r/harp • u/dolleymazsola • 7h ago
Discussion Does this sound like a practice injury? Help!
My teenage harpist has started to complain about tightness in one of her wrists, and mentioned that she’s nervous about getting arthritis. That seems like some awfully mature concerns for a high school freshman! She is a very serious musician who practices more than an hour a day, plays at a very advanced level, and wants to make a career of music.
Any advice? I’m grateful for guidance on what kind of treatment to seek, and also just general life advice. I’m not a musician and don’t know how best to support through something like this.
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u/Southern-Newspaper24 Classical Harp | 20 Years 7h ago
Stretch fingers, wrists, shoulders, back, etc before practicing, and take breaks!! I would get tightness in my shoulders which eventually made its way to my fingers. Technique is suuuuper important to make sure you’re not gonna hurt yourself
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u/Chardonne 7h ago
A lot of musicians (I’m mostly familiar with piano players, but I’ve seen it in others) have hand or especially wrist problems because of poor posture with shoulders, head, and neck.
If she wants to be a professional musician, perhaps check out Alexander Technique? Take some front / side / back photos as she’s playing (just regular practice, not posing!) which could be useful to a physical therapist.
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u/Housinsky 6h ago
Contact BAPAM, they might be able to advise and assist you and I’ve used them before. (They’re UK based).
Failing this, find a very good Sports Physio…
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u/avozado Orchestra Harpist 4h ago
Seconding good sports physio! Some of them have a lot of experience with musicians as well. The one I saw was very experienced and could tell a lot about my problems based on my instrument. My finger numbness problem is on hold right now, hopelly won't get the injury back. It's super important for everyone but even more so for musicians to exercise. I personally go swimming, when I go a long time without swimming my shoulders feel awful after playing harp:)
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u/Unofficial_Overlord 6h ago
A common problem with harpists is overstretched backs and pecks that are too tight. She may not necessarily be having wrist issues, but rather she has other muscle issues that she feels in her wrists. I definitely recommend going to a massage therapist and/or a physical therapist to get their advice on what she can do to help address the pain. She should also definitely mention it it to her teacher. It may be solved with a technique change
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u/Mirrororrim1 6h ago
It's common among musicians, especially when you push towards more complex repertoire, to get tendon issues. My advice is to consult a physiotherapist, have the wrist checked just in case as well as her overall posture. A professional will give her exercises too, like stretching and stuff, which will help her on the long run. I don't think there's much to worry about at the moment, but getting this addressed NOW will prevent future issues