Surgery on both hands, recovery help

[bellajchipperfield]

Hello all!
I need some advice in rebuilding strength in my hands (other than practice). Anyone have any gizmos that worked particularly well for them?

I am a professional harpist, (mainly for weddings and events) but I have had severe de Quervains Tenosynovitis in both hands /wrists for over a year. I was advised to stop playing 16 months ago while pregnant with my boy. I had surgery on my right hand in December and I am having my left hand done next week.

I have nerve damage and severe weakness in my thumbs and substantial pain.

I am on the look out for a hand physio to help but any advice here would be absolutely fantastic.

Thank you for reading and for your time. 🙂

[balfour-knight]

My heart goes out to you. Maybe some other harpists here will have some ideas to help you. Have a great day!

[paul-knoke]

How’s your technique? Are you keeping the back of your hand aligned with your forearm, not bent in any direction, so your wrist is relaxed? Are your elbows in a natural, relaxed position, neither too high nor too low, so your hand alignment is maintained? Are your shoulders relaxed and dropped, and not hunched up? Are you resting the weight of the harp on your knee, so you have complete freedom of movement in your back? Are you keeping the harp at a slight angle in front of you, so you don’t have to lean to the left?

A lot of questions, I know, but I’ve seen a LOT of harpists with these very basic issues!

[paul-knoke]

Are you keeping the back of your hands aligned with your forearms, not turning your wrists in any direction, so your wrists stay relaxed and in a neutral position? Are you keeping your elbows in a relaxed and natural position, not too low and not too high, to help maintain the alignment of your hands and arms? Are you relaxing your fingers between notes? Are you keeping your shoulders dropped and relaxed? Are you taking the weight of the harp on your knee, so you have complete freedom of movement in your back? Do you have the harp at a slight angle in front of you, so you can sit up straight and not lean to the left?

I know it’s a lot of questions, but I see a lot of harpists exhibiting these issues.

[daniellekuntz]

I dealt with de Quervains after my first baby and was able to rehab it with therapy (occupational therapy, here in the US). I tried to keep playing as much as I could, but was really conscientious about not over extending my thumb in the affected hand. Until the mobility improved, I was only playing intervals of thirds between thumb and second finger. The experience I think helped me resolve some overall tension that I didn’t realize I had in my technique!

I know it’s tough to find a physio who understands what we do as musicians. I’d recommend trying to find someone that works with athletes (sports medicine). They might be able to better guide you through the rehab process to get you back to playing the harp.

Best of luck!!

• This reply was modified 1 year, 3 months ago by daniellekuntz.

[Mark Pfannschmidt]

* Definitely work with a physical therapist and be sure they know that you’re a harpist. If you have a small lap harp, bring it in with you to a session or two. They can watch you play and work with you to develop strategies for getting back to playing. Listen to them when they tell you not to play. Also, those who aren’t harpists often don’t realize how much effort goes into playing the harp. The perception is that it has a gentle, soothing sound (read: doesn’t take much strength to play).

* As has been stated by others, be on the lookout for hidden tension. A few areas I’ve found in my own playing:

*** closing and holding tension in my hand. Release your fingers after you close them.

*** placing and clutching. Just let your fingers camp out on the strings with as little effort as is required to keep them in place.

*** tuning! This is a big one for me. I’ve observed in the last few days that I grip the tuning key as though I’m wrestling an alligator. I’m teaching myself to adjust the string and then release the hand. This is especially important for me when I’m on tiptoes to reach the lowest wires.

If you know a teacher who has a functional understanding of the physiology of the hand and arm, it might be really useful to invest in a lesson or two. Think of it as a technique checkup. Singers do this all the time. The rest of us can learn from them.

I wish you a speedy and lasting recovery!

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Find an occupational therapist you can trust, preferably one who has experience with musicians. Once you have some strength, then you need to work on basic technique and rebuild very slowly and gradually.

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