Injuries & Pain of the cellist

Too many musicians “push through the pain” leading to chronic pain. There are solutions, do not sabotage your playing because of this!

When you read that athletes get injured, do you question their talent? No! But unfortunately, talking about injuries or pain in classical music is still a taboo... See yourself as an athlete, take care of your posture, movement, and diet. Reach out for help! Injuries primarily have a mechanical cause. PREVENTION IS THE ANSWER, for yourself but also for your students if you are a teacher.


Why do I have pain when playing cello?

  • The pain problem often comes from a lack of support of the scapula from the serratus anterior muscle, often creating scapula winging, trapeze pain, tendinitis in the forearm (shoulder, elbow, or wrist)
  • Non-optimal coordination/weakness of the shoulder muscles during movement.
  • Posture. Posture is shaping your body to create the levers you need to move and to transmit body weight to your strings.
  • Not a good use of LEVERS. Understanding where comes the effort from, and which joint are involved is a key to a pain-free and long career.

During their studies/careers, most cellists have to deal with pain, injuries, or overuse syndrome. Cello playing requires a good use of muscles and joints in order to transmit of weight without too much effort.


5 most common pains encountered by cellists

  1. Upper arm pain
  2. Wrist pain
  3. Elbow pain
  4. Neck pain
  5. Middle back pain

The 3 most common cello injuries:

  1. Tendinitis
  2. Overuse syndrome - Tendinosis
  3. Bursitis

Can I prevent injuries?

Yes, you surely can! (and should...)

See yourself as an athlete. BIOMECHANICS is very much used and developed in sports. 

Serratus anterior and triceps muscles are the most important muscles of your technique...

Advice to keep the tissue as healthy as possible:

  • integrate biomechanics knowledge into your playing.
  • consider strength training.
  • warming up before starting practice
  • eat healthily.
  • drinking water regularly - (white tea is also recommended)
  • get massages and take breaks regularly.
  • light and slow stretching.

Cello & Biomechanics?

Biomechanics is a key area in the development of a cellist because all strokes, left hand, and finger movements have a fundamental mechanical structure and injuries primarily have a mechanical cause. OPTIMAL MOVEMENT = OPTIMAL TECHNIQUE & SOUND

You can take the biomechanics course with individual coachings.

Most common Tendinitis and Tendinosis

Elbow

  • Lateral Epicondylitis Tendinitis & Tendinosis

The tendons on the outside of the elbow used to make a fist with your hand. (too much grip!)

  • Medial Epicondylitis Tendinitis & Tendinosis

Injury of the tendons on the inside of the elbow used to rotate your arm and to flex your wrist

Shoulder

  • Rotator Cuff Tendonitis & Tendinosis

Tendons surrounding the muscles in your shoulder become inflamed or injured.

Wrist

De Quervain's tenosynovitis (overuse of the thumb and wrist)

Can it become chronic?

If you do not find the cause of the pain, yes. And from the experience I have with cellists dealing with pain, the longer you wait, the longer it takes to recover.

When tendinitis becomes chronic, there may be restriction of motion of the joint due to scarring or narrowing of the sheath of tissue that surrounds the tendon (see tendinosis below).

There is no "easy fix" but do not think you will lose time, it is the opposite! You will get a stronger technique and better sound after the healing a rehab process.

Why biomechanics will improve my sound and technique?

Because you will learn:

  • how to use your muscles and articulation in an optimal way
  • how to use the natural elasticity of your muscles
  • how to transmit weight to the string using minimal effort
  • How to use levers, grvity, body weight, string tension, and speed.

It will improve:

  • Left-hand strength for demanding repertoire
  • Fingers dexterity
  • bow changes
  • the volume of your sound (rich harmonics)
  • bowing technique and sound at the tip of your bow.

Register now, choose a biomechanics course :)

Overuse syndrome or fatigue?

Overuse syndrome happens to professional cellists after an intensive and very demanding practice, recordings, competitions, or performance activity. In the best case, it will go away with rest, a lot of water, sometimes a diet, and good sleep. If your muscles are tired, listen to your pain, do not push... And be careful with pain killers! (anti-inflammatory drugs may inhibit the repair of collagen.)

What is a tendinosis?

Tendinosis is caused by chronic overuse of a tendon. The most common overuse tendinopathies in cellists involve the rotator cuff (shoulder joint), medial and lateral elbow epicondyles.

It can occur in cellists:

  • who practice vigorously without enough rest in between practice sessions
  • whose tendinitis is left untreated
  • with a posture issue
  • with tight calf muscles

Unlike tendinitis, anti-inflammatory drugs are not recommended for treatment. They may inhibit the repair of collagen.

Most patients with overuse tendinopathies (about 80 percent) fully recover within three to six months, and outpatient treatment should consist of relative rest of the affected area, icing, and eccentric strengthening exercises. Although topical and systemic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are effective for acute pain relief, these cannot be recommended in favor of other analgesics. *

Healing

  • resting the affected tendon
  • taking a break every 15 minutes
  • applying ice for 15 to 20 minutes, several times a day
  • tape for support of the affected tendon
  • performing light stretching exercises
  • moving the affected area through its natural range of motion to prevent the shortening of the related muscles and increase circulation
  • physical therapy, posture work
  • strength training
  • massage
  • nutrition, including vitamin C, manganese, and zinc for the synthesis of collagen production *
  • cello biomechanics!

Start now

References:

Categories: biomechanics, posture

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