When Music Causes Pain
Except for hard rock played at ear-splitting volume, it is hard to imagine
music causing pain. Well, it is hard for the music listener to imagine pain,
but ask a musician and you may get a different, fairly specific answer.
The fact is that musicians, depending on their instrument, are prone to specific
injuries. Certain musical instruments force the musician to use unnatural, stressed
postures for long periods of time. Rapid movement necessary to play difficult
pieces of music adds to the beauty of music, but it also adds stress on the
musician.
Picture, for example, a violinist. The posture a violinist must use is not
exactly a natural posture. The head is tilted to one side, angled sort of downward
with the violin resting between the shoulder and the chin. Add to this the repetitive,
lightening speed movement of the arm, elbow, and hand and it is no wonder that
the violinist may have neck and shoulder problems.
It is not just the violinist who is at risk. Guitarists often have neck and
arm pain from bearing the weight of their instruments. Back muscles are under
constant stress, also. Percussionists often find themselves suffering from low
back and forearm pain while pianists experience problems with shoulders, arms,
and hands. People who play flutes or harps or sousaphones have their own set
of damaging physical stresses.
Everyone is concerned but no one is surprised when a typist or a worker on
an assembly line suffers a repetitive motion injury. It is common for chiropractic
clinics to take care of and see great results for these patients. Think about
the similarity to the repetitive motions of the musician. The musician needs
chiropractic care, also. Those who are just beginning their careers need health
giving, body balancing chiropractic care, now, to prevent chronic pain and disability.
There are great, simple exercises that can be learned, also, to strengthen the
areas of concern.
Musicians who have been playing for years? ...Well, you know what
you need. If you played last night, you are probably rubbing or icing some part
of your upper body or low back right now. Just as serious professional athletes
are discovering the performance enhancing benefits of chiropractic, so should
serious musicians. Call this clinic today to make beautiful pain-free music
tomorrow.
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