Musician Injury and Performance
Dr. Smith has had the honor of working with some of the finest musicians in the country. Players from the Marine Corps and Army Bands as well as members of the local orchestras, including the National Symphony, have benefited from his methods.
Typical presenting conditions include pain, weakness, numbness and poor (or less-than-stellar) performance. Once these have been properly diagnosed, treated and resolved, the players often find themselves “better than I was years ago”. This is because of the subtle changes that occur through years of rigorous practice and performing. These changes often go unnoticed, while the function gradually diminishes. A piece that used to be easy becomes more and more difficult to perform, and the endurance and speed of the fingers and arms (or muscles of the face) become a source of frustration. As a drummer and a chiropractor, Dr. Smith knows the story very well; he has lived it. Forearm tightness, shoulder restriction and calf cramping slowly whittled away his love for the drumkit until he found Active Release Techniques and other instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization techniques that literally put him back in pre-College form.
In 1838 Robert Schumann wrote:
“All the music is complete and alive within me, so that I wish to effortlessly breathe it out, but now I can hardly bring it forth; I trip over one finger with the other. This is truly frightening and has already caused me much pain.”
Whether your musical ability flows through a string, brass, woodwind or percussive instrument, the PUPPET STRINGS that control your hands are first and foremost in your forearms and hands. Take a look at the anatomy in those works of art. (fig 7 & 8) On one side we have flexors, on the other, extensors; separate, distinct “strings” on the “marionette”. It is the balance between these muscles that allows us to reveal our perfect intonation, pitch, tone and timing. If these finely-tuned muscles are glued to one another with fibrosis, not only does it take more effort to perform (endurance), but the performance can be adversely affected. This is also true for the muscles of the shoulder and upper back (fig 2 & 9). Accumulation of fibrosis over the years in these areas will leave the musician stiff and sometimes sore and they will find themselves doing all kinds of self-massage and stretching during rehearsals and practice.
The muscles affecting wind and tone, including the diaphragm, intercostals and anterior neck musculature can also be treated with excellent results in functional capabilities. The embrasure can be changed and helped by applying our techniques to the muscles of the face.
SO THEY SAID YOU HAVE ARTHRITIS?
Many musicians, as they age, run into a period of time where they just can’t make things happen the way they could before with their instrument. A visit to a well-meaning doctor or a “consult” at break with other musicians often leads to the diagnosis of arthritis.
Arthritic degeneration of a joint can be seen on x-ray, and when advanced, it’s obvious from the outside; enlarged knuckles that have been under too much stress for too many years. (Have you seen Keith Richards’ fingers lately?) This bone growth (a result of Wolff’s Law of the Bone) is a direct result of the SOFT-TISSUE that crosses the joint, strapping and cramming the joint into itself. This is a cycle that starts with a tight muscle, that causes inflammation within the joint, that causes the internal fluid of the joint to change from “sesame oil to peanut butter”, making the muscles tighten more as they work harder to move the now more-rigid joint. Unfortunately many people are diagnosed with arthritis LONG BEFORE they truly have it. The doctor sees the symptoms of pain and stiffness, cramping and fatigue and hangs the label on it. What a shame. It doesn’t have to be this way. Learn about what’s going on, get the work-up. If you need care, get it. If you don’t, at least educate yourself so when your future self has to deal with it, you’ll have a head-start.
The eight warning signs are:
The answers are:
figure: 2
