Wrist pain

[mahlermaniac]

I've had my piano for about a month (prior to this I spent two months learning music basics on a non-weighted keyboard). When I first had the piano home, I was dropping my wrists, a problem which I have since corrected.

However, I'd had problems with wrist pain, sometimes actually extending up the tendon towards the elbow. More in the right wrist than the left, as obviously I'm using the right more during practice so far.

I took a five day break and re-started and seemed to have improvement. However, it's back to where it was, mild pain which increased after I've played. I play mostly ten minute sessions, with a few of 30-40 here and there. I'm wondering if it's simply that playing the 30-40 is still too much for me. I have decided to stop and take a break and focus on reading musical theory while the hands improve again. I'm working on getting a piano instructor, and if I can get a lesson in 2-3 weeks I'll just wait until then before I play again.

Otherwise, what are some recommendations you have? This is definitely bumming me out, as I have absolutely loved playing piano and it's so hard to back off of it right after starting out. But I want know it's a long term investment so I'm trying to be careful. I try warming up my hands before playing, rnning them under warm water, gentle range of motin exercises, but apparently that wasn't enough to prevent this. Any thoughts are welcome.

[keypeg]

I have decided to stop and take a break and focus on reading musical theory while the hands improve again. I'm working on getting a piano instructor, and if I can get a lesson in 2-3 weeks I'll just wait until then before I play again.

Otherwise, what are some recommendations you have?

Recommendation:  Wait for the instructor.  Make sure that instructor's goal is to give you good playing technique rather than learning to play popular songs fast.  Don't play until then, so that your teacher will have less things to undo.

[drexo]

I agree with the reply above.

And for the ones who are struggling with wrist pains I can recommend these stretches:

I suffered from CTS and these stretches were my cure eventually. I've walked a long road for my cure, visiting doctors and physiotherapists, while nothing worked for me until I started doing these stretches. Wrist pain is really a struggle and I hope these stretches will work for other people too.

[candlelightpiano]

mahlermaniac:  I've been suffering from wrist pain (tendonitis) off and on since last April/ May.  Before I started having pains, I was practicing on a dp, weighted keys but I received a baby grand in Feb and in my excitement, was practicing like a demon on it.  Pains began in April but I continued to practice and even took up lessons, which only made it worse because my teacher was not focused on tension and the problems that tension can cause.  He was focused on performance.  My wrist got worse and I quit lessons, had physio and even laser therapy.  The pain would go away and I'd begin practicing a bit, like 10 mins twice a day and work it up to 20 mins twice a day.  Then the pain would creep back in when I did some gardening or carried heavy things.  Anyway, after a month's vacation, my hand was feeling pretty good and I began practicing but the pain has returned so I'm taking a break from piano but treating it by ice dipping and massage and I'm starting to do these stretching exercises in the video that drexo so kindly posted.

You might try ice dipping.  Fill a sink with frozen ice bottles and let it sit for about 30 - 45 mins till the water is polar cold.  Then dip your whole hand into it up to the elbows for 10 seconds.  Take it out and repeat in 5 -6 mins.  Do ten dips daily for at least one week.  And don't practice during that time.  You should also do the stretches shown in the video as often as possible.  You should see improvement after a week.  You can also ice massage.  Freeze a water bottle and roll your hand and wrist over it for 5 mins at a time, 5 times a day.  You can roll the other side of your hand, too. 

[mahlermaniac]

Thanks so much for the suggestions, I'll give the icing and stretches a try. I'll make sure to let me impending new instructor know that I've had pain issues and make sure they are amenable to helping prevent those.