Upper arm pain - some advice please

[green]

I have cervical spondylosis, not debilitating, but causes daily pain and discomfort. I have tried using support bands on my upper arm, the top of the arm where it connects to the shoulder (don't know the anatomical name off hand), and those seem to stabilize the upper arm, and yes they do cut circulation somewhat, but what I have found is that I can play much faster, and with an unusual lightness, and was wondering if anyone can shed light on why this may be. I try to keep them as loose as possible, but I'm guessing that they do two things, stabilize the upper shoulder arm, which is responsible for horizontal arm movements at the keyboard, and the bands deactivate the muscle and therefore allow it to relax somewhat. I notice that the upper arm muscles do tend to tense unnecessarily when not using the bands which may be a bad habit or a sign of weakness in that muscle group?

I do use a lumbar support which also helps with long sitting.

Insights welcome! Thanks.

[the89thkey]

Rest.

[green]

I discovered that I am indeed tensing the upper arm, and out of habit raise and move the arms from the upper arm when playing. I have often played with spinal support but I suddenly felt the lower lumbar supporting the whole upper body, and I had to consciously allow the upper arm to just dangle. In doing so I suddenly saw in my mind the images of Horowitz when sitting, and I believe he does this, his upper arm is very quiet, he never raises from the upper arm or shoulder, but you do see him lifting his whole upper body from the lower lumbar. I feel alot more control this way, my upper arms do not hurt or get tired so quickly, and I feel much more body arm connection this way. But I do know that my upper arms are weak, and the cervical spine pain radiates down the arm which sucks. Rest, well this has been a chronic problem for many years, rest has never helped unfortunately, it is an issue of alignment that I am only just beginning to figure out.

[okietransplant]

I am sure you have tried lots of treatments.  What I am going to offer here is only a stab in the dark.  I have had chronic neck pain and tennis elbow for the past two years.  Going to Pilates at my gym has helped me alot with core strength and back and neck alignment.  I have tried several treatments, but physical therapy has helped the most.  There is a new treatment called trigger point needling.  I have had it on my back, neck, and arm.  It takes a few treatments to really help. 

I am planning on taking a few lessons with someone who has studied the Taubman technique.  You might consider Taubman or Alexander approaches to the piano.  I know how difficult it is to want to play, and your body doesn't cooperation and is in pain.  Best wishes to you.