gmacleod15
245 posts
Jan 12, 2015
8:08 AM
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I have recently started to experience what appears to be muscle or tendon pain in my left forearm near my elbow. This is the arm/hand I hold my mic with. If I extend my arm out straight with my palm down the pain area is on the top side of my arm.
I mostly play amped using a Green Bullet. My play / practice sessions are usually about 2 hours, maybe 3 or 4 times per week. I was wondering if anyone else has had this experience. The symptoms are similar to Tennis Elbow.
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MBH member since 2009-03-24
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A440
295 posts
Jan 12, 2015
10:17 AM
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Ouch! Sounds like you should consider ditching the green bullet and getting a light weight mic.
I had something similar, in both arms. I initially wondered if it was from harp playing. My GP figured it was from using a laptop computer 6 hours a day at work. So I started using voice recog instead of typing, and it healed.
Last Edited by A440 on Jan 12, 2015 10:20 AM
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nacoran
8215 posts
Jan 12, 2015
11:04 AM
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The trick with any tendon problems is you have to treat them differently than some other injuries. The tendons run through tight places and when they get swollen, they rub even more, which makes them even more inflamed. When you have arthritis the general prescription is to take some painkillers and keep moving. With tendonitis you kind of have to shut it down until the swelling goes down, then, depending on the cause, either treat the underlying cause or just go back to what you were doing. Sometimes it won't come back. A lighter mic might help, but the usual rest, ice, heat, cortisone shot cycle may be all you can do. I'm particularly prone to tendon problems. I've had what you are talking about, along with the back of the elbow, the wrists, the shoulder, etc. Be very proactive with the ice/heat and talk to your doctor about a an anti-inflammatory.
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Nate
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Shredder
399 posts
Jan 12, 2015
5:09 PM
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Your not alone! It's my left shoulder that was killing me. Went to sports doctor and got cortisone in the joint. It would get better till I played another gig or had a long practice session. I use a ultimate 57 and a audix fireball mic so weight didn't factor. I just think it was the position/posture I play in was doing the damage. I've changed the way I position my shoulder and arm and the problem seems to have gone away. It was really bad there for a while. be mindful of your posture when playing and see if you cant modify how you posture your self when playing. Or else eat 2 motrin and drink a beer before and after you play. Mike
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jbone
1856 posts
Jan 12, 2015
8:18 PM
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If your mic has the original threaded hole in it, why not try screwing it onto a mic stand? A straight with a solid base works well. You won't be jumping around so much but you will not have to hold the mic up so much either. You can still cup easily and do different effects if you are not holding the mic in one or both hands.
For serious hot sweet punch a cm bullet is hard to match but I've had good success with a smaller dynamic mic and also a Shure 585. Look at getting an American DT "salt shaker" mic. Smaller and lighter but with a lot of character.
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BronzeWailer
1576 posts
Jan 13, 2015
12:49 AM
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I had pain in the inside of my right elbow (I think it is called "golfer's elbow".) I think it was the wy I was holding my hands/arms. I was playing harp (unamped) several hours a day. It eased off after a few months. I spend more time practicing singing than harp these days, which may have helped.
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gmacleod15
246 posts
Jan 13, 2015
4:24 AM
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Thanks for the comments. From what I have read online it may have to do with using a tight grip on the mic along with the bent elbow. Maybe I will have to go shopping at Greg's for a nice light weight wooden shell. Tell my wife it is for safety.
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MBH member since 2009-03-24
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orphan
391 posts
Jan 13, 2015
6:03 AM
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Heck Yeah! A Custom Blows Me Away Mic. Just what the Doctor ordered. Now that you mention it, my elbow is kinda sore and getting worse.;-)
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barbequebob
2814 posts
Jan 13, 2015
10:56 AM
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Gripping the harp and the mic too hard is a very common problem with tons of harp players and outside of the so called "harmonica elbow," you usually also winding crushing the crap out of the cover plates, especially if they are really thin ones made of the thinnest stainless steel possible like those on the Manji's or from set of Filisko custom covers for an MS harp that I got about 15-16 years ago. Even something as simple as constantly clenching your fist so hard and so tight can even do that to you because you're doing nothing but over stressing the crap out of your elbow as well as some other muscles in your arms and hands.
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