Tuba playing injury. Need some help

[tubazach07]

Hey guys,
I dealing with a injury and I don't know how to procced.
It started in April I was playing in brass band and I was playing really loud. While I was playing I felt a tear like feeling in my lower right groin right on the the V cut area and also to the right of my belly button. I kept playing on it and by that Friday it hurt soo much I went to the doc. The doctor told me it was a hip flexor strain and that I needed to rest and ice. I also had a CAT scan and was checked for hurnias and the results were negative. I saw a massage therapist and he found that my lower groin area was a giant knot. I soon started to go to physical therapy and got better after about a month. I was able to go from playing the tuba for only 2 minutes to being able to play for almost an hour. Fast fowrad to now I can run ok, jump, and do squats with little to no pain but the seccond I play the tuba longer then an hour and more then two days in a row I am back on the coach in pain again. The pain acorss my belly button has gone away but its the groin muscles that hurt. Also sitting in a office chair typing this message hurts as well.
When I play it starts out as a dull pain and the longer I play it goes into a sharp stabbing pain which is when I stop playing. I can buzz the mouthpiece without much pain but the seccond I put it to the horn the lower right groin area start to hurt. I don't even activate them, they work by themselves as part of the breahting out mechanism. When I breath in its fine but as soon as I start playing higher or louder the time that I can spend playing decreases. It's frusterating because the navy expects me to be healed and I am no where near that. I am seeing the doctor again tomorrow.

I am thinking the pain is caused by the internal pressure that is in side my body as my body adjust to make the air faster or slower on certain pichtes. Thats my guess, I am not a doctor.
Has anyone delt with this injury before? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I feel that if I continue not to be able to play the tuba, the navy will med sep me. I like my job and don't want to loose it over this injury.

[Josh Calloway]

Ask the Dr. if you can get a referral to see the chiropractor. I got a mystery injury a couple years ago from overexerting myself with a sousaphone. I had lots of chest pain and shortness of breath. I started going to the chiropractor a little over a year ago and now my symptoms are minimal. I don't know if it will work for you or not, but it would be worth a try.

[Donn]

If it turns out that the incident in April was an injury that needs to be surgically repaired, limping along with the aid of a support belt or something would be the worst idea ever, wouldn't it?

[Jay Bertolet]

I'm not a doctor but something you said made me suspicious. You say you can blow on just the mouthpiece and have no problem but with the tuba you do. Could it be some issue with how you hold the horn? I say that because, if you're doing mouthpiece buzzing normally, you should be moving air just like if you had the horn, maybe even more so because of the lesser resistance. If you're not having the pain when mouthpiece buzzing only, I would guess the pain has very little to do with breathing. All the other advice is spot on. Get second opinions. Seek the help of a sports medicine or musician specialist. Good luck!

[tubazach07]

Hey everyone, thank you for your advice.
Went back to the doc again today. He had me lay on the table and lift my right leg while he put pressure on my groin area. It hurt a lot,I also explained that I was recovering well(I was running again without any pain) until I played the tuba again for two days. I told him that I felt like I had gone backwards in my recovery. I will be going for an MRI at the end of July(navy medical takes for ever). The doctor and I are hoping that it will find what is causing the pain. I am guessing its some kind of micro tear or hernia. As for now I can't play the tuba or even look at one.

I will keep you posted. Moral of the story, don't play sousaphone stupid loud for hours at a time.

[tubazach07]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
I got the MRI results back and everything is clear. No tear in the tissue, no hernia. They did find a tumor on my left pelvic bone but that has nothing to do with my right side and playing the tuba. I met with the physical therapist again today and she said that I have weak groin muscles. How this has to do with tuba playing and why when I play the tuba do I get a giant knot in my groin is beyond me. Nobody can explain to me that when I don't play the tuba and when I do physical therapy I get better but, when I start playing again everything goes to ****. As of now I am not allowed to play the tuba for 6 months. 16 years of playing and now all of a sudden I can't play longer then 10 mins. There has to be someone out there that has gone through this. Yes I am depressed that I can't play but at least I can walk away knowing that I achieved my goal of becoming a professional tuba player. I just hope I can beat this thing.

Thanks again everyone for the help,
Zach

[swillafew]

I had a long episode with similar problems. Slow and steady wins the race; I strengthened my "core" in a warm water pool doing tai chi with a bunch of women twice my age. It was appropriate for my ability at the time. Yoga become appropriate after awhile, and it does wonders for rehabbing the affected area. Massage therapists can help too, make the most of whatever resources you have available. Be patient.

[eupher61]

Zach, it's a curse and a blessing that you are military. Best of luck with all of it. By all means keep buzzing, working out, Breathing Gym, whatever you can safely tolerate. Keep smiling! And, please keep us informed. You may be a prime study case.