I'm sitting here at work in pain because of my back, and I was wondering if it had anything to do with playing/how I play the violin.

Every time I move quickly, or stand up after I've been sitting down a long time, or twist my lower back to the side, I get quick, sharp twinges down the middle and lower parts of my back so that I have to catch my breath and bite my lip every time. This has been happening on and off for a few weeks now.

I've never had particularly good posture, but I don't have terribly bad posture either; I have rounded shoulders and sometimes slump but I keep my stomach pulled in and I never do anything like bend from my back... I always make sure that I stand correctly when playing the violin but I just had a thought that maybe it could stem from that, as my body isn't that used to it yet? Nothing else in my lifestyle has changed recently.

I don't know what else it could be- I do have a 'curved' posture in that my b*m (can't believe they won't let me type that!) sticks out and my back curves in more than most people's but I've always had that!

Any suggestions? Does anyone else have back problems stemming from the violin? Can playing the violin exacerbate potential problems?

Hi Littlelady87

Sorry to hear about your back trouble. I hope you feel better soon.

I'd think it would be entirely possible that starting violin is a contributory factor to your discomfort - especially if it's only come on since you started playing.

I had neck and shoulder trouble after starting the violin, despite the care and attention that AmandaL paid to getting my posture right. It seems (touch wood) to have cleared up since I found the right chin and shoulder rest combination for me. What I hadn't realised was that I was either raising my shoulder to keep the instrument in place, thereby tensing my back, or pushing down with my chin, which put my neck into tension.

Now that I have what I think are the right combination of chin and shoulder rest (and I've tried two of each), I don't have to use muscle power to keep the instrument in place, I simply look to the left a bit and rest my chin on the chinrest. Result - my muscles are not under tension and I've stopped having pain.

But just in case your back pain isn't caused by that, the other way lots of people get back trouble is through the way they sit at their desk and use their computer at work. Get your employer to do a workspace assessment, and if necessary change the chair or keyboard you use. I've had staff with back trouble for whom this has made all the difference.

Hope this helps.

Cheers

Katyjay

I have severe lower back problems caused by sport in my youth and I have never found violin playing a problem as long as I stand or sit with good back posture when I play. Most problems I have heard of for violin players are in the upper back, neck or shoulder area.

But I am not an expert (or somebody who plays for very long periods of time). As someone with with back problems I would advise you to seek expert advice sooner rather than later for your music and for life in general. Whether it is violin playing or not, something is causing it and you need to get it treated - back trouble is no joke.

Lecture over - best of luck with it

Hi- thanks for your help both of you.

I shall ask my teacher what she thinks tonight and then consult my doctor next week, after seeing what happens this weekend.

It doesn't help that my violin isn't mine but my teacher's, as I feel I can't modify it (e.g. chin rest) to suit me personally when I'll be giving it back to her in a few months. I'm not even paying to rent it; she has just kindly given it to me for however long I need until I have enough saved to buy one of my own. Hence I feel a bit iffy about taking it to pieces. I take the point though, and shall ask her about chin rests and shoulder rests tonight.

I just hope it doesn't get any worse as I can't see myself practising for long if my back is going to twinge every time I move slightly.

Please, please be very careful about this!

Your curvy posture that you describe sounds like you have slight lordosis (a front-to-back curve) in your spine. A slight curve shouldn't cause problems but you do need to be careful with it.

I have very bad back problems and help run a website for people with spinal curvatures. I've seen all sorts of doctors and pain experts, so I know that it's vitally important to keep stretching and moving rather than sitting or standing in one position for too long.

Whether you're sitting at a computer, or practising your violin, make sure that you move every now and then - shrug your shoulders, stretch your arms out, swing your arms and give yourself a shake. Bending down to touch your toes will be especially good for you as it will stretch your lumbar (lower) spine. If you keep moving it will prevent your muscles from tightening up, which can ache and pinch nerves which cause the sharp pains you describe.

I have a lot of trouble with my shoulder muscles and playing the violin/viola makes it a lot worse. I have to have steroid injections every few months to relax them, as they go into spasm and won't relax. I had the injections a few weeks ago and I am doing all I can to prevent the muscles from seizing up too quickly - and I can tell you that moving and stretching really helps! Also, there's a Chinese remedy called Wood Lok oil, which is about 100 times stronger than Deep Heat and feels amazing on your muscles. It tingles for hours after you put it on and really helps your muscles to stay relaxed. It smells veery strong but it's worth it! You can get it on Ebay or from Chinese medicine places, and it's well worth trying.

Swimming will be good for your back; as you get older you might find that you get more lower back pain than most people do. This is because of the exaggerated forces on your spine. If you build up your core stability muscles now, it will really help you in the future

Hope this helps - good luck! It saddens me when I see talented musicians have problems with pain as I know how difficult it gets to play.

Hi- thank you Oboebunny!

I wasn’t aware that the posture I have has an actual term- do you think it’s worth checking it out doctor-wise? I’ve always had it, and I’ve always had to resort to bending in odd positions to get rid of the aches in my lower back, which come after I’ve been sitting or standing in the same position for a while (so working in an office is not fun, as you can imagine!).

I can’t even touch my toes by the way; I can get down to about halfway down my legs. I am very inflexible!! I shall try exercising that more though.

The constant shooting pain seems to have gone for now. I spoke to my violin teacher and she said that it was the way I was tilting my head and chin; it was putting stress down the right side of my back and twisting my body to the left in an odd way. I made a conscious attempt to stop doing that and it seems to have got rid of the bad pains. HOWEVER, when I play violin now, I can’t play for too long because the aching comes back, even if my posture is perfect.

I don’t know whether I should go to the doctor, because the aches and pains I have now are constant but slight, and they are uncomfortable more than anything else… I am guilty of hypochondria sometimes so I don’t want to be like that now. It might just be that I am still getting used to the violin. Anyhow, I shall try everyone’s advice and see how it goes…

Hiya,

Obviously, it's difficult to tell whether the curve in your spine is anything to be concerned about, without seeing you. Everyone has natural lordosis (the way your spine curves forward towards your belly) and lots of people have a naturally exagerrated lordosis - Kylie Minogue does, which is what gives her her famous b_u_m However, the chronic pain in your back IS something you should go to your doctor about! You're NOT a hypochondriac. You could go along, tell the doc about the pain, and say "I wondered if it's because my back curves so much" - they should then take a look and refer you to an orthopaedic clinic if they think you need looking at properly. Don't worry though; lordosis is rarely bad enough to need treatment.

Chronic pain can wear you down, even if it's very slight. I know what it's like to work in an office, it's so easy to stay put in one position for ages; I have to constantly remind myself to move about and stretch to prevent my back from hurting. Make sure you do the same! Roll your head from side to side, with your head down on your chest. Put your hands together and stretch them up as high as you can get them. Shrug your shoulders and roll themn forward and back, and generally give yourself a shake

Since you said that you're twisting around in a funny way when you play the violin, could you check something for me? Please get someone to have a look at your back when you bend over forwards to touch your toes, and ask them to check that everything looks symmetrical. This is just a simple check for a small side-to-side curve in the spine. Let me know (PM me if you prefer) how you get on with this.

Good luck!

Always always make sure you feel comfortable when you're playing the violin. The moment you feel pain, you should stop immediately because that's a sign that your body can't take it anymore. See a doctor and ask him what you can do with the pain. Never tilt your head towards the chinrest. Your head should only TURN left slightly. If not, perhaps you could get a centre-mounted chinrest.