Pain in the neck

[dvh]

Well, almost.

I very often suffer tension in my trapezius muscles while playing DB. I play only standing and almost entirely pizz.

Even after short sessions, I find those muscles are very tight. It feels sore and it is fatigueing. Mostly at the top of the shoulders just below my neck

Any advice?

[Eric Hochberg]

"Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" by Clair Davies

[powerbass]

Tension in the upper portion of the trapezius muscle is very common - it is part of the stress response to elevate the shoulders when feeling stress, anxiety, fear etc. The first order of business is to bring a mindful approach to your playing - pay attention to the sensation of playing - do you tense or elevate your shoulders? For many people they are not aware of their body, how it feels, tension/ease etc. Been said many times - a good teacher can help you, Alexander Technique is also good for developing self awareness, massage/stretching can help too

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Are you aware of the position or motion(s) that cause the pain? Tracking these down would be the obvious first step toward finding a better way to do it. In my case, I arrived at my current playing stance by eliminating things that caused me pain and just accepting the slightly unusual result. If you have video of you playing, I'd suggest watching that for clues; if not, watch your shoulders and neck in the mirror while you play something you know well and see what you find.

[dvh]

Thanks for that. I will investigate......

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Great photos on your site, BTW! Wish I had that kind of chops with a camera.

[dvh]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

Great photos on your site, BTW! Wish I had that kind of chops with a camera.

Thanks Chris, I appreciate the feedback....

(also reminds me I should update my profile)

[Eric Hochberg]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

"Trigger Point Therapy Workbook" by Clair Davies

This was putting the cart before the horse, I admit. I was actually working with the book on my sore neck when I saw your post. Chris' and Pbass' responses are much more relevant to eliminating the cause of your problem, but this is still a great book to have on hand.

[dvh]

Thanks Eric.

I'm going to explore the Alexander Technique. Looks helpful in many ways....

[powerbass]

Don Higdon here on TB is an Alexander pratitioner

[dvh]

Thanks. I've looked him up and found his web site.

[Don Higdon]

This is the web site of the preeminent society of Alexander teachers in Canada
http://www.canstat.ca/

[OmNomNom]

Upon seeing this thread's title, I thought it was about my co-workers..