Do you experience pain/discomfort while playing?

[thattubachick]

Hi Everyone,
I'm writing a research paper on common postural/body-mapping issues among tuba players. I've done my research on the most common ones, but I was just curious - what kind of issues, even minor, have you dealt with?

For example, it used to be that every time I played, even for a few minutes, when I stood up I would have to crack my back because it felt tight.

So what areas of your body have you felt discomfort, tension, or even pain arising from playing your instrument? Don't feel like you have to give a reason for it - I'm more interested in what kind of 'symptoms' you've experienced.

**this is not part of my research, so I won't be using your input or quoting you in any way. I really am just curious and couldn't find any mention of this kind of thing in the archives.**

[Josh Calloway]

I have pain in the middle of my chest when I play or breathe deeply. It's most likely caused by the sousaphone, but I don't have an official diagnosis yet.

[ftempas]

I've been dealing with tendonitis in my left elbow for a few months now. It's difficult to hold my CC for any length of time due to the pain from holding the horn. I've had to use a strap over my right shoulder to relieve the stress. The F is not so bad. I've done physical therapy and strength training to fix the issue.

[MartyNeilan]

As I was rebuilding my 6/4 BART project, I would sometimes have issues with my neck or right shoulder. I brought the pistons over more towards the bell (similar to a 2165) to avoid overextending my right arm to reach around the girth of the horn, and ultimately found the ideal leadpipe position and angle for my physique.

Currently, my Conn 2J feels very comfortable when I stand but less so when sitting. I may experiment with removing or repositioning the thumb ring (as was just suggested) using a stand to change the height of the horn, or repositioning the leadpipe.

I have removed the thumbring on some past horns or even purchased them without the thumbring; that seems to be a common ergonomic issue. One of the instruments I had included a coin soldered onto the fifth paddle to facilitate a better angle, and I soldered a coin on the sixth valve paddle of the F tuba I owned prior.

This is all about finding the optimal angle for everything to avoid putting your body through any awkward twists or turns several hours a day.

[jeopardymaster]

Not in the playing so much as the transporting. Hefting the Neptune in the backpack bag can be a chore. One night before rehearsal I tore up an oblique getting it secured on my back, and then playing (well, everything, really) hurt like a sorry SOB for a couple of weeks.

[GC]

The reason I gave up my 25J a few years back was because of the pain and exhaustion caused by carrying the #!&^## thing up several flights of stairs several times a week. With bad knees and low endurance, it wasn't worth it even though I dearly loved playing the old monster. This wasn't while playing, but it was a physical problem that was related.

Now my only playing ciscomfort comes from occasional hyperventilation.

For a while, I was playing a borrowed POS bass clarinet in the local New Horizons band. The mouthpiece was a stinker with a tight gap and a very short lay, so it took huge effort and a rock-hard reed to get any volume out of it. I actually hurt my diaphragm trying to play it. If I'd been going to stick with it I'd have bought a more open mouthpiece, but I gave it up instead.

[peter birch]

sometimes when *others* are playing...

My first thought too

[MikeW]

• bruise inside the thigh when seated, from supporting the tuba - live with it, cost of doing business
• bruise below the ribs when seated - I need to have the marching-strap ring moved, but probably won't (it's encouraging me to lose weight)
• stiff back, knees, and butt after playing seated - just stand up carefully, and wriggle a bit until the joints crackle (also, I have a higher chair for practice at home)
• back spasm after marching - I have a smaller tuba for wimping-out days, but I can usually survive with a back-support corset. Robaxacet for bad days (not that we march much these days - the band is getting a bit grey for that).
• I used to get gurry-sores from friction with the mouthpiece if I played too soon after shaving. I now wear a beard, so no problem.
• I used to get a lot of outbreaks on my lips (possibly contact dermatitis ??) - seems to be fixed by a new mouthpiece, and a coat of nail varnish on the old one

[ken k]

I have two bad discs in my neck. when I play for an extended amount of time i start to feel numbness in my left arm. I often wonder if my playing posture had anything to do with the degeneration of my discs.
Sousaphone or helicon playing is pretty much out of the question at this point.

k

[saktoons]

I'm recovering from a pinched nerve in my neck. My right arm still gets very sore when I play. If I play for more than 1/2 hour or so, my hand starts to get numb and my shoulder and back start to hurt. Before the pinched nerve, I seldom experienced pain while playing.

I hope this is the type of info you were looking for. (And just reading my post now, I realize I sound like the old man that I am!)

[Ben]

Pain I have experienced while practicing / performing:

1. wrist pain from a YFB-621 - instrument sold, issue remedied

2. improper use of breathing gym, and pulled a muscle, but to breathe, but this remedied itself

3. neck pain due to a recent skiing injury. Use of tuba rest to adjust the hight of the leadpipe has helped minimize this issue - it only crops up with my F tuba, which in my lap requires me to hunch a little bit.

No other pain.

[euphoni]

I herniated a disc in my lower back about 6 months ago and it is still very uncomfortable and even painful to play. I can only play for small amounts of time, lately I have to sit down while I play because my back doesn't feel like it can handle that much stress yet, playing high notes hurts (my body, not face), and breathing deep is the worst! It feels like things are going to pop out of place if I breath properly. Not to mention the constant rock hard muscles (not in a good way) throughout my lower torso.

So, with that said, my playing mechanics have been severely limited because of pain/discomfort from my lower back injury.

[bigbob]

I did everytime I played... I hurt inside my throte back by my ears and throte ..I went to a throte doctor nothing seemed wrong It continued only in the high notes...could it be back pressure on my tonsils??I think it's my smoking.. ..but I think the high notes and smoking stopped me ..After 8 mo. of not playing!! I promised my wife that if I stop smoking May I get another horn?? Stopped 5o days ago ...banks open!!Look out 6/4(look out back<s>)another problem<s...guess I have to make that holder for a chair<s>...............BB

[tubaman1019]

I make sure to stretch my neck and shoulder muscles. That's where most of my tension happens. Also a little build tension on the pinky side of my right forearm. I screwed my hand up playing football once. When I play trombone I tend to build a lot of tension in my left shoulder/neck. Looking in a mirror I realized that I slightly push my left shoulder forward. I had the same problem playing contra back in high school marching band.

[Mark]

1. wrist pain from a YFB-621 - instrument sold, issue remedied

The place of the valves on this entrire series, F, CC, BBb is nuts. I play tested one of these for about ten minutes and my wrist started to hurt.

[bigbob]

sometimes when *others* are playing...

You really are funny Bloke... in a sarcastic way<s>.......BB Ps. My playing is painful to everyone haha