Pain in the arm when closing the bellows

[Happy girl]

I have developed a sharp acute pain in the inner arm, near the elbow when closing the bellows, which affects my ability to practice & play my instrument. Has anyone else experienced this & can shed light on what it could be?

The pain kicks in also when I lift free weights; but only the bicep curl & overhead press to the extent that my lifting capacity is now reduced to half on the left to that of the right.

I would like to make an appointment to see the doctor, but hesitate in case he tells me to stop both activities instead of conducting a proper investigation, so first I am asking advice from members who may have some insight & understanding of this condition.

Thank you in advance.

 

[debra]

Playing the accordion is generally good exercise to make your left arm strong. But with bad technique like lifting the bass side up while closing the bellows, or with an accordion that is just too heavy for you, you can overexert the muscles and joints. A sharp acute pain may point at a bit of cartilage that may have come dislodged somewhere. In any case, going to the doctor is the only possible first step towards a solution. There are some accordion experts on this forum, but I don't know if there are any (medical) doctors here.
It is likely that you will receive the advice to stop the painful activities for a while. Whatever has gone wrong you now have an injury and that needs to heal through some rest. But you need to get some advice as to what you may have been doing that caused the injury so you can try to avoid it in the future.
It is sad when you are not allowed to play for some time (actually worse for people who do not also play another instrument they can continue while resting the arm) but it may be unavoidable.

 

[george garside]

a physiotherapist could probably advise better than a doctor but you would need to take the accordion with you for the appointment as the average physio would have difficulty understanding just from a description - unless you could find a box playing physio!

A friend of mine had similar problems after playing a 120 bass morino piano box for many years and on stage for 2 or 3 hours 2 or 3 times a week as he as a bandleader. The 'cure' was quite simple I shoed him a video of sir jimmy shand playing the 117 bass shand morino with absolute economy of bellows movement - mostly within about 6 or 8 inches of closed. He took note and restricted his bellows distance and all was well! There is absolutely no good reason for taking the bellows miles out on a piano or continental box and phrasing should not be a problem.

Most of the bellows movement then uses the shoulder muscle with very little articulation of the elbow being required

Also the 'tighter the bellows the better the fine control!

george

 

[maugein96]

I have no medical knowledge at all, but I've also experienced various arm and hand injuries over the years, some of which have affected my ability to play at various times. Sometimes when you look at an accordion you wonder how anybody could have designed something so awkward. I would wager you have a ligament, muscle, or tendon problem, and would be looking at your weight training as the cause rather than any repetitive strain type of injury associated with the accordion. Worst one with me was in my vain younger days there was a fad for an exercising device called a "Bullworker". Sad cases like me used them in an effort to look like film stars, but most of us ended up looking like Michelin tyre adverts after we stopped using them, and whatever weight we had put on as a result turned to lard! I once overdid it with that contraption and couldn't play the accordion for months due to something that happened to my left arm. I was too embarrassed to go to the doctor, and the injury rectified itself through time. Fortunately I had been playing for a long time and was past the stage where having to give up playing temporarily was a big issue.

In my latter years I now have osteoarthritis which seems to come and go, although in my case I have to stop playing the guitar until my fingers on my left hand recover when it flares up. It hasn't affected my efforts at the accordion yet.

I'm sure that whatever is causing you the problem will sort itself out, and as the others say, your only option is to seek medical advice if it's affecting your ability to do what you want to do.

For what it's worth I almost lost two fingers off my right hand, but managed to get them working again. Obviously I had to lay off playing for a while, but sometimes that's the only way to go.

 

[TomBR]

It may not help but I think this video from Cathie Travers is worth watching.


I guess shes basically saying use elbow curl muscles to power the bellows, rather than wing flapping from the shoulder!

I really like the improv she plays as demonstration.

Hope improvement can be found,
Tom

 

[Soulsaver]

Try a couple of ibuprofen 3 times a day, see if it improves. If it feels muscle as opposed to bone, it's inflammation; on the inside of the elbow is Golfers elbow, outside is tennis elbow. If it's that you'll need to review both techniques otherwise it'll be back soon after some rest anyway. Good luck, definitely see the GP, self refer for physio some places now? Ask GP reception.
So, diagnosis by Dr; rest inflammation to die down; exercise (physio) to strengthen the affected muscles; slowly back to full use.

 

[JackieC]

I would recommend you see an orthopedic specialist about your elbow. I am dealing with a strain in my left shoulder and am trying to be so careful with the way I use it, and not hurt it anymore. A specialist might recommend some rest and physical therapy to strengthen your arm. Try not going out too far with the bellows and keep your elbow closer to your side. As far as elbow pain is concerned, it might be a technique issue. Good luck.

 

[Zevy]

<FONT font=Garamond><SIZE size=125>Happy Girl - My sincerest wishes go to you for a speedy recovery. Stop playing for a little while and have an experienced teacher suggest the possibility of better technique. Perhaps your straps are incorrectly positioned. And whatever you do, avoid cortisone injections!

Good luck,

 

[Pianoman1]

All the best advice has been given I am a teacher of classical and fingerstyle guitar. Carpal tunnel and RSI are quite common among players When I see a new pupil I always stress the importance of the correct position and use of the hands as it save damage later on Injury is very easy to acquire and very hard and expensive to shake off.

If you are in London PM me and I will give you the name of my teacher who can help you

 

[Happy girl]

Thank you so much to everyone for your good wishes & excellent advice.

That was a real brainstorming session; in the meantime, whilst digesting all the information, I will be pondering my options & resting my arm. I fully intend to concentrate on the advice so generously offered, especially that which involves bellow control, posture & technique, as these things seem to resonate strongly with me.

Luckily I have a keyboard so I am able in keep in touch with my music by practicing treble clef reading.

Although I do not have access to a good teacher & live a long way from London, (Thank you pianoman1 for your offer) I am eternally grateful for this forum; for me it means being in touch & belonging ….. So, thank you Knobby, thank you to the dedicated administrators, & a BIG thank you to all those charitable members who regularly provide their own brand of goodwill, making this forum a safe & pleasant place to visit.