Pain in right hand...

[kitaeru]

I started playing my flute again about 6 weeks ago after having quit for three years. At first, when I practiced there was just a dull ache in my wrists and hands, which I figured resulted from me not playing for three years. Lately, though, I've been suffering from sharper pain in my right hand, especially around my pinky and ring fingers and down into my wrist, and I know that's not normal.
I've tried adjusting my hand position some, and while it has helped a little, there's still pain - I noticed it seems to get worse when I'm playing E natural a lot (one of the pieces we were given in my high school band for our winter concert is in concert F, so there are a lot of E naturals in it, and the pain started to get more severe when I began practicing that one).
Does anyone have any suggestions about what I may be able to do to help? I can try talking to my band director, but I don't know that he'll be able to help. I was looking at thumbports and finger saddles at Flute World - is there any chance that one of those may help?

[flutepicc06]

If your flute sat unused for those whole 3 years without any maintainance, it's due for some work. If it's full of leaks (which is pretty likely), you may be having to push on the keys far harder than you should need to to get them to seal. Take your flute to a tech and see what they say about it. Having any leaks that may exist fixed will relieve a lot of the tension you have to use. Other than that, it's impossible for use to diagnose any positioning problems you're having (which are pretty likely since the changes you made to your hand position did help), but a live teacher will be able to help, so find one if you don't have one already. You can try thumbports and the like, but they may or may not help...It's impossible to know since we can't pinpoint the exact problem you're having.

[kitaeru]

If your flute sat unused for those whole 3 years without any maintainance, it's due for some work. If it's full of leaks (which is pretty likely), you may be having to push on the keys far harder than you should need to to get them to seal. Take your flute to a tech and see what they say about it. Having any leaks that may exist fixed will relieve a lot of the tension you have to use. Other than that, it's impossible for use to diagnose any positioning problems you're having (which are pretty likely since the changes you made to your hand position did help), but a live teacher will be able to help, so find one if you don't have one already. You can try thumbports and the like, but they may or may not help...It's impossible to know since we can't pinpoint the exact problem you're having.

I had to send my flute in for some repairs about three weeks ago, so they took care of any leaks and such then. The closest thing to a live teacher I have is my band director - money's tight right now and we can't afford for me to take any private lessons (especially since the nearest place we've been able to find is almost an hour away). My band director is good, though, so he may be able to pinpoint the problem (or at least narrow it down) or he may know someone that I can go to for help. Hopefully he won't decide to be out sick on Monday like the last time I had an important question XD

[flutepicc06]

I had to send my flute in for some repairs about three weeks ago, so they took care of any leaks and such then. The closest thing to a live teacher I have is my band director - money's tight right now and we can't afford for me to take any private lessons (especially since the nearest place we've been able to find is almost an hour away). My band director is good, though, so he may be able to pinpoint the problem (or at least narrow it down) or he may know someone that I can go to for help. Hopefully he won't decide to be out sick on Monday like the last time I had an important question XD

Even if you can't afford to take lessons regularly, it's important that you get this fixed as quickly as possible, and the best way to go about that is to take a few lessons with a good teacher. No amount of pain or discomfort is normal when playing, and by the sounds of those pains shooting down your arm, you're well on the way to a playing-related injury that could potential end your flute playing career if it's not dealt with quickly. You might also consider seeing a doctor to be sure you haven't begun to develop carpal tunnel or tendonitis, and begin treating it if you have. Unless your band director plays flute as their primary instrument, take anything they have to say about playing it with a BIG grain of salt. Most band directors have some very inaccurate ideas about how to play flute well.

And when you say you "sent your flute in," do you mean to a professional flute specialist, or to a music store with a "band instrument repair" guy? If it's the former the pads are probably sealing pretty well. If it's the latter, it's doubtful that any leaks were taken care of in any reliable way. Most of the general repair guys know a little about a lot of subjects, but just don't have the expertise/time/materials to do topnotch work on every instrument that comes across their bench.

[fluteguy18]

Because I can not see the problem [visually], I can only give relative advice.


First of all, make sure you are not using any excess tension in your hands. Your finger pressure should be as light as possible.

Also, make sure that your wrists are as straight as possible, and that your fingers are curved [making a backwards C shape].

Avoid typing and other similiar activities that are hard on your wrists if at all possible.

Invest in a wrist brace to wear when you sleep [can sometimes work wonders... believe me].

I would definately give the thumbport a try. I use one, and it puts my hands in a much more natural position.

Also, make sure that your shoulders are lowered, and your elbows down. Dont neccessarily think of your arms holding your flute up, but rather that your arms are being hung from the flute.

Use a mirror to watch your finger technique. If something looks unnatural, chances are, are that it isnt good for you.

Take time before you play to stretch your hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders. Then repeat throughout your playing session every 15-20 minutes, then again when you finish.

If discomfort continues, try seeing your doctor, or a doctor who specializes in hand/arm/shoulder injuries.

If you have the finances to, I strongly suggest investing in the book: "Body Mapping for Flutists." It is a very good book. I use it, my professor uses, and many others do as well.

Also, check out http://www.larrykrantz.com there is a section regarding Performance Health. This is a great source of information for injuries.

I hope this is helpful.

[Muckdogzen]

My first question is what have you been doing for the last three years? It sounds to me like you have a hand injury that is not healed properly. I can only suggest you see a doctor and get an xray or something.

I'm just now realizing this post was made back in October. I'm wondering if it just went away or if you saw a doctor?

[bvconway]

I might suggest playing a bit of your piece in front of a video cam or digital video camera and posting it somewhere (like YouTube). Then, put in the file [video] description that you are having hand troubles and see if any of the viewers can spot problems.

Also, post that YouTube link here so some of us can have a look.

It's usually because the right wrist is forming an L-shape underneath, i.e. your wrist is bent (not straight). Make sure both elbows are away from your body (any gap is better than none - arms NOT squished into your sides). Swing the footjoint horizontally out from your body a bit more so that the flute is not parallel to your face - gives your wrist more room to straighten. You should feel as if you're tapping the keys FROM ABOVE, not hooking your right wrist and trying to finger notes from below. Also, try not to hold the flute parallel to the ground (straight across) but let the footjoint dip down about [?] 30 degrees, as Galway and Rampal do.

Look at Emmanuel Pahud's right wrist and flute angle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ty3IiPm6b0&fmt=18

Look at Rampal's flute angle (even though he's playing on a rooftop):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGEaNKnCqtE&fmt=18

Look at Galway's right wrist, and flute angle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_ZSSkMzS5E&fmt=18

Look at Amy Porter's right wrist, and flute angle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU-9syIw ... ted&fmt=18

Look at Marcel Moyse's flute angle (still pic, near end of video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOu5Tpxe ... ted&fmt=18

[numptie]

I started playing my flute again about 6 weeks ago after having quit for three years. At first, when I practiced there was just a dull ache in my wrists and hands, which I figured resulted from me not playing for three years. Lately, though, I've been suffering from sharper pain in my right hand, especially around my pinky and ring fingers and down into my wrist, and I know that's not normal.

That's your ulnar nerve with its specific area of sensory innervation being the pinky and the lateral ring finger. It's probably being compressed by the muscle strain and weight of the flute on the levering of your arm/hands which would lead to either burning; tingling, numbness, or a sharp pain in that area.

Even if you're just out of practice, it's worth seeing whether you can get a wrist support like the neoprene athletics type to use to support your wrist in the meantime.

Makes sense to get it checked out by a doctor if it isn't going away within a few weeks. If you're straining it regularly, and it doesn't go away, then rest would be the best stop. I guess you've stopped, since this post was made a few years ago?

Sorry if you've had to give up the flute then