TENDONITIS!

[milk_cookies_and_piano]

I have tendonitis!!!

Im furious, Ive been using my computer more often these days with school and everything and i started noticing  some pain in my arms and wrists and so a month later I co to the doctor and what is it? tendonitis, he said if I dont rest my arms for a few weeks I might end up with a lifetime of tendonitis, so thats basically a death sentence to me!, 12 years of playing the piano for not being able to from one day to the other?.. ARGH! im lucky the this weekend I dont have chamber music, but I cant stay like this for 7 weeks!, its almost the end of the year and I have somanythings to accomplish in my umsic school....has anybody else ever had this, when did it go away? my left arm isnt as bad its just my wrist that hurts but in my right arm I have tendonitis in my wrist,my arm, and my shoulder so I have it  in a brace...this was my worst fear ......what do I do?

[thierry13]

Make arrangements with your teachers or skip this year and do it next year, you will be losing only one year vs. a lifetime.

[thalberg]

If you want to get rid of your tendonitis, see an active release practitioner.  It got rid of my friend's tendonitis and also helped me a lot with my hand problems.  It's miraculous.

Go to www.activerelease.com to find someone in your area who can treat you.

You will still need to rest, but you will recover faster and more completely and if you keep going it can prevent recurrence.

[dan101]

Have your family doctor refer you to a specialist. There's treatments available using electric impulses and other viable options. good luck.

[thierry13]

Also : stop playing with high finger action 

[andric_s]

I had tendonitis when I was in music school, too   I was practicing sooo much, often going without enough to eat.   And I was practicing with too much tension, and too athletically.

The only solution for me was to stop playing for a while when it flared up.  I had to stop for several months, and then I worked very carefully to correct my practice habits.  After my initial break, I had several flare-ups, but as long as I stayed off that hand for a few days and took ibuprofen, they cleared up quickly.  I haven't had troubles from practice in a few years.

I have gotten pain from excessive computer use in recent years.  It's worth paying serious attention to how you work at the computer.  Make sure the keyboard is at the proper hight for your body.  Don't let the weight of your arm constantly hang on your hand while using the mouse.  Computer pro's buy ergonomical keyboards, and use trackballs instead of mice.  This ergonomical stuff should come after you take a break from the computer and the inflammation has subsided.

I guess not everyone has an opportunity to stop the activity that causes their tendonitis, but to me rest is the only treatment.  Those treatments mentioned above probably help, but I don't believe they should replace taking a break:  let the injury heal, identify the motions that cause it, and correct those motions.

Don't be afraid to take a break.  Maybe it will mess up a semester for you, but probably not too badly.  Your teachers should be sympathetic.  And a semester of music school, when compared to your health and physical capability to play, doesn't mean much.

Don't despair-- you will heal, and figure out how to fix it, and play the piano beautifully for your whole life

[felia]

andric_s is right. should stop and find the correct way.