| As someone who has lived through 3
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| | re-learn how to play the piano the
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| incredibly painful bouts of tendonitis,
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| | correct way. I realized, after visiting
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| both in my left arm and right arm, I
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| | the musician's clinic, that I had the
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| thought it important to pass on some
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| | completely wrong approach to playing
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| information that has helped me deal with
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| | piano. Specifically, I was too close to
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| this in the past.
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| | the keyboard, I had the wrong wrist
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| It is important to understand that
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| | position, the wrong finger position and I
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| playing the piano can cause serious
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| | didn't understand the concept of
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| injuries such as tendonitis and carpel
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| | leverage.
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| tunnel syndrome. Both these ailments are
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| | Leverage means to use the entire body to
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| known as repetitive strain injuries. The
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| | create volume on the piano. I was trying
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| constant up and down, side to side
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| | to create volume by forcing the keys down
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| movement of the arms and fingers when
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| | with forearm strength instead of using
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| playing piano for long periods of time is
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| | the entire body. Therefore, my arm
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| what causes these injuries.
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| | muscles and joints suffered from the
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| This is common among piano players. In
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| | strain of trying to play too loud. What
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| fact, it is so common that there is a
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| | I eventually realized, with the help of
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| special clinic in Hamilton, Ontario
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| | the musician's clinic doctor was that, I
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| called the Musician's Clinics of Canada
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| | needed to create velocity as opposed to
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| that deals with the prevention and
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| | force. Once the key reached the bottom of
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| rehabilitation of musician injuries.
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| | its natural movement it can go no
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| Naturally their patients include other
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| | further. Yet, I was trying to force the
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| instrumentalists like violin and guitar
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| | note passed its end without even
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| but, pianist injuries are certainly among
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| | realizing it.
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| the most common.
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| | The correct way is to drive the note down
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| What can be done when a pianist gets
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| | with extra velocity using the back,
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| tendonitis or carpel tunnel syndrome?
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| | shoulders, biceps, arms, wrists and
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| Well, certainly there are conventional
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| | fingers and then release at the exact
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| methods of dealing with the inflammation
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| | moment the key reaches its lowest point.
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| and pain. Unfortunately these types of
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| | Therefore, it's the velocity of the
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| treatments such as; anti-inflammatories,
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| | hammer hitting the string that creates
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| pain medications and physio therapy are
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| | volume. Knowing when to let up is very
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| designed to treat the symptoms.
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| | important in the fight to prevent injury.
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| Therefore, once the pianist goes back to
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| | In terms of moving the piano bench back,
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| playing the piano without being
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| | I had to learn also to sit with better
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| completely healed the injuries can
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| | upright posture and to generate leverage
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| re-occur and in the end be quite
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| | using my entire body. It's easier to do
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| difficult to get rid of.
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| | this with the right foot (pedal foot)
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| It is not uncommon for tendonitis to
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| | forward and the left foot back under the
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| stick around for very long periods of
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| | bench. Then as you pivot forward and
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| time. In my case, I once had a problem
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| | backward on the bench you have more
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| with my right arm that took almost 3
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| | balance and leverage.
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| years to get better. The problem is of
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| | Once last point I should mention;
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| course that, as a professional I can't
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| | exercise is very important. I started
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| possibly just stop playing the piano. I
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| | weight training several years ago
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| can take breaks in between concerts but
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| | because, I find that the extra muscle
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| usually I can only take up to a month's
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| | helps a great deal in preventing injury.
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| rest at a time.
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| | Be careful however, to consult a
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| So, how can these injuries be cured while
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| | professional when starting weight
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| still continuing to play? It's important
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| | training. You must do it the correct way
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| to understand that not every case is the
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| | in order for it to be beneficial.
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| same but, for me, I actually had to
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