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You Guys With That Cervical Vertebra Issue!
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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 You Guys With That Cervical Vertebra...
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When Darvin knead us in his spare time he failed on two physical spots. One was the knees the other that ol´atlas bone that is supposed to balance your skull.
I forgot the exact numbers, but if memory serves me right, in over 90% of cases folks atlas is claimed to have slipped out of position, usually teasing his owner to the end of his days.
Worse even with the species of guitar players. With their one-sided posture of one arm lifted and one hanging ( while pulled up by the shoulder, like Richard does ... hehehehehehe  psst ... don´t tell him I said that  ) they aggravate the situation by habitually turning their head to the left to watch their crooked flippers crawling up and down the neck. - As if it could help it any.
Folks, try playing blindly. Seriously. It really yields great.
Anyway, no small number of guitar players, including some like Jim Chapdelaine ( shall send him a message too, long time no talk anyway ) are suffering severally under issues with the upper vertebra.
I must have prepared my dislocation by guitar playing too when it made a tiny "click" sound one day while I was lifting heavy weight, followed by endurable but constant trouble since 6 or 7 years now ( and consequent prolapses in the lower back  ). - Things I had never expected to live to see.
Yesterday, on the way to the lawyer I recalled always wanting to check out a certain kind of harness which you fix in a door frame and include your head which then will be pulled upwards by the help of a weight.
I had seen such in a movie once and always thought I could be liking it.
( Used to have hanging shoes in my mint times and now an upside-down board, which does good too, but anyway.)
So in the lawyer´s quarter went into stores for medical supports situated there and was offered this instead:
Cost me an equivalent of 68 bucks ( but hey, I was granted 5 bucks off!) in the bazaris-got-you-at-the-balls land, while it will come you rather 18$ anywhere else.
Just wanted to let you know that something simple like this exists and that it could be useful.
I certainly like it.
Caution:
Its latex must be comprised awfully toxic seeing the vapor that you start smelling when wearing it too long.
Not suiited for people with heart issues as there will be pressure on the necks artery.
I find that this pressure can be kept at quite moderate measure though as long as you are making sure to keep the lower velcro fairly loose and tighten only the upper one ( so that it can grip your chin ).
Cheers
gray Ruphus 
PS:
Just remember to take it off before having Rendezvous!
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 18 2012 14:26:13
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Richard Jernigan
Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
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RE: You Guys With That Cervical Vert... (in reply to Ruphus)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Ruphus
Worse even with the species of guitar players. With their one-sided posture of one arm lifted and one hanging ( while pulled up by the shoulder, like Richard does ... hehehehehehe psst ... don´t tell him I said that ) they aggravate the situation by habitually turning their head to the left to watch their crooked flippers crawling up and down the neck. - As if it could help it any.
Folks, try playing blindly. Seriously. It really yields great.
gray Ruphus
I should just give up, but I will repeat for the n-th time: When playing in the traditional position, the shoulders should be level, and the guitar should be held by the weight of the right arm, without muscular tension.
It took a while to figure this out. Most people start off doing it wrong. Keeping on doing it wrong can result in injury.
The traditional flamenco position seemed to work okay for Scott Tennant when I saw him in concert a couple of weeks ago. He had the strongest and most fluent technique of the four members of the L.A. guitar quartet--all of them impressive virtuosi.
Kanengeiser was using a Dynarette cusihon on his left thigh with a low footstool, Dearman had quite a high footstool, Greif looked pretty close to the usually prescribed classical position with a footstool at a moderate height.
A variety of positions can work. Any of them can be done wrong and result in injury.
I agree with the advice to play without looking at the left hand. When I practice scales I do it in the dark, or with my eyes shut.
I haven't led a particularly inactive life: about 150,000 miles (240,000 km) of motorcycling, 35 years of running 6-8 miles (10-13 km) per day, 1500 scuba dives, playing guitar 2 or more hours a day for 5 decades....
I'll be 75 years old the day before Christmas. The only musculo-skeletal problem i suffer is a slight numbness in 3 and 4 on the left hand, the result of a pinched nerve in the neck from a motorcycle wreck in my early 30s.
RNJ
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 18 2012 15:45:51
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Ruphus
Posts: 3782
Joined: Nov. 18 2010
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RE: You Guys With That Cervical Vert... (in reply to Ruphus)
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Roge,
Never mind! I was thinking the same thing a couple hours after posting. I should had waited a bit before reviewing. I have to say however that using it for second day now has already freed me a bit from the usual pain and strain.
Richard,
I admire your discipline.
I have become so lazy, and feel lousy about it. Used to be intesive sportsman for much of my life, with years of 30 and some even of 40 hours per week; and now I´m down to half an hour daily ( if at all), though in efficient ways. The mortal wrapping still looks like under 30, but there are pangs nonetheless, for being so spoiled from the past.
At least there´s the quit of smoking recently after 40 years, which gives me a somewhat decent feeling, though a bit bland in lifestyle.
Eventhough lower back problems are not seldom with martial arts senors, I would had never thought to experience strains and prolapses one day. Strange.
Getting lazy is so easy. ( ... I could easily lay down and eat myself to death, weren´t there left to many due or interesting things.)
Just the more heads off to you!
-
I love Paco Pena´s playing.
But with the lower bout on one´s lap the neck goes so high that the strain for the left shoulder becomes immense.
Unless you tame that by putting on a capo.
Ruphus
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 18 2012 20:01:07
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Richard Jernigan
Posts: 3430
Joined: Jan. 20 2004
From: Austin, Texas USA
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RE: You Guys With That Cervical Vert... (in reply to Ruphus)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Ruphus
Richard,
I admire your discipline.
Ruphus
I fear that I have given a mistaken impression. Recounting my activities was to be seen as history. I'm not running 6-8 miles per day at age 74 11/12, though I'm sure some people do. I walk 4-5 miles (6.5-8 km) per day, and swim at least a kilometer per day--that is, until it got too cold to swim in my pool last week. I haven't gotten over to the heated outdoor pool nearby to pay my fee and sign up yet.
Ramzi-
You would probably be better off observing Sabicas. He's the one I tried to model myself upon. Even after he started using the footstool, he still played in the "traditional" position. If you look closely, you will see that the upper bout never touches his left thigh!
I laid off playing for a couple of years, annoyed by the developing numbness in 3 and 4 on the left hand. Recently I decided to see whether there is enough sensation left to play anyhow. I kind of suspect there is. I'm starting slowly, on both classical and flamenco. I love 'em both!
I'm thinking of upgrading from the digital single-lens reflex camera I have now, to a better one that happens to have video capability. If the "return to playing" experiment succeeds, brace yourself. You may be subjected to a sample of my playing.
RNJ
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Nov. 19 2012 15:14:42
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