Neck/Shoulder Hurting Bad--Any Ideas?

[starlady]

Hi! I am a middle-aged woman returning to the piano after decades away.  The last couple of weeks my neck and shoulders have been very tight and painful, and my left arm and hand start to hurt and cramp up while I'm playing.  I take Advil but it doesn't do much.  The pain started about the time I increased my playing time from about 1/2 hour a day to about 1 hour*.

So my questions for the forum: Is neck/shoulder pain a common problem for piano players?   Do you stretch or do exercises before playing?  Can the stool be at the wrong height?  Any more ideas?  I would like to try a few things  before I go to the doctor. Also if you all say it can't be from the
piano playing, it might be from getting hit on the left side of my head by a car door (long story) which happened about the same time.   

thanks for any advice,

--s.
*I know this is very little practise compared to most of you, please don't jump on me, I have enough troubles already.

[keyboardclass]

Watch this, she's very good (except I'm not sure about her views on the lumbar curve):

Do her shoulder placement exercise before you play - your rhomboids could well be in a pitiable state.  Straighten out the back of your neck - a 19th century writer calls it the Royal Muscle.  She has other videos, I haven't watched them as yet.  Anyone like to and feed back?

[thalbergmad]

The last couple of weeks my neck and shoulders have been very tight and painful, and my left arm and hand start to hurt and cramp up while I'm playing.  

This used to happen to me a lot, until I found a decent teacher who said I was far to high and was crouching over the keys.

When i practise for a few hours (not very often), it sometimes returns, but I am now in the habit of having a monthly massage which I find extremely beneficial.

Thal

[richard black]

I used to get sore neck/shoulder muscles until I took to sitting very much lower. Now I find myself winding a typical piano bench to the bottom and wishing there was another inch to go.

[go12_3]

Doing exercises for the back and shoulders would be a good idea.
Just use 3 lb. weights.  An all around exercise program would be beneficial so that
the back, neck, shoulders will be strong and endure daily physical activities.   I think  pianists can get tense around the neck and shoulders due to overpracticing.  Stress is another factor that can cause pain. 

[keyboardclass]

Good luck if you know an exercise for the rhomboids, they're the ones that would probably solve the problem.

[starlady]

 I lowered the bench and it definitely helped. 

As did moving my shoulders down from around my ears.

The video is very interesting; i've heard similar things from Pilates and Alexander Method teachers over the years.  It seems  I keep making the same postural mistakes and can't see it until someone else points it.    So your advice really helps.

Thanks much, s.

[keyboardclass]

Glad it helps.  Playing with only the required tension is, for most people, a study in itself - it was for me.  Took quite a few years!

[drorperl]

Lots of great advice up here  I would like to add check Kenny Werner's book Effortless Mastery...you will find there a few very interesting ideas and I think that it attacks this issue from a different angle...I mean besides the physical aspects, the posture, the height of the bench etc' (all true and relevant) there's also the element of the mental state that you bring with you to the piano that has a lot of influence. If you'll come to the piano in the right mental state you are less likely to experience this kind of pain.
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Dror Perl. Pianist, Composer, Teacher.

https://www.sheerpiano.com/

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