Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBorisSpider  I'm obviously not Janek, but, find time for excercise several times a week and stop thinking about bass so much when you don't play. Do things like planks for your core muscles and do some stretching. This will help you feel better. |
+1
This question was aimed at Janek, but i really have to agree with this. Unfortunately (for me!) i know about this stuff through my own experiences with RSI's, in particular tendonitis.
Recently I have been having some tendonitis/rsi problems in both my forearms/wrists/elbows. This has been resurgence.. I had a similar problem about 3-4 years ago, but had been managing it quite well up until a few months ago when I started doing lifting weights in an attempt to improve my fitness/strength. I believe the lifting of the weights and the strain on the wrists that caused, coupled with the fact that i had stepped up practice and gigs on double bass a lot, was the cause of the injury this time around. What’s ironic is that i was attempting to improve my overall strength and fitness, and i ended up causing myself an injury that might not have occurred otherwise.
For the last few weeks i have been working really hard on improving my core strength (something my OT recommended). Basically doing lots of bridge type exercises as well as crunches, pushups etc. i also have a stretching routine that i do morning and night, stretching my flexors and extensors in my forearms, shoulder rolls and doorway stretches, neck stretches etc.
Through these exercises I'm attempting to improve my posture (and the strength needed to keep that posture) on the gig, as i've noticed my left shoulder tends to drop a bit. This doesn't (i believe..) directly relate to my initial injury - which was basically a type of wrist strain, which is being treated through trigger point therapy and soft tissue treatment - but my OT alerted me to some serious tension in my neck/shoulders. She's a muso, which helps, and she mentioned that it was common for guitarists/electric bassists to get that tension problem due to the weight of the instrument pulling down on your shoulder.
The other thing that everyone should be aware of ALWAYS is wrist angles in both the wrists. Biggest problem for bassists is the left wrist often gets "hyper-extended" due to the player trying to get more reach for octaves/large intervallic jumps etc in the lower position. This was what caused my severe tendonitis in the first place. I was in first year studying music at uni and putting in more hours than i ever had before. Coupled with bad wrist angle, i injured myself badly. Couldn't play AT ALL for 3 months and it was a slow recovery, having treatment most weeks for two years. I since fixed that issue in my technique and i learnt how to manage small injuries or tension problems i encountered.
I see this wrist angle problem all the time in bassists and students. Keeping the wrists straight with no tension, and none of that "squeeze" coming from the thumb and fingers in the left hand are some things to think about. Also a practice mirror i believe is essential for anyone who is putting in serious hours of practice, as you can monitor your technique and habits, and it will alert you to some things you do which I’m sure you had no idea about!
Why learn from your own mistakes when you can learn from mine!
Basically, summed up i believe if you work on these and improve these areas, you shouldn't have any problems;
- Wrist angle (in both hands), directly related to the bass neck angle (left wrist angle), bass/strap height (right wrist angle). This is obviously different for everyone.. individual hand size and instruments will make a big difference. Generally, keeping your wrist as straight as possible with no tension in either hand is what you want to shoot for.
- Posture - Adopting a good posture without dropping your shoulder whilst putting in the long hours in the shed, and being able to sustain a long gig without fatiguing and adopting a bad posture. Be aware of your posture whilst both sitting and standing when playing. Staying fit and eating well, as well as keeping up good habits like no smoking/drugs/excessive drinking etc.
- Tension - Playing with as little tension as possible is the key, learn to listen to your body and spending the hours practicing correct technique with no tension will help. Loosen up and adopt stretching into your routine if needed. Every now and then hang your hands down by your side and do the "finger flutter", where you basically just shake your hands to get the blood flowing back through them.
I hope that helps and i hope i didn't step on anyones toes here.. anyone feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions, as I said unfortunately i've had to learn this stuff the hard way!
all the best,
Andy O'Neil
