Lower back issues!

[oldprussians]

Ever since I started Regularly playing sitting down to facilitate bowing classically, I've ended up getting lower back pain playing upright..... I meant standing up my American friends!

Am I the only one? it seems I can't get comfortable when ever I rest the bass on me I end up bending over a little and standing on one leg...

I'm not overly bothered since I'm happy just to keep sitting, but interested in others experiences...

[LouisF]

When I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis about 4 years ago, the doctor actually wanted me to give up bass playing when I showed him the way I stood (sort old school Simandl way).

I tried a bent endpin and tall stool, but finally found (with a lot of help and lots of trial and error) that a low stool, with the bass sort at cello angle (and good posture on the stool) worked. That position also helped to keep shoulders level and bow arm more fluid.

The other thing I did (after playing on 1/2 & 5/8 size basses for a while) was to give up my Gagnon Maggini for a much smaller shouldered instrument. It did take a while to find one with a decent sound.

I would never go back to standing and have had no problems since the transition.

Louis

[mjt0229]

I've had intermittent lower back issues, and I'm a seated player. Lately, through the encouragement of my teacher, I've been working to keep my upper body very upright, not stiff, but relatively stationary. This position is very similar to the posture that people who study Pilates are working to achieve. I think that you may need to work a little to find what works for you and consider talking to professionals, but you should be able to find a posture that does not do short or long term harm and still leaves you the freedom you need in order to play.

[wayne holmes]

good post-lots of us stoolmates share the LB concern.

I remember Gary Carr talking about this on one of his DVDs. He said something like-it's not the playing that disturbs the back, but the way some bassists lift it, carry it , etc.

We need to lift it off the floor or from the stand like we should lift anything-using our legs.

Back when I was practicing a lot 2-3 hours a day, I discovered that I needed to take a day off every 3 days to rest all the muscles used when playing

I would recommend that you speak to a back specialist about it. If you have a degenerative disk, or something-it might need some professional attention. My guess is, however, that proper lifting and proper sitting on the stool with legs not straight would help so the lower muscles don't tighten and/or swell. I'm no doc so this is just IME and IMO

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by oldprussians

Ever since I started Regularly playing sitting down to facilitate bowing classically, I've ended up getting lower back pain playing upright...

There is nothing inherently wrong/right or bad/good about either sitting or standing. What matters is how you do it. The vast majority of the time, back pain is the result of unconscious habits of use. Whatever they are, the Alexander Technique is the most effective means of eliminating them. The effectiveness of the Alexander Technique in long term relief of back pain was reported in the British Medical Journal. Read it at
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/337/aug19_2/a884
I'll include one excerpt from the report of the randomized controlled trial:
"Conclusions: One to one lessons in the Alexander technique from registered teachers have long term benefits for patients with chronic back pain."
There are several teachers in York. Find them and more info on AT at http://www.stat.org.uk/