Flute rests for players with hand problems

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Juan Pablo Plata
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Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by Juan Pablo Plata »

Hi! Anybody knows of something like this for our wooden flutes?:


https://www.tonkooiman.com/index.php/instruments/flute


I´ve been fighting with my pain for years, and it still hurts and keep me away from playing my instruments for long periods of time (several months). Any ideas?
piperjoe
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Re: Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by piperjoe »

I looks like you could adjust the length of the straps to fit it to a wooden flute. So the one you linked to might be just the thing. Maybe contact the seller/manufacturer and see if it would adapt to the dimensions of your flute.

Definitely worth trying if you have right hand issues.

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Re: Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by jemtheflute »

Looks like a very bad idea to me as it puts the thumb under rather than behind the flute, and even lower under, making the fingers more up-and-over, which will dip the wrist, putting tension into the tendons across the back of the hand.
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Re: Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by clark »

Jem is eluding to something important here. Rather than trying various random gizmos, the first thing to do is isolate precisely where you have pain (I'm sure you know that); but the next part can be subtile... What exactly is causing the stress that is leading to the pain in that particular spot. What tendon and/or carpal tunnel is it. The next step is to see if you can adjust you flute playing position to relieve the stress. There are many many options there. Then, when the problem is isolated and if the the left hand placement options don't work, you will know exactly what to look for in a gizmo.
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Re: Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by jim stone »

if it were me I would find an orthopedic hand surgeon, if you haven't
done so already, and (perhaps less good but often helpful) a hand therapist.
A mark of a good orthopedic hand surgeon, IME, is that they are conservative
about surgery and know a lot about coping and how to. Also know a lot about
arms, wrists, etc. I have done this a number of times concerning flute related
problems, much to my benefit. FWIW.
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Re: Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by busterbill »

If you are experiencing pain it may be unique to you (in which case it might be a medical condition), or the way you hold your instrument. I would encourage you to find doctor who is a hand specialist and talk about it. I used to have some finger pain and did a combination of adjusting my hands to less of a tight grip and more of a gentle hold on my instrument, as well as following a series of hand exercises recommended for me by a teacher and also by my doctor. If you are developing some sort of repetitive stress injury it is definitely important to get a medical opinion. I do not know if you have a similar specialist near you, but it might be worth a look.

I had been playing for 10 years before I realized the way I was holding my flute was actually hard on my hands.
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Re: Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by AaronFW »

busterbill wrote:If you are experiencing pain it may be unique to you (in which case it might be a medical condition), or the way you hold your instrument. I would encourage you to find doctor who is a hand specialist and talk about it. I used to have some finger pain and did a combination of adjusting my hands to less of a tight grip and more of a gentle hold on my instrument, as well as following a series of hand exercises recommended for me by a teacher and also by my doctor. If you are developing some sort of repetitive stress injury it is definitely important to get a medical opinion. I do not know if you have a similar specialist near you, but it might be worth a look.

I had been playing for 10 years before I realized the way I was holding my flute was actually hard on my hands.
Busterbill, this might be a bit of a stretch [pun intended], but could you possibly post a video of such hand exercises? I saw you post elsewhere about some hand exercises and this seems to be the right place to ask about it.

I’ve seen a little bit from flute player Kirsten Alstaff on some exercises, but I would definitely like to know more if possible.
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Re: Flute rests for players with hand problems

Post by fluti31415 »

I would also be interested in learning about these exercises, too. I have a new student with arthritis in his left hand. He can't bend his left index finger enough to be able to use the base of the finger as a resting point, and he has been using his left pinkie to hold the flute, which is constricting his movement even more.
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