URGENT!!HELP~

[felia]

Dear freinds,

this is a kinda serious and urgent matter. Whoever experience before or have the knowledge please give some advise.

My sister is a pianist who study in one of the college in Malaysia. She is recently suffering from a ligament  problem in left hand result from playing a continuous octaves in one of the proffesional level piece.We are asians and have the common situation where we can only reach 8. 9 is the most.

She had already seen the doctor, and the doc. says she is fine and recovered. But she still feel pain in the left hand. This cause her think to rest for a semester(3 months).But as far as i know, is very difficult to recover as someone had already hurt the ligament. Anyway, looking for some professional advise from you all. Since this is a very popular case among the pianists..Thank you very much. May God bless....

[donjuan]

Your sister needs to take some serious time off the instrument or you may have to deal with long term (think 50 years) problems - her fingers may curl up permanently, she may have recurrent boutsof Carpel Tunnel syndrome.  
If she is stretching as far as she can to just play an octave, she is playing the wrong music.  I know this is really sad, but she may have to stick strictly to selected pieces of Bach and Mozart to fit her hands.    

If your sister still feels she needs 3 months off, she should really take it, and seek physiotherepy treatment to heal the damage.  

This is really serious and scary.  Take care.
Best Wishes,
donjuan

[xvimbi]

My sister is a pianist who study in one of the college in Malaysia. She is recently suffering from a ligament  problem in left hand result from playing a continuous octaves in one of the proffesional level piece.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's problems.
Could you be a bit more specific? Is it the thumb that is affected? Did she have an X-ray taken (necessary to confirm the diagnosis)? From what you write, the ligament wasn't completely torn (this would require surgery). In any case, there is danger of developing arthritis. Usually, people need to wear a cast for quite some time to stabilize the digit. A lot of skiers have this thumb injury. However, ligament injuries happen only when there is excessive force. Did it really come from piano playing, or did your sister have a trauma?

[Hmoll]

Sorry to hear about your sister. Your sisters problem is not because she has small hands. Lots of pianists have small hands. She was probably practicing in a way that caused the injury.

I would see if you can find someone who specializes in performance related injuries, and has treated pianists.

Good luck.

[peter_g_moll]

Dear Felia,

On two different occasions, once in 2002 and once in 2004, I had a ligament/tendon problem, first in the right hand forefinger and then in the left hand forefinger.  

The first time it took from January until May before I was able to play again, and then only very light things and no heavy chords; by August it was 100% right and I have had no problems since.    I didn't bother to go to a doctor, because it was clear that it was a ligament problem and not arthritis or otherwise caused.  In fact I know the origin exactly: repeated practise of two lines in Franck-Bauer's Prelude, Fugue and Variation which required (or so I thought!) stretches of the right forefinger.  So I figured I just had to wait.

The second time it took from February to June before I was able to play properly.  This time I did go to a doctor because it was in the LH knuckle and I wondered if it was arthritic or otherwise caused.  He did an X-ray and concluded immediately that there was no evidence of arthritis at all.  He said after a torn tendon it usually takes SIX TO NINE MONTHS for healing to occur for a person of my age (40s).

From the symptoms you describe, and the doctors' diagnosis, it seems your sister has a standard torn ligament injury.  I would suggest she rest the relevant fingers/hand and work on the right hand, sight-reading skills, theory study, extending her knowledge of repertoire and music history.  The good news, as far as I can make out, is that there is no permanent damage and her hand will be back to normal, 100% recovered, in a few months.

I would also suggest, as Hmoll did, that she take a careful look at her technique and figure out if there is something that leads to injury.

Best of luck,

Peter Moll