Sore hand!

[jono]

Hi again!
I am  a bit (sometimes very) anxious about getting injured due to playing piano, and now my right handwrist has started to become a bit sore...!  I know that this very well might be nothing serious at all, but I have a question for you knowing pianists: How does it feel when your wrist is getting injured because of to much handmovements outwords from eachother (the bad line from the elbow to the thumb)
To me it feels like those aches you sometimes get in your knees and arms when you have got the flue...   
Am I on my way to an injury, or am I being paranoid?  How does it feel when you're getting this sort of injury? Please answer this (perhaps a bit corny) question
Take care  /Jono

[anda]

if it hurts, stop practicing! let it rest now, chances are it'll get better soon.

also, whenever something hurts - you must be doing something wrong! most probable cause: stiffness. try talking to some piano teachers (show them what you do and ask for advice), and maybe go to the doctor (if it gets worse).

best luck, hope you get better soon

[jlh]

I've had tendinitus before, and it's not fun at all.  My technique has greatly improved since that ordeal several years ago, so it's rare that there is soreness now.  My suggestion:  take more breaks during practicing, and if it get's sore, take longer breaks. 

If it hurts, don't encourage the pain!

[Brian Healey]

There's no such thing as paranoid when you're a piano player and you're talking about your hands.

Do some some self-evaluation on your injury. Give it a day or two, and if you still feel the symptoms, you should probably see a hand doctor.  Even if it turns out to be nothing, you can never be too careful.

Muscle stress is the main cause of pianists' hand injuries. Perhaps try doing this quick exercise daily to help your body and hands relax and focus:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5826.msg56756.html#msg56756

JLH is right. Don't practice for extended periods without regular breaks.  And pain is definitely no gain in this situation. I also dealt with tendonitis, and it caused me to rethink the whole way I approach the piano. All it takes is to recognize the problem, and then simply take steps to fix it.  Hope everything turns out okay!


Peace,
Bri

[steinwayguy]

There are lots of creams and balms to relieve muscle pain, which I use often when working on a extremely demanding piece. IcyHot is my recommendation.

[jlh]

There are lots of creams and balms to relieve muscle pain, which I use often when working on a extremely demanding piece. IcyHot is my recommendation.

I wouldn't recommend this personally.  Using things like this to mask the pain will do nothing but make you think things aren't as bad as they are, thus enabling you to blindly keep practicing your bad technique and make the injury or soreness greater.  IcyHot work to relieve some discomfort, but just realize that it is not treating the source of the pain, and therefore will not be a permanent solution.

The best thing to do is to, as Brian and I did, rethink the way you approach the piano.  Examine your technique (or even better, get a good teacher to evaluate it for you) and ask yourself what you can do to relieve any tension you might have while playing.  It may be that your technique is very good (as mine was), but that it is not specifically good for you as an individual, so this aspect will require close monitoring to make sure your technique is suitable for your hands.

Something I've done before and is related to the IcyHot suggestion, is taking asperin or Ibuprophen (both have anti-inflamitory properties) to reduce the damage caused by improper or unusually strenuous performance or practice.  Again, this won't solve the root problem -- technique -- but may be beneficial in the short term.

[The Magic]

I have just started out (2nd day!) and was wondering if I should expect small pain (not really pain, more like the hand becoming tense) during the begining due to muscles growing.

If I practice for an extended period of time on a demanding (for my skill level) piece usually my hand becomes sore. However, if I let it rest for just ten minutes it feels much better. I've practiced many hours today and my hands have hurt/become sore throughout the day, but I'm about to go to bed and they feel GREAT. I can tell, not only from my improvement in playing, but from the way my hands feel, and an improved speed in typing,  that muscles have grown.

[xvimbi]

I have just started out (2nd day!) and was wondering if I should expect small pain (not really pain, more like the hand becoming tense) during the begining due to muscles growing.

If I practice for an extended period of time on a demanding (for my skill level) piece usually my hand becomes sore. However, if I let it rest for just ten minutes it feels much better. I've practiced many hours today and my hands have hurt/become sore throughout the day, but I'm about to go to bed and they feel GREAT. I can tell, not only from my improvement in playing, but from the way my hands feel, and an improved speed in typing,  that muscles have grown.

Don't rush things too much. The biggest problem is not "growing muscles", but making proper use of those that you already have, i.e. you need to learn how to properly coordinate them. You already have enough strength to play most pieces without any further strength training. Focus on coordination, and most importantly, on correct movements and posture, and you will be fine.

[anda]

There are lots of creams and balms to relieve muscle pain, which I use often when working on a extremely demanding piece. IcyHot is my recommendation.

that's a good advice, except that i would rather suggest you using them when not practicing! i use a bone-pain reliever cream (which also relaxes my muscles) for rheumatism soreness, but i can't practice for hours after applying it!

try applying it in the evening and letting it work all through the night. you should feel better in the morning.

best luck