Three or four months ago I strained one or more muscles in my right arm. It doesn't normally bother me, except when I'm playing my clarinet and then the weight makes it hurt to hold it and also when I stretch my arm out to turn music or put my clarinet down.

It would be too silly to go to the GP when it only hurts under clarinet-playing circumstances. I'm tempted to go to the chiropractor who treated me for back pain some time ago, but that was when it was knotted muscles rather than strained muscles and I'm not sure whether they can do anything about strained muscles.

After three or four months, I feel as if it should be getting better but it isn't. Has anyone else had this type of problem? How long did it take to get better and did you see anyone for treatment?

The answer is to apply a tincture of badger oil, dried frog and oak tree bark pounded together with freshly gathered mountain mist and apply it four times daily after bathing! Seriously though, why ask advice about a medical matter on a music forum, m'dear? Doctors are highly trained at being doctors and most musicians are not. Ask the experts but in the right field of expertise!

So, back on topic... if anyone else has had a problem with strained muscles, I'd be interested to know how long it took to get better and what, if anything, you did about it

Do you have a tuning fork nearby..?

Have you tried using a clarinet sling to take some of the weight? Or perhaps a support bandage around your arm whilst playing?

If you're into alternative therapies, tiger balm rubbed into the effected area might help.

If not, you ought to get the strain checked out.

A sling of some sort seems the most obvious solution. You shouldn't be bearing weight on a limb with strained muscles.

Why did you edit your earlier post in which you told off my friend Henry for saying what he did, Skylark?

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Why did you edit your earlier post in which you told off my friend Henry for saying what he did, Skylark?
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Probably in the interests of maintaining "harmony" - this is a music forum

Thank you for your suggestions DC and Solari

Try some deap heat or freeze spray, that is what I do. Doctors and physio said it was the right thing to do. I tend to strain muscles a fair bit when I play tennis, (probably my own fault really as we never seem to get in stretches previous.) (I try but everyone is always waiting.

Seriously though, those sprays, or pads are really good. Also try and rest it if you can.


ET

Hallo

I'd get an appoinment with a physio, they do charge, as they will diagnose the problem and give you excercises to fix it.

I had a knee problem and thinking it was an old climbing injury went along and found out it was because of the way I use my computer! Three weeks later after some work and sorting out my work station problem solved!

Good Luck

I supply chemicals to the manufacturer of 'Deep Heat' so have a vested interest.
I have a bad back at the moment (see aaaaaargh thread) and use 'Voltarol'. Some years ago it was prescibed by the doctor (tablets and rubbing gel), but is now available over the counter. Its a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

(PS on alighter note, I recall a football report in a newspaper saying that Lineker was substituted because of a 'strained thing muscle' !)

Yes, Ive got it too except I have been assuming it is tennis elbow. The advice I have been given (not from medics - haven't succumbed to the doc yet) is to rest it. Yeah, right - for how long?
Any extension or twisting movements hurt and sooner or later you've got to carry a bag or turn a doorknob!

Hope yours gets better soon, Skylark because mine certainly hasn't moderated at all after 3 months, no matter what I have rubbed in or whether I have worn a support bandage.

Tennis elbow isn't muscular damage, but tendon damage, and tendons take a looong time to heal. I had it a few years ago (brought about not by tennis, but by an extended period of time clapping clave rhythms during a jazz class). It was probably about 6 months or more before I could twist a door knob, shake hands with someone or lift and pour one of the 4-litre bottles of milk without wincing.

Hi Skylark,

Is it the top of the arm - my husband has a few issues like this when playing badminton and he has to wear wrist support and just recently he has taken to shoulder support as well, if it is due to a specific injury a physio or your GP.

Also have you amended your playing position since the injury to counteract the pain in the early days following the accident. if so check your posture etc to see if you're still straining it.

If it is only hurting now when playing the clarinet is it worth maybe checking out an Alexander Technique person, who can maybe help with your core stability and relaxation etc. It's not something I have any experience of but I'm sure some on here do.

HI Skyers,
Apart from the obvious answer of finding a gorgeous man to massage it for you, I would see your GP and maybe they will refer you for physio.
Good luck, and don't touch powdered frog, it makes you "rivet".
Bev

*gloom*
I threw in my sixpenn'orth because Skylark didn't say how she had come by her injury and I wondered if it was the same thing.
Apparently tendons do take forever - husband damaged his achilles tendon some years ago and wasn't right for months!
Thanks for the encouragement Tsax - at least it sounds as though they do heal eventually, but it can be horribly painful if you sleep on it awkwardly or make a movement it doesn't like.

Aw, skyers. You have my sympathy. I would maybe see if your GP would refer you for some physio... There can be quite a long waiting list though.

No it wouldn't! Clarinet-playing is important to you and you won't be able to do it properly if this carries on.

There are different routes that a physio could take, depending on the problem. Either exercises, or massage and what I think they call 'hands on' treatment. Anti-inflammatories in the meantime could help (and Volterol sounds good!), but you can't keep on taking them indefinitely I would definitely see the doctor and see about some repair work with a physio

OK, so the episodes of pain I suffered were from violin rather than clarinet, but the following is based on that experience:

To start with, I'd agree with Crotchetymum - go to the medic and get some help with dealing with the pain as it is now, rather than letting it take the shine off playing your clarinet. My doctor prescribed some painkillers for when my neck and shoulder are really bad, combined with the second bit of advice I'm going to suggest, to avoid getting to the really bad situation:

Talk to your clarinet teacher and get them to observe your posture and right hand position carefully when you play. Is it possible you need to change your sling length (if you use one) or to use a sling (if you don't) or shift your thumbrest so that it changes the pressure on your hand?

You've mentioned on the Forums that you found some Alexander sessions beneficial, this might be something to take to your Alexander teacher too.

Thank you for all your thoughts and suggestions. To answer a few queries...

It's my inner forearm (just below my inner elbow) where the problem is - I can feel that the muscle is tender there. Although when I'm playing my clarinet, I also feel some pain in my upper arm as well. I did it when tearing paper up in the early summer - a lot of it and quite thick sheaves. (I had a shredder as well, but for each 5 mins use, you have to let it cool down for an hour so I had to tear a lot of it and obviously I didn't realise I was overdoing it). So as well as straining it slightly, there's possibly also a bit of RSI, although it's not burning like I think it would be with RSI.

I just feel silly going to the doctor about this - the pain isn't severe or constant, it's not affecting normal life and the area isn't bruised or swollen. I haven't been too bothered with it over the summer because I've had to give my clarinet a bit of a rest over the summer whilst I've concentrated on "the office move" and all the accompanying hassles, but I really want to do more with it again now and it is definitely troubling me.

My Alexander Technique teacher has retired She's given me the contact details of her teacher, so I could go to him, or I could go back to my chiropractor, or I could find a physio. In the first instance though, I suppose I'd better go to my GP and rest it in the meantime

Thanks to everyone for talking this through with me and helping me reach this conclusion, and I hope everyone else who's got a similar problem find that it clears up before too long.

Hmmm... well it's a lot easier to get an appointment with a chiropractor than a GP so I'm seeing my chiropractor tomorrow

Glad you're getting it looked at skyers

Well, to report back... I went to my chiropractor this morning and she found the source of the problem straight away. I've got some very knotted muscles, not only in my arm but in my shoulder as well, and there's a slight problem with my elbow too. She did a lot of massage work on the muscles and I'll need another few sessions to sort it but then it should be OK. In the meantime, I don't have to give up playing my clarinet completely because I need to keep using the muscles, but I just need to be sensible about it and not play for too long or if it's very painful. So a good visit, and in a few weeks time my arm should be OK again

Good news. Hope it feels better soon.

Thank you!