my arm's sore, ow!

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2004 9:10 pm Post subject:

i hear a lot of players complain about their lips.
nowadays my lips are not really bothering me as long as i warm up.

my hand and arm is getting sore and it's to the point where I'm going backwards.
scales i could play are now difficult and my control is not so good.
i can feel soreness across my hand and in my wrist. it goes up my arm and into my shoulder.

I'm taking a few days off to see if it'll feel better.

when i was younger and i worked my muscles they grew strong.
now at 61 when i work hard I'm getting sore and tired but i don't seem to be getting stronger.

maybe this comeback thing isn't comingback so good.

_________________
1946 Martin Committee, Bach 5MV

[ This Message was edited by: jamesfrmphilly on 2004-06-03 00:11 ]

_Don Herman · Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 5:41 am Post subject:

I rarely suggest equipment things, other than Wild Things

, but I will this time. First things first, however: I suspect excess tension. You may be too tense in your arms and shoulders and just need to relax. I've fought this all my life (not just on trumpet). If you're ever around St. Louis, look up Jim Manley for a lesson in powerful, relaxed playing that will leave you in awe. (I'm proud of that word "awe" -- so much better than "green with envy and jealously!

) Extra tension can be heard in the sound, and is one of my banes. When my shoulders and elbow ache after playing, chances are I've been waaaay too tense.

Here's a few other suggestions:

1. Play a G in the staff quietly, just breathing into the horn. Jim Donaldson had me do this, and it's a great way to see how easy playing trumpet can be. Relax, close your eyes, and gently breathe sound into the horn. Try to keep that feeling as you play your music.

Charly (Caruso) uses the low F# in much the same way.

2. Pick up a book on Yoga, or the Monette guide, for some relaxation tips.

3. For a while, force more frequent breaks in your practice routine. Set a timer and stop every five minutes to relax a minute, get up and walk around (swing your arms), sit and breathe deeply a bit, play softly a minute, then continue. Gradually extend to ten minutes between breaks if you wish.

4. The equipment suggestion: the Shulman System. It's clever, pricey, and worth it if you can get it.

HTH - Don
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

pfrank · Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2004 5:55 am Post subject:

Try nutrtional supplements. Vitimin C is necessary for connective tissues (and within muscle) to rebuild. A supplement with C & bioflavaniods will help. (bioflavaniods are a naturally occuring part Vit. C found in plants and aid tissue regeneration too)
Also: I got into a minor car wreck a few years back, and my right shoulder took the brunt of the energy. My shoulder hurt and was stiff for a year or so. I had physical treatments from a couple of practitioners (physical therapy exercises, acupressure and massage) but it didn't help. One day I was in the supermarket and saw that a supplement of condroitin/glucosamine was half price, so I bought a bottle. I had heard that it was recommended for people with arthritis etc. The pain was gone in 2 weeks and mobility was restored. It had nothing to do with rest or physical therapy. What the supplement did was feed the low blood supply tissues what they needed to repair themselfs.

alanbach · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2004 12:34 am Post subject:

Think about the time you spend on the computer....I am 66 and recently my right forearm has started to ache.....I have narrowed it down to using the mouse. I play trumpet/flugel/cornet every day and attend big band/brass band rehearsals about 4 times a week with gigs in between!! If it's your right arm blame the mouse!!

RGale · Heavyweight Member Joined: 28 Dec 2002 Posts: 2818

You might want to try the Schulman system. Yes, it's about $200 but from what I've read it may help you.

EBjazz · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2004 3:39 am Post subject:

Your thumb is in the wrong position. Turn your thumb upward and don't bend it. Your thumb should "support" the leadpipe. Don't bend the thumb and shove it in there. Most people have problems there.

Eb
_________________
Eric Bolvin
http://bolvinmusic.com/product/the-modern-jazz-trumpet-method/
www.bolvinmusic.com

plp · Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2004 6:40 am Post subject:

James, sounds like possible carpal tunnel syndrome. My wife types day in and day out, and has to wear wrist supports to keep the pressure off her wrists and hands, so it does not constrict circulation. The trumpet playing might be a symptom, rather than the cause.

Do you have a problem with high blood pressure? And is it the left or right arm, or both? Any way it goes, check it out with your doctor. Circulation problems as we get older are not that unusual, and sometimes are not a cause for concern. What you describe sounds like the lactic acid is not being disbursed rapidly enough.

Get it checked out, buddy. I want to be able to argue politics with you for a long, long time, hope this helps.

PJN · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 6:08 pm Post subject:

Hey James,

I hope you are feeling some relief, and my post is way too late , but in case you are still trying to get past this...

I was a chef for many years, when I was just getting started, I was not strong enough to do all the work with the saute pans. ( 16 oz pan, 400 dinners a night, you figure it out.) Anyway, I overcompensated by using shoulders and back instead of arms wrists and abdominals. Yes, abs are important in almost everything we do, they help us stand up. Eventually I lost the ability to lift my right arm due to the pain. Tried a real doctor, got pain pills. Finally went to a GOOD chiropractor, and got relief. Check out that pesky muscle group around and under you shoulder blade.

This chiropractor also recommends and teaches yoga. Very helpful for us trumpet comebackers, and really great for those of us who are less than flexible shall we say.... by the way, I have not been to the good bone doc for an adjustment in about four years. These things should not mean a lifetime of doctor appointments.

Just my two cents, maybe it can shed some light.

Patrick
_________________
The most important factor in developing the high register is desire, the patience to wait, and the necessary time to acquire it.
Bud Brisbois

mheffernen5 · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2004 6:18 pm Post subject:

Try Gatorade, Powerade, or potassium found in bananas, or potatoes.

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:13 am Post subject:

thank you for all the replies.

i think I'll try everything except the Shulman.
it's my right arm and hand and it started when i got the idea to practice 3 times a day.
i have some condroitin/glucosamine in my cabinet, I'll try it.

i wish i were 21 again!

_Don Herman · Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 11:24 am Post subject:

Ah, you just started practicing 3x a day? Maybe you need to take some breaks in your practice sessions, take some time to relax your arms (etc.) a bit? There are a bunch (he says, not having looked for one, but bear with me...) of little one-page guides on some relaxation exercises one can do while working at the computer all day. Maybe those same techniques could be applied during your (and my, now that I've thought of it) practice sessions.

Hopefully it ain't carpel tunnel -- I'm in the early stages, and it ain't fun... It doesn't bother me when I'm playing the horn, though; just my tennis elbow (bursitis).

Should anyone have a solution to aging, I'm all ears.

(No, not death -- I want something a little more lively, thank you very much!)
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

jamesfrmphilly · Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 6:34 am Post subject:

pfrank · Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:10 am Post subject:

Great!