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Topic: Back Pain  (Read 1503 times)

Offline bjahdc

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Back Pain
on: January 29, 2007, 03:49:54 AM
I have a hard piano bench and I've recently found that I experience back pain when I'm playing the piano.  I'm not sure if this is because the bench is hard.  I'm thinking the pain wouldn't be there if I had a cushion like bench (like the benchs for grand pianos).

I've tried putting a thin layer of cushion on the bench, but when I do that, I'm sitting too high on the piano, and I cannot adjust the bench height (it's a hard bench that I cannot adjust hte height of). 
Any advice?

Offline elspeth

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Re: Back Pain
Reply #1 on: January 29, 2007, 04:00:57 AM
If this only occurs when you're playing, not at any other time (implying the problem is the piano stool, not that you've got problems from another source that just get exacerbated at the piano) you probably need a new piano bench! And if you're in pain it's worth spending the money and getting a good one. If you've got a good local piano dealers, they should be able to help you choose one.

If you replace the bench and you still have problems, go to your doctor. It might be an existing problem that is only just starting to manifest itself.

Besides that... make sure your posture is good, make sure you're not wearing anything that digs into your back, and stop when you're in pain. Make sure you look after your back until you get the new bench, then it's less likely to develop long-term problems... learn some Alexander technique or have a massage.
Go you big red fire engine!

Offline bjahdc

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Re: Back Pain
Reply #2 on: January 29, 2007, 04:05:14 AM
thanks for the advice.
You mentioned "learn some Alexander technique". What is that?
thanks!

Offline lichristine

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Re: Back Pain
Reply #3 on: January 29, 2007, 05:24:52 AM
Invest in a very large bean bag chair.
"I could fly or fall but to never have tried at all
Scares me more than anything in the world
I could hit or miss, but to just sit here like this
Scares me more than anything in the world"
-JG

Offline rc

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Re: Back Pain
Reply #4 on: January 29, 2007, 06:56:29 AM
thanks for the advice.
You mentioned "learn some Alexander technique". What is that?
thanks!

A method of body mapping - having an accurate image of how your body moves, as the basis of achieving proper balance and motion.  Most chronic pains have more to do with how we balance ourselves than anything else, so it's best to attack the problem at it's source!

There's a book of Alexander Technique applied to pianists - https://www.amazon.com/What-Every-Pianist-Needs-About/dp/1579992064/sr=8-1/qid=1170053200/ref=sr_1_1/002-6741268-3313644?ie=UTF8&s=books.

I'm more inclined to think that your back pain is to do with your posture.  The hardness of the bench shouldn't be an issue, I've never had problems to do with hard surfaces - our butts are made to sit on anything.  The real issue is balance.  What I found useful in cultivating good sitting posture was through doing meditative exercises where I would sit still in silence for half an hour to an hour (on a hard table).  There's no way to do this without having good posture, it forced me to develop balance.

I found that I have good standing posture, so what I found helpful was to imagine that I was standing through the table as I sat.

Also, consider that the very nature of playing piano demands that your arms are ahead of you the whole time - putting your spine out of balance.  So it's somewhat inevitable to get a stiff back after playing for too long, but good posture will go a long way in delaying that, and especially to avoid any kind of permanent injury!

Stay away from painkillers - they only enable you to continue destructive habits.

Offline thaicheow

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Re: Back Pain
Reply #5 on: January 29, 2007, 09:51:59 AM
Hi,
I'm myself suffering back pain too. I think it happens to alot of pianists as well.

I have attended a workshop with a doctor-physician-become-musician, who helps a lot of performers in performance injury.

I found that long hour parctice, especially without relaxation, is the main reason of all these problems. She suggested a ratio of 20 minutes: 10 min for practice session (20 min of practice, take 10 min of rest). Of course it usually hard for me to follow this, but it is the safest suggestion which would pretty guarantee avoidance of injury.

You have to learn to relax when you are playing the instrument. I mean real relaxation. Claudio Arrau once mentioned about this. The whole arms should relax, which I personally feel is starting from you upper back, shoulder, and limbs. If you haven't been doing so, you may find that your fingers couldn't support the whole weight of your limbs.

Practice very slowly every passages, and feel your body. You should find ways (or should I say "holes" or certain part of the passage) where you can relax. It is a bit hard for me to explain here. I did go through some passages with her, and she show me ways to relax, even in a very strenous section of a music (with heavy chords, musch forte, etc). Relax between every single notes, between chords, between pharses, etc, and posture and hands gesture that can dwindle the impact.

You have to learn to relax while playing the instrument. As she told me this should be the part of your technique. I try with a lot of students, and my friends, and you can instantaneously find the sound produced much differrent. More color, more singing, bel canto etc.

Though my back pain still constantly haunted me. I tackle it with yoga, more stretching excercise(daily basis), listen more to my body when practice, etc. Somtimes I still have to use  muscle released oilment, plaster etc.  :-\

I personally don't think it is the fault of the bench. In fact, hard bench should be better than softer surface. I have been experienced this, and I hope my sharing with you will help. You should can find some ergonomic piano bench but they don't come cheap. Good luck.

Offline allthumbs

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Re: Back Pain
Reply #6 on: January 29, 2007, 10:18:23 AM

I've tried putting a thin layer of cushion on the bench, but when I do that, I'm sitting too high on the piano, and I cannot adjust the bench height (it's a hard bench that I cannot adjust hte height of). 
Any advice?

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