Violin playing uses the wrist in a position of continuous, sometimes severe exertion. Such activity can obviously cause injury over time, and so violinist sometimes wear a violin wrist aid to protect their arm and assist their playing.
The term RSI stands for repetitive strain injury. RSIs are sometimes suffered by musicians, on potentially any instrument. Performing the same, sometimes strenuous, movement of the hand thousands of times through a period of days, weeks or months can give rise to an RSI. Soft tissue, such as tendons or ligaments (or even muscles), starts to swell and experience pain, and cannot move as easily at it used to.
RSI are insipid - they develop over time without obvious symptoms. The sudden onset of pain, swelling and loss of movement is not easy to predict. The musician may have no prior awareness of impending injury. But because it has taken so long to develop, it also takes a long time to subside, so they may suddenly be unable to practise properly for an extended period.
The wrist is especially susceptible to RSI. Explaining this statement requires a brief description of the wrist's internal structure. The hand's palm is formed by bones known as the metacarpals. These are joined on one end to the carpals, or bones of the wrist, which are in turn connected to the two long forearm bones. The carpals are small, block-like bones that are massed together and connected securely by inflexible ligaments.
The carpal arrangement makes the extensive rotational movement by the hand possible. But there is a problem associated with this where the hand is constantly used for a specific motion or activity. The ligaments between the carpals sometimes become swollen and painful, and this limits the movement of the hand.
The technique of violin playing places the violinist at a heightened risk of RSI in their wrist. A ligament cannot be stretched or alter its shape, like muscles and tendons can. Accumulated stress can therefore cause an injury to it. Ligaments have poor circulation, so they take a long time to heal or grow. This is also because their structure is extremely tough, much more so than other tissues. Tendinitis is the name of the condition that arises where a tendon is inflamed. This, too, is not rare among musicians, and not only those who specialize in the violin.
Once RSI sets in, there is no possibility of the musician continuing in their usual practise or performance activities. They have limited movement in the injured area and they experience pain when they try to play their instrument.
The temptation to any serious musician is to "play through the pain" or to "keep on practising". However, the reality is that an RSI, once manifested, can be aggravated through further repetition of the same activity, and if it is not given time to recover, it can become more serious or even permanent. Injured musicians should seek medical attention immediately, and be prepared to take rest periods in their practise schedule.
The term RSI stands for repetitive strain injury. RSIs are sometimes suffered by musicians, on potentially any instrument. Performing the same, sometimes strenuous, movement of the hand thousands of times through a period of days, weeks or months can give rise to an RSI. Soft tissue, such as tendons or ligaments (or even muscles), starts to swell and experience pain, and cannot move as easily at it used to.
RSI are insipid - they develop over time without obvious symptoms. The sudden onset of pain, swelling and loss of movement is not easy to predict. The musician may have no prior awareness of impending injury. But because it has taken so long to develop, it also takes a long time to subside, so they may suddenly be unable to practise properly for an extended period.
The wrist is especially susceptible to RSI. Explaining this statement requires a brief description of the wrist's internal structure. The hand's palm is formed by bones known as the metacarpals. These are joined on one end to the carpals, or bones of the wrist, which are in turn connected to the two long forearm bones. The carpals are small, block-like bones that are massed together and connected securely by inflexible ligaments.
The carpal arrangement makes the extensive rotational movement by the hand possible. But there is a problem associated with this where the hand is constantly used for a specific motion or activity. The ligaments between the carpals sometimes become swollen and painful, and this limits the movement of the hand.
The technique of violin playing places the violinist at a heightened risk of RSI in their wrist. A ligament cannot be stretched or alter its shape, like muscles and tendons can. Accumulated stress can therefore cause an injury to it. Ligaments have poor circulation, so they take a long time to heal or grow. This is also because their structure is extremely tough, much more so than other tissues. Tendinitis is the name of the condition that arises where a tendon is inflamed. This, too, is not rare among musicians, and not only those who specialize in the violin.
Once RSI sets in, there is no possibility of the musician continuing in their usual practise or performance activities. They have limited movement in the injured area and they experience pain when they try to play their instrument.
The temptation to any serious musician is to "play through the pain" or to "keep on practising". However, the reality is that an RSI, once manifested, can be aggravated through further repetition of the same activity, and if it is not given time to recover, it can become more serious or even permanent. Injured musicians should seek medical attention immediately, and be prepared to take rest periods in their practise schedule.
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