|
QUESTION:
Does any one out there have back / neck sax playing related problems?
I play tenor / soprano sax (about 10 - 20 hours a week, for about 12 years)
and have been having increasing back / neck problems. I now have an
oestopath who (by chance) has dealt with a number of these injuries before.
Basically, I have damaged my neck, and this has worked it's way down to my
spine. He recommended a harness rather than the traditional strap (which
has taken time to get used to, but is worth the battle if it means saving my
neck). He's managed to put my back 'back' in place, but says that ideally
it would be best if I did not play such a heavy instrument. A number of
years ago I played baritone, and probably did damage then as well as my body
was still growing at the time. I was also involved in a car accident about
10 years ago, and suffered whip lash.
I'm trying swimming, exercise etc., and am improving, but the core of the
problem still exists. Does anyone have experience / comments / suggestions?
ANSWER:
During long sessions, I sometimes switch to a sling that lays (help me
here Paul, lies?) over my left shoulder, camera strap style. Doesn't
make the horn any lighter, but gives some muscles a break. I also
alternate sitting and standing.
If you have back/neck problems I think you absolutely should have a
harness that makes use of your shoulders and or waist and maybe even
one (if you can fashion it or have someone (luggage shop? custom
foundations shop?) that suspends a horn from your waist and hips. Get
them all. And switch them hourly. The most optimum ergonamic design
can never be a mechanism that ensures the exact same motion, sa I. You
should have a few that are all as comfortable as possible.
You should be doing yoga.
I have had similar experiences. Do yoga, it's not exciting or
spirtually enlightening or anything. It's dull, frankly, but is GREAT
for your back, neck, shoulders. Go take a class, or get a tape, but you
must SEE it to get with it. It allows you to concentrate on the
(shifting) locus of various stiffness, injuries, stretching, or serious
muscle development.
You need to develop the musculature to carry all that stuff.
It is a shoulder harness that resembles a guitar strap. It goes over one
shoulder (either one) and around the back, putting the weight entirely on the
shoulder and not on the neck. These are made for both saxophones and for
guitars.
I use a climbing belt with my alto, a friend does the same with his tenor.
They put the weight very smoothly on your shoulders.
My neck used to hurt after playing whith the usual neck strap.
I had serious neck and back problems a couple of years ago. It got so bad
that I couldn't move my neck very far from side to side. It was murder
driving. I tried different straps but that didn't work. This condition
lasted for about 3 years. It started as minor aches that went away then it
steadily worsened. On much convincing from my wife, I went to see a
chiropractor. He told me that it would take a few months but he could fix
it so I would be normal again. After a few visits, the pain was twice as
bad (he also warned me that this would happen and that it was part of the
healing process). Then miraculously 2 months later all the pain was gone
and I was completely cured. A couple of months after that I was playing on
a gig and by coincidence my chiropractor was there. He watched me playing
and told me that the reason my body got screwed up was that I was holding
the tenor to low on the strap, forcing my head to dip a bit. I tried to
correct it, but it affected my sound. I've been slowly shortening the
length of the strap and now I have it perfect.
|