Robert writes: << lateral epicondylitis in my left arm, or tennis elbow. I am not sure if I got this by practicing the piano, tuning pianos, lifting a heavy suitcase, playing golf or what. I have had a couple of cortisone injections and physical therapy sessions, and now the problem has almost disappeared. <snip>the last thing I want to happen is to aggravate my arm and for this problem to come back, and then to eventually need surgery. I have heard that surgery is not always successful and can lead to permanent irreversible damage. It's a very scary thought since I am a concert pianist and teacher as well. >> Greetings, Ah, at last something I know a lot about! I have had this, had the therapy, had the injections, then had the surgery. It is an agrravating condition, and once had, is more easily caused to recur. The problem is not directly attributable to hitting the key, the inflamed tendon is the one that is lifting your arm after you hit the key! Itis called "tennis elbow" because of the stress put on this tendon when pulling the racket back,not forward. For this same reason, do NOT get near a bowling alley, since the action of bringing the ball up back behind you prior to sending forward is extremely stressful on this tendon. So, what I found was that my technique had to change in what I did after striking a note. Think about how abruptly you raise your hand, and how much rigidity you have in your wrist as you lift your hand off the key. What helps me is to constantly remind myself to keep a relaxed left arm as I tune and in lifting the hand, allow the wrist to "push off" the key with a flexation, rather than jerking my whole lower arm upwards. This allows the muscles under the lower arm to do some of the work. Think fluidity of motion, and spread the working movment over a larger area. The surgeon told me that the tendon in my elbow had worked its way down into the joint tissue and looked like a rope that had been been sawing through a rolled up rug! Once this condition occurs, it will be a painful return, and the rehab hurts as much as the original problem. Relaxation is key,(as with so many things), and the repetitive nature of our work lends itself to these kinds of problems. We have to think looser, work looser, and be very conscientious about the ergonomics involved. Malinda Powell gave a class in which she demonstrated a technique for keeping the forearms loose. It helped a great deal. Good luck, Ed Foote RPT http://www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/index.html www.uk-piano.org/edfoote/well_tempered_piano.html <BR><BR><BR>**************************************<BR> AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.</HTML>
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