Musicians: Don't let repetitive stress shorten your career.
In the music world, musicians are often pushing beyond their limits, causing chronic injury. With a musician’s hectic lifestyle, adequate time to heal is just not possible. Painkillers and anti-inflammatory (especially steroids) medications dull the aches and pains, but it’s only a temporary fix.
Stiffness, swelling and aches are signals from your body telling you that something is weak and out of balance. The warning signals are telling you to stop, rest and heal.
Massage and acupuncture can provide immediate relief and long-lasting benefits.
In the short term, medication may enable you to return to your instrument, but t may make your problem worse in the long run. Regular use of medication may contribute to further injury, and side effects that could greatly impact performance, creativity and endurance.
We try to help musicians understand the importance of self care during their daily practice. By seeking care only when the situation is so advanced that they are on the verge of being unable to play their instruments, they risk ending their career soon after. The therapists at Elm City Wellness would like to see that change, and we encourage musicians to seek care before they can no longer manage their pain.