For example a violinist keeps his chin, neck and shoulder fixed in one position while his fingers and hands are in constant repetitive movement. I often see violinists with neck and shoulder problems. The root cause is usually excess tension in the neck and shoulder. Muscles that were once soft and flexible become hard and fibrous. Because all muscles pass over joints and contract in order to move joints, when they become tight they tend to compress the joints they cover. It time, these joints can become inflamed and this inflammation causes the muscles to contract further. So you can see that a vicious circle of increasing dysfunction can occur between muscle and joint. In the case of the violinist, this can eventually lead to more serious problems like frozen shoulder and arthritis. Excess tension in the shoulder and neck can also give rise to headaches. In addition to the obvious physical repercussions, ongoing pain and stiffness can lead to fatigue, bad temper and depression. This must inevitably lead to a poorer level of musicianship.

So, it is important to look after your body because it can lead to discomfort in the short term and injury in the long term, it can affect your state of mind and most of all it can affect the quality of the sound you produce.

I saw Evelyn Glennie, the deaf percussionist, on television a couple of weeks ago. She explained that the cells of a finely tuned body can pick up and interpret sound waves. Because she is deaf she cannot hear any music with her ears and yet she has become a world renowned musician.”Listening” to sound vibrations with her body has enabled her to perform as well, if not better than most musicians with normal hearing.

Ira Kirschenbaum, MD, chairman of orthopedics at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York said “We know Stevie Ray Vaughan played music that affected the soul, but only an orthopedic surgeon can attest that this music flows through the bones.”

If you have mastered your technique and want to improve your playing then it is worthwhile learning to “tune in” to your body. (Or get the tune in to your body!) Not only is your body the thing that you move over you instrument in order to create music, it is also an organ of perception,  interpretation and expression. Music does not just come into your ears to be interpreted by your brain. Music dances through your body and if you are awake to it, it will dance back out of your body into the hearts of your audience.

It is easy to become so focused on the individual notes, pitch, timing and other technical aspects of the music that you lose sight of the spiral flow of the music. You forget that your body is really the musical instrument. You are alive. Your trumpet is just a lump of metal (or plastic nowadays!). You may have a fine trumpet with a beautiful timbre, but if your body is clogged, tight, tense, fibrosed you may as well be playing on a cardboard tube.

So what to do? Fine tuning the body is a lifetimes task. Maybe most of us can only experience rare moments of “flow” where everything seems to fit together, where we can create real beauty and a sense of connectedness, but it is still worth striving for.

Here’s the list.

1. Find a good physical therapist such as an Alexander Technique teacher or a chiropractor. Ask them to observe you playing your instrument. Let them point out where you are holding unnecessary tensions. It can take a lot of effort to change dysfunctional postural patterns that you associate with playing your instrument.  In the beginning you may find your playing getting worse because you have become subconsciously used to the “prop” of a particular posture, but in the long term, if you can find a more relaxed posture to play in, if you can use more gentle movement patterns you will start to play better.

2. The chances are your joints are already moving dysfunctionally so get them realigned by a chiropractor.

3. Have some massage to relax your muscles.

4. Learn to meditate, get used to what it feels like to a have relaxed body and mind.

5. Practice daily exercises that work with those parts of the body that are under strain when you play.

6. Do some stretches before you play.

7. Practice a mind body connecting discipline such as yoga, tai chi or pilates.

I hope you enjoyed this article. If you did, please subscribe. I will be giving more specific exercise for musicians in the future.

In treating back pain, movement therapies can be helpful in many ways. They help improve flexibility and posture, relieve muscle spasms, and relax the mind and body. The following techniques may not have been extensively researched in clinical trials, but these approaches are widely accepted as beneficial for various musculoskeletal conditions.

Yoga

Yoga is an excellent way to relieve stress and backache as it has an influence on both the mind and body. The practice of yoga originated from India many years ago. It involves meditation, proper breathing, and asanas (movements and postures). These aspects help in increasing pain tolerance, minimizing anxiety and depression, and regaining self-control. Regular practice of yoga can enhance strength and flexibility.

There are several types of yoga but the most common are the Iyengar yoga and the Ashtanga yoga. Iyengar yoga focuses on slow and safe movements and postures. The Ashtanga yoga is the more vigorous type; this is not recommended to people with severe back problems as it could worsen their condition.

Although yoga has the potential to relieve back problems, this must be done very carefully and with supervision as it involves a lot of bending and twisting of the spine, which, if not done carefully, can be very harmful.

Pilates

Pilates is a physically demanding exercise developed in the early 1900s by Joseph Pilates. Chiropractors recommend this practice because it is effective in correcting posture. It also strengthens core muscles, promotes flexibility, and increases body awareness. Unlike yoga, all Pilates movements are low-impact but they work deep into the core muscles, which, as a result, flatten the abdomen and strengthen the back. Pilates also helps improve balance and relieves stress.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi was originally created in ancient China as a form of martial art or self-defence, but is now considered a healing exercise. It has been gaining popularity recently as it is able to help manage neck and back pain. Tai Chi has three components: Movement, which improves the body’s alignment, balance, strength, posture, stamina, and flexibility; rhythmical and focused breathing, which helps relax the body and improves circulation; and meditation, which helps ease pain caused by emotional and/or psychological factors. Tai Chi not only relieves backache but also promotes prevention of it.

Alexander Technique

The Alexander technique focuses more on increasing physical and mental awareness, and proper use of the body in order to reduce low back pain caused by incorrect movements and stress. Unlike other movement therapies, Alexander technique is taught one to one where the therapist teaches the patient how to sit, stand, walk, and attend to their activities of daily living without straining or tensing the muscles. Patients are also taught how to recognize bad movement habits and postures in order to correct them.

Feldenkrais Method

The Feldenkrais method is considered both therapeutic and preventive. Feldenkrais practitioners teach patients different ways to move with minimal strain and effort. This method helps increase joint flexibility and helps distribute the body’s effort equally throughout the entire neuromuscular system. It is taught in two ways: Individually and in groups. In individual lessons the therapist uses his hands to guide the patient’s ranges of motion. In group exercises, patients are asked to lie on the floor and taught proper movement sequences to improve the body’s flexibility.

In conclusion, the benefits of these movement therapies include improved posture, strength, flexibility, and stability; decreased stress and fatigue; improved balance and function; and decreased pain.

At our chiropractic clinic in Chester, we teach our patients how to move properly. We encourage and motivate them to exercise, using a combination of these techniques, in order to achieve a fast and long lasting recovery.