simple things like yawning help stretch the muscle.
Your playing days are not over, just different now.
_________________
Clint 'Pops' McLaughlin
You can always Google me.
50 years Teaching. Teaching and writing trumpet books is ALL I do.
7,000 pages of free music. Trumpet Books, Skype Lessons: www.BbTrumpet.com |
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peanuts56
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Joined: 21 Nov 2021
Posts: 232
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| Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2022 7:06 pm Post subject: Re: embouchure atrophy |
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| fels wrote: | | Early COVID years (Fall 2020) I had MOHS surgery on the back of my neck (left side) to remove Basal Cell Carcinoma. It was four layers deep. Subsequently I have experienced left cheek numbness and deterioration of embouchure control. I have done recovery routines, cold and warm compresses, long tones etc. There are days when playing an A in the staff is iffy. On the other hand, if I stick with the warm up and continue to play with appropriate abdominal and breath support, I can play above the staff for an hour concert. But afterward my left cheek is painful and stiff. I suspect the trigeminal nerve was damaged during the MOHS surgery. Noted it to the doc who suggested a steroid shot in the neck. No relief. Any Thoughts? |
Skin cancer/melanoma surgery can result in nerve damage depending on how much tissue is removed. I had melanoma surgery over my left eye 11 years ago. I have a fairly significant scar and have very little feeling in that area. The dermatologist I go to told me the feeling will never return fully. Good news is I'm cancer free and apparently so are you. |
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