Back Pain Worries

Bethelbass1 · #1 07-20-2006, 01:07 PM

Recently I my back has been giving me trouble. After about thrity minutes of practice my lower back begins to feel numb on the left side. The numbness alleviates quickly but is a real worry. I also feel this numbness when lifting heavythings (I have been cataloging books this summer which are all in very heavy boxes) and I am really worried becuase I'm only 21. The music I am working on currently requires a lot of sound and my bass and bow are student quality. I'm also spending the majority of my practice time in thumb position. Any ideas as to if this is serious and/or what I should to to combat this would be appreciated.

Pcocobass · #2 07-20-2006, 02:07 PM

I used to have a lot of back trouble and it was because of the way I held my bass. The technique I was originally taught was to lean most of my weight on my right leg, and sort of lean the bass into me. Like this, I also couldn't go more than a half hour without terrible back pain. I was also in my early twenties when I experienced this.

If you are leaning on one leg, you should not, but start balancing your weight evenly between both feet. When I did that, my back pain disappeared. Now I play four and five hour gigs with no pain in my back at all (but sometimes sore feet!).

Also, make sure when you are in thumb position, you're not hunched over your bass. That will cause problems too. Gary Karr discusses this in his video "Bassically Karr." It's worth checking out if you haven't seen it already.

Hope this helps!
Pete

Kam · #3 07-20-2006, 03:32 PM

Yeah, I used to get a sore back when I was doing thumb position work. The "not hunching" idea is huge. I've been told that in order to have proper posture in thumb position it should feel like you're sticking your butt out..that idea usually works for me. Doing this will also help to use the weight of your arms to hold the strings down instead of your back and arm muscles "pushing" them down. Same goes for the bow. Hope that helps, who are you studying with?

reedo35 · #4 07-20-2006, 05:46 PM

Kam is right,I definitely agree with the no hunching philosophy. My teacher taught me to stand sort of like a shortstop would, with the knees flexed, almost a sitting position while standing.Also, weak abdominal muscles contribute to lower back pain, so you might want to do some crunches or sit ups.

Bethelbass1 · #5 07-20-2006, 11:52 PM

Thanks,
Everything you have said will be very helpful. I do tend to hunch over the bass and have been trying to fix that tendency. I also probably lean on my right foot. I haven't worried becuase before it never beothered me but I suppose its best to fix my problems now while I'm still learning thumb position. I am studying with Dr. Kausch in the twin cities (a student of Levinson) an havent really discussed my pain yet. I'm spending an intesive week at a string camp with him so I'll make sure to get help specifically. Another question, would chiropractic work be advisable?

Jake · #6 07-21-2006, 12:06 AM

There was a great thread, but I can't remember what it was called. Somebody advised swimming 30 minutes 2 or 3 times a week and stretching. I am going to take that advise because I need to lose some weight and because I don't want any pain from playing the bass. I also live next to a big lake which helps a lot.

Cory Palmer · #7 07-21-2006, 02:33 AM

Doing yoga is very helpful. I got a couple books about yoga and taught myself.

Massage therapists can work wonders when you have a lot of tension. They are a quick fix to your problems but ultimately you need to learn to keep your body well balanced so that you won't need to go to the massage therapists.

Figure out how tension in one part of you body affects the rest of your body. Tension in your right thigh can cause tension in you left lower back. These kind of interrelationships are all over the body.

Also, look into Alexander Technique. It is all about keeping the body well balanced. I had a few lessons about three years ago and it helped me become more aware of how I use my body.

jimclark68 · #8 07-21-2006, 06:50 AM

I have arthritis and a mildly damaged disc in my lower back that causes more and more pain as the years go by. Do yourself a favor and get checked out by an orthopaedist before you launch into any yoga, stretching, etc. I started to do yoga in an effort to help my back, only to find that due to the natural curve of my lower spine, many yoga poses (even simple ones) were aggravating my condition. Being aware of back health at your age can ensure that you will be ahead of the game when you get to the age that the real aches and pains start.