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I mentioned in the Finger Pressure Thread that I've returned to wearing a thin stretchy knit glove on my left hand - to protect the skin on my fingertips, plus it gives me relief from the aching I used to feel, and also helps me focus on what my LH & fingers are doing while I practice... no big deal.
Then this recent video of a musician wearing gloves caught my attention!
Have we talked about this somewhere else (deja vu)?
I read a little more about 'Focal Dystonia' and was very surprised to find out that musicians are targets because of all the repetitive fine motor skills.
You can read about this (What To Know About Focal Dystonia - Medical News Today) - symptoms like cramps can be caused by many things.
If any unusual problem arises (related to practicing music) that doesn't resolve in 1-2 weeks, or suspiciously re-occurs - please visit your Doctor.
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Gosh, this focal dystonia is really scary -- I hope you don’t have it!
I read through the thread on finger pressure and I feel fortunate that I have toughened skin (mini-calluses?) on my LH fingers and I can play without discomfort.
I did face a variety of ergonomic issues when I first started playing fiddle. I tried multiple chin rests and shoulder rests before I found a Fiddlershop chin rest that did away with tightness in my neck, shoulders and back.
Along the way I found a very good book called Playing Less Hurt: ,
It was written by a classical cellist and very thoroughly researched. The author cited astonishingly high incidence of injuries among musicians, especially classical and orchestral musicians who have long hours of practice and rehearsal. Fiddlers have their share of injuries.
The book has become quite expensive now -- probably because a musician who is hurting has no trouble forking over $35 if it can stop the pain. Its recommendations certainly helped me. Maybe Fiddlershop should stock this book.
Strabo
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@Strabo -
Thanks for the info on the book!
No, I don't have Focal Dystonia, but thought we should be aware of it.
I just didn't want to lose all my touch sensation in my fingertips - now that I've been practicing with a glove, I'm VERY happy. My left hand will never go back to being as sensitive as my right, but I can live with what I've got now - skin is still tougher, but no callouses.
I did face a variety of ergonomic issues when I first started playing fiddle. I tried multiple chin rests and shoulder rests before I found a Fiddlershop chin rest that did away with tightness in my neck, shoulders and back.
I understand that! I finally had to completely remove my chinrest on my Viola. It also took me a LONG time to figure out how to play comfortably with my violin, because it's chinrest can't be changed (without needing a different pickup & pre-amp), but it was probably good I didn't have more choices to make.
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My LH fingers are pretty well callused, but they do crack and/or split from time to time. I think it's because I play multiple instruments, and my fingers contact the strings/buttons/valves in slightly different spots on each instrument. I don't worry about it too much (these days), but there was a time when I was playing in public for 4-6 hour gigs, 2-3 times a week. My fingers would actually start bleeding. The pain felt like it went all the way to the bone. I found a cure for it, though - I would coat my fingertips with super glue shortly before a gig - then I could play all night long, absolutely pain free! I tried other stuff, like moleskin and liquid bandage, but nothing lasted all night like super glue...
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