As i've mentioned before i get quite bad pain in my left shoulder after playing for a while... months ago i went and tried pretty much every shoulder rest there is, and chose the most comfortable one. barely had pain except one time in string group it was so bad i couldn't play anymore, then last week in youth orchestra we were playing a symphony that was an hour and a half long and after about 45 minutes it hurt so bad i didn't think i'd get to the end!
so last week i tried about 10 chinrests and found a higher, much more comfortable one (turned out just to be a £5 teka one!) but it seems to be even worse - usually the pain is only when playing for a long time in orchestras etc. but yesterday i was in a lot of pain after like 25 minutes of practising.
I'm going on a 6 day course tomorrow with my youth orchestra, rehearsing all day every day and i'm dreading how much pain i'm going to be in!
I've tried shoulder rests, chin rests, what else can i try?!
I only recently told my teacher about it and she seemed a bit baffled as i have a good posture etc. so she told me to stop and think every 10 minutes and check im relaxed etc.
I dunno if it's cause i'm VERY small and my violin is kinda big (strad model), though i am getting my new 7/8 violin over the next few weeks (aslong as i don't find a different violin i want )

I don't know what else to try though

Does it go off when you have finished playing or does it continue?

Liz

Also.....Is it just when you play or do you ever get it while doing other things? (I don't know quite how old you are ..but uhhmm.......ironing for a protracted period. Not just a couple of T shirts, but the family laundry)

I ask because many moons ago, I had (what I suspect) was something similar. It turned out I'd trapped a ligament/tendon (?) or something under the shoulder blade. It lasted for a very long time and caused a lot of problems. Eventually it freed itself in the middle of the night....I felt a major 'ping' and from that night on everything was back to normal. My GP had had no suggestion other than strong painkillers, which frankly was useless. It would have been much better (and resolved much sooner I think) if I'd seen a physio immediately.

The thing is, I don't remember doing anything to cause it, or the ache/pain even starting. At the time I was very [i] physical (dance classes) One day, I could use my arm and shoulder fully. The next I couldn't. However, it only bothered me when I had to use my shoulder in a particular fashion. Arms down by my side, doing usual 'daily' things were never a problem.

Good Luck with sorting it.

Couple more questions, are you flexible, and at what age did you start playing violin (and did you play anything before that)? I've had problems in the past and might be able to help, if you can let me know these things

So sorry you're in pain. I think it might be worth a check up with your doctor to rule out anything more substantive than posture or repetitive motion related pain. I wonder if you have considered the Alexander Technique? I have multiple sclerosis and also play the cello - at time, I have a lot of neuropathic pain which worsens when playing - I tried the AT a few years ago and it really helped me in all sorts of ways. It might be worth a try. If Alexander Technique isn't for you, you might consider an appointment with a good physiotherapist - there are lots of things physios can detect and work on that could improve things for you. Good luck and I do hope you feel better very soon.

Have you looked on www.bapam.org.uk?

(sorry, I've tried to do a direct link and failed miserably)

I would also recommend a consult with an Alexander technique practitioner if you can.

Also, is there a physiotherapist near you who specialises in string players? They can often be very helpful with set up etc.

I hope you manage to sort it out - poor you !

Sorry i never replied to any of your posts - i was away on the course, which was amazing Just got back from the concert, i thoroughly enjoyed it
Anyway back to the point
thanks for the advice
i did get pain but not as much as i expected. i made it to the end of the 80 minute symphony... it did hurt, but not unbearably.
i find i have to lift my shoulder to make it reach my chin, and it's impossible to play without doing it, and that's what makes it hurt.
the pain goes away when im not playing and doesn't happen any other time.
to answer the questions i am very flexible (i'm a gymnast!) and i started violin when i just turned 16 (17, nearly 18 now) and i played loads of instruments before that, started clarinet at 6, play flute aswell never experienced any pain.
It's the lifting my shoulder up that causes the pain but i cant play without doing it, unless it's a note or passage without any shifting or vibrato etc... i'm glad it wasn't as bad as i expected it to be but i'm still a bit baffled and worried...
i think i'm going to try a central chinrest as the higher up my shoulder my violin is, the less i have to lift my shoulder, and it feels like my chin should be over the middle. i moved my chinrest as far towards the middle as possible but i was still playing with my chin over the tailpiece at some points just for comfort

Really glad that you were able to make the course and its symphony. I hope very much things improve for you soon. If you ever want to explore the Alexander Technique or physiotherapy option, I have done both and am happy to share my experiences if that would be useful. Stay well.