A few years ago I started getting pain in my left shoulder after I practised the piano for a couple hours. The problem continued to get worse until last year I would get severe pain in my shoulder, up my neck, down my arms, and into my fingers after playing for even a short while. After trying many things, including massage, physio, accupuncture, chiropractic, alexander technique, I was forced to stop playing as these treatments did not help. If anyone has ANY ideas as to what I might do, please let me know. It doesn't matter if you're reading this years after I've posted it, send your ideas anyway! The shoulder pain is now constant, and although I am not practising the piano, it has become worse! If I have an idea as to what caused the injury, then I might be better able to find a treatment, so any ideas are more than welcome.

-- Zoe (z_phillips@excite.com), December 06, 2004

Answers

You might want to change your bed pillow. Try using one of those "dog bone" shaped pillows at night to relieve the neck/shoulder pressure.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), December 06, 2004.

It doesn't look like you've seen a REAl doctor, an MD. Go to an internist. They specialize in diagnosis and will send you down the right path.

-- Arlene Steffen (asteffen@fresno.edu), December 07, 2004.

Thanks for the responses so far. I have seen a few doctors. In about a month I have an appointment in Ontario at a Musicians Injuries Clinic. I've seen my family doctor, and two sports medicine doctors. Are there any other doctors out there I should consider seeing?

-- Zoe (z_phillips@excite.com), December 07, 2004.

You're going to the right place -- a practice that specializes in performance injury.

-- Arlene Steffen (asteffen@fresno.edu), December 09, 2004.

I was thinking maybe the problem did not start due to a physical desability that you have got, but rather due to the way and position in which you play the piano. How long have you played? from my experience tensing the wrong parts of your arm/hand complex can cause pains in the long run. This maybe useless for you right at the moment, but perhaps in the further futur if u fix the problem or reduce the pain you should make sure you are playing in the right way. Best of luck!

-- Inbar (inbibar87@hotmail.com), December 13, 2004.