More thoughts on rsi

[Joel Siegel <jdsiegel...>]

Just a couple more thoughts on RSI and guitars before I go back to bar exam
study....

Last summer was the worst for me; I tried to do as little typing and guitar
playing as I could get away with.  I went to an occupational therapist and
got an evaluation of my technique and some stretches.  For those of us who
songlead, it's probably worth passing along that my OT preferred me sitting
down to standing up, because having a guitar strap around the shoulders
tends to compress neck, shoulders and back, and take the body out of
alignment.  Of course, proper posture while sitting is essential.

I bought a Nada Chair also for when I needed to be sitting on the ground.
It's a great device; it's basically a pad which goes on the lumber portion
of your back, attached to straps which come around the front and hook onto
your shins.  You put the thing on your back, sit down cross-legged, hook
the straps on, and you have an instant "chair", or more correctly, instant,
walk-around-with-you lumbar support.  The device also works fine when
sitting in a regular chair for when you want a little more lumbar support
(or your only choices are lousy chairs).

I'm reprinting one article from the musician-rsi web page I mentioned in my
last post.  I hope this is interesting to y'all; if it's superfluous, 
I know some of this stuff is long and I do apologize for the bandwidth.  I
won't post more unless specifically requested (or something looks essential
to share).  The stuff is all on the Web pages I posted in my last message
(or linked to them.)

Apropos our copyright discussion of last week, note the copyright notice
and permission at the top of the article.

Happy reading; I hope it's useful.

Joel

***


X-URL: http://members.aol.com/legnani/seat.htm
Subject: seat.htm


   14-Jun-96
   This page contains an article on sitting position with the guitar and
   an alternative to current options. I wrote this article for a guitar
   pedagogy class. You may print this article and share it it at will as
   long as it is presented in its ENTIRETY!! It's copyrighted so don't
   get any ideas or sell it to some desperate soul. I plan to update this
   article when I feel that it needs improvements, etc. Check back every
   few months or so.
   
   Sitting & Proper Positioning with the Guitar
   By Nitin Arora
   
   Among the many techniques a classical guitarist must learn and
   eventually master, the first is that of sitting with the guitar. Yet,
   interestingly enough, sitting seems to be the area of technique to
   which the least amount of thought is given apart from the initial
   study. Sadly, most guitarists would hardly consider sitting position
   to be a technique. Technique, for many guitarists, embodies only
   obvious functions such as the playing of scales and arpeggios.
   Technique is much more than this. A technique could be defined as the
   physical and mental means to a musical end. Sitting would certainly
   fall under this definition. Furthermore, all other techniques that the
   guitarist employs are all in some way linked to sitting position.
   Excellent sitting position will make the jobs of the hands and fingers
   easier as well as conserving one's energy. No sane guitarist would
   deny his desire for these things. Yet, despite the massive amount of
   advantages that excellent sitting position affords, it is often
   physical discomfort or pain which leads one to truly reevaluate their
   technique with regards to sitting.
   
   As with all other techniques, when the guitarist seeks change he will
   usually consult with a teacher, either directly or indirectly, perhaps
   through a method book. Yet this weary guitarist is not always aware
   that danger, in the form of misinformation, possibly awaits him.
   Historically, and to this day, most guitar methods and teachers have
   discussed in detail the "proper" placement of guitar to the body using
   a certain type of guitar support. Methods with better intentions will
   go further to discuss the actual placement of the body itself. Yet,
   this information, while noble in cause, is incomplete and often
   dangerous (and usually WRONG). No complete discussion of sitting with
   the guitar can take place until one first learns how to sit correctly
   without the guitar. Moreover, correct and easy sitting depends heavily
   upon the chair one wishes to practise on. This is not something
   usually discussed in even the most complete guitar methods.
   
   Selecting a chair is not to be taken lightly. Proper chair selection
   can make the difference between pleasure and pain as well as vitality
   and fatigue. A well designed chair can lessen the work the body must
   do in order to sit correctly while practising. Conversely, a poorly
   designed chair will cause one to expend valuable energy unnecessarily.
   Energy is be better used to play the guitar rather than sit with it.
   
   Unfortunately for the guitarist, most chairs are not designed for one
   to sit with the spine aligned for long periods of time. However, there
   exists a type of chair which is well suited to the guitarist. This is
   commonly known as the forward sloping chair. This type of chair
   combats the problems that the human body will face when seated in
   horizontal or backward sloping chairs and allows one to sit in a truly
   aligned position.
   
   A relaxed sitting position in a horizontal chair, such as a piano
   bench, or a backward sloping chair will cause the body's natural line
   of gravity to be shifted behind the sit bones. This will increase the
   amount of work that needs to be done to sit with the spine aligned
   since the guitarist will need to withstand gravity. This excess work
   causes continual contraction of the abdominal, back, and hip flexor
   muscles. This contraction often results in the reduction of blood flow
   and furthermore creates metabolites, which are waste products of
   muscle work. The build up of these metabolites, such as lactic acid,
   can cause spasms and pain (Norris 39). Of course, many method books
   tell us to do otherwise and "lift our head toward the sky" in order to
   align the spine. This eliminates the danger of having a slumped spine,
   but is itself dangerous due to the massive amount of physical activity
   that is required to sit like this for a long time. If one chooses to
   sit like this then they will have to increase their endurance and
   stamina, but endurance is no excuse for faulty mechanics. If several
   methods promote effortless technique with regards to the hands then
   why do these same guitarists advocate a sitting position which
   requires great muscular effort? Using a properly forward sloping chair
   will eliminate the "slumped" position and eliminate the need to use
   force in order to achieve an aligned position.
   
   Giving in to gravity when the body's center of gravity is too far back
   will cause a flattening of the lumbar spine (Norris 39). While this is
   acceptable for many activities, due to the fact that is will require
   less energy than sitting straight in a poorly designed chair, it is
   not advantageous for playing the guitar. Playing the guitar for
   several hours a day in this position puts a dangerous strain on the
   back and will also limit the capacity to breathe. In the words of
   Richard Norris, M.D., director of the National Arts Medicine Center,
   "flattening of the lumbar curve results in flattening of the
   diaphragm, limiting its excursion and thereby decreasing the air flow"
   (39). A properly forward sloping chair will realign the body's line of
   gravity directly over the sit bones and will not only discourage
   flattening of the lumbar spine but will allow for fuller breathing as
   well as decreasing the amount of work that the body must do in order
   to sit straight, thereby reducing the risk of pain and fatigue.
   
   Another aspect of sitting which the guitarist should understand is
   that there is a definite limit to far the femur, or thighbone, can
   rotate upwards from within the hip socket. The femur can only rotate
   upwards (toward your chin) sixty degrees from within the hip socket
   (Figure 1). Bringing the thighbones up any further is caused by a
   backward rotation of the pelvis. In fact, it is this backward rotation
   of the pelvis which causes the previously mentioned flattening of the
   lumbar spine and places the body's center of gravity behind the sit
   bones. For example, sitting with the hips at a ninety degree angle
   (Figure 2) will causes a thirty degree backward rotation of the pelvis
   which in turn causes a thirty degree flattening of the lumbar curve
   (Norris 39). Once again, the easiest way to eliminate this is through
   the use of a forward sloping chair. A chair sloping forward thirty
   degrees will eliminate the need for the pelvis to rotate backwards and
   will maintain the lumbar curve through natural means rather than by
   force. Unfortunately, a forward slope of thirty degrees can simply be
   too much and may cause the guitarist to feel thrust forward. Norris
   recommends a forward slope of fifteen to twenty degrees.
   
                                  [INLINE]
                                      
   
   
   Despite the obvious advantages of a forward sloping chair they are
   very difficult to come by. When experimenting with the forward sloping
   chair one may simply place pieces of wood under the back legs of their
   chair. If the guitarist is sensitive enough to feel the advantages of
   the forward sloping chair he may wish to purchase a wedge cushion, a
   type of cushion which can turn a normal chair into a forward sloping
   chair. The ErgoCush is such a cushion and is available from AliMed
   Inc.® at 1-800-225- 2610. They cost around forty dollars.
   
   Other options to consider in choosing a chair are height and the
   backrest. Choosing the height of the chair will require much
   experimentation on the part of the guitarist due to physical
   differences among players. One should not choose a chair so low that
   the hips form an angle greater than ninety degrees (as mentioned
   earlier), which in itself is risky enough. On the other hand, the
   chair must not so high that is becomes difficult to sit with the
   guitar. The feet should , of course, both be securely on the floor,
   something not afforded by a chair of excess height.
   
   The decision whether or not to use a backrest while practising is a
   complex one. Many backrest are in fact designed too poorly to be used
   when sitting aligned while practising. In many chairs the backrest
   tilts backwards and will force the guitarist to lean the spine
   backwards. This will usually result in the thoracic region of the
   spine to be supported, leaving the lumbar region unsupported. Often,
   the only way to give support to the lower part of the back is to
   assume a kyphotic, or slumped, seating position (Zacharov 108) . This,
   of course, will reduce the energy required to sit but comes with a
   price. The guitarists ability to breathe will be limited and stresses
   will be put upon the lower back. Pillow-like lumbar supports are
   available in many stores. These can be strapped onto the lower part of
   the chair's backrest and will allow one to sit aligned while bringing
   lower back support to the body rather than adjust the body to the
   backrest (just make sure that you do not have to lean back to feel the
   lumbar support ). Guitarists may also wish to experiment with back
   supports which actually strap on to the body. These are primarily
   designed for people who do a lot of lifting, yet they are excellent
   for encouraging aligned sitting. If using a properly forward sloping
   chair, you probably won't even need a backrest.
   
   There are, of course, other parts of the body which must be addressed
   in a discussion of sitting apart from the back, lower torso, and
   thighs. These are the legs and shoulders as well as the head and neck.
   Over the years, guitarists seem to have become more and more aware of
   the importance of an aligned posture. Yet, alignment should not be the
   only concept which influences sitting position. Another concept, which
   is probably neglected by guitarists more than all others, is that of
   symmetry. A symmetrical seating position is one in which the left leg
   performs the same task as the right leg, etc. Players who use the
   footstool and those who sit cross-legged are the clearest examples of
   asymmetrical sitting posture. Players who employ the footstool have
   one leg higher than the other and often, if right handed, place the
   right leg more to the right in order to support the guitar with the
   inner right thigh. Many people who use the suction cup based support
   are also guilty of this, however, they are less asymmetrical than
   players who use the footstool because both of their feet will be
   placed on the floor. Sitting with the legs crossed, which is common
   among lutenists and many current flamenco players, is asymmetrical in
   that one leg is rested upon the other and weight and pressure
   distribution will be uneven with regards to the buttocks and feet
   (Zacharov 73). Asymmetry and uneven pressure distribution can lead to
   hurried muscle fatigue and uneven blood flow (Zacharov 73).
   Furthermore, raising one leg high such as with a footstool or with
   cross- legged sitting will, of course, cause backward rotation of the
   pelvis and a flattening of the lumbar curve. In these instances, the
   reinstatement of the natural lumbar curve can only occur through great
   muscular effort. And remember: endurance is no excuse for faulty
   mechanics!
   
   Proper shoulder positioning is often problematic for guitarists. While
   the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, it is also the
   least stable (Norris 45). Shoulder problems in classical guitarists
   are common, especially in the shoulder which corresponds to the hand
   which strokes the strings. In the right handed guitarists this would
   be the right shoulder. Often guitarists thrust " the right shoulder
   forward, so as to be able to lay the forearm flat against the guitar
   and avoid impinging the underside of the right forearm against the
   sharp edge of the guitar. This position strains the shoulder muscles
   and tendons" (Norris 46). Guitarists should realize that if the
   headstock of the guitar is pointing itself too far behind the
   guitarist then the opposite end of the guitar will be too far forward.
   If the headstock points just slightly forward or is in a neutral
   position then the lower bout of the guitar will come closer to the
   body and this will reduce the need to bring the shoulder forward.
   Also, if the guitar is rotated so that the soundhole is facing the
   floor, shoulder discomfort can occur. Players worried about impinging
   the underside of the forearm against the guitar should pad their
   forearm with some type of cloth, such as old socks.
   
   Another danger that the guitarist faces is that of neck pain. Usually,
   this type of pain can easily be prevented. Often guitarists place
   their music stand too low or, in rarer circumstances, too high.
   Placing the music stand too low or high will cause a forward or
   backward tilt of the head, respectively. These will increase the
   amount of weight that the neck must support and can not only lead to
   neck pain but to headaches and lower back pain as well (Zackarov 180).
   Also, guitarists have a tendency to tilt the head forward in order to
   watch their hands while they play. Guitarists who wish to watch their
   hands can place a large mirror in front of themselves at eye level.
   This will allow one to see their hands while preventing a forward or
   backward tilt of the head.
   
   To achieve an aligned and symmetrical sitting position, after the
   proper chair has been chosen, one should sit in the chair with both
   feet firmly on the floor. The knees and feet should be approximately
   aligned with the shoulders. The feet should be slightly pointed
   outwards. The spine should not be forced to lean forwards or
   backwards. Experiment with the possibilities of using the chair's
   backrest, if it has one. Of course, you eventually might not even need
   one. The natural lumbar curve should be maintained. Do not let the
   spine curve backwards (kyphosis) in a slumped position or curve too
   far inwards (lordosis) which will cause the upper chest to stick out.
   The shoulders should not be raised. The head should not tilt forwards
   or backwards or turn to favor either the right or left. These basic
   guidelines should roughly be followed at all times. Slight movements
   of the body are natural and should not be discouraged.
   
   Once a proper sitting position has been achieved the guitar can then
   be added to the body. Since the thighs will be rather close together,
   the lower bout of the guitar should be placed on the right thigh (for
   right handed players). This will for some cause the right shoulder to
   come up too high. A remedy for this would be to lower the right thigh,
   either through a higher chair or by slightly decreasing the angle of
   the right thigh by bringing the right foot under the right thigh and
   closer to the player's body. As mentioned before, the lower bout
   should not be too far forward from the body as to bring the shoulder
   (of the hand which strokes the strings) forward. For some, a smaller
   guitar may be the best solution (it is for me!). The angle of the neck
   of the guitar should not be so low that the left hand is limited in
   accessing the fretboard. This can also cause for dipping of the left
   shoulder. Yet, it should not be so high as to fatigue the left hand.
   The guitar's soundhole should also be pointed slightly upwards or
   straight ahead. This will help the shoulder (of the hand which strokes
   the strings) maintain its natural position. The guitar should also not
   be too far to the right or left as to "pull" the player in either
   direction. Once the guitarist has found the proper position, he can
   use several devices such as the suction cup based support or a cushion
   to secure the guitar. Other devices which stabilize the guitar to a
   greater degree than these are available, though hard to come by.
   
   I found the suction cup based device to be very unstable during
   playing. This may be a concept flaw, although the shoddy nature of its
   construction must have something to do with it. I found the cushions
   to be even worse. Therefore, two friends ( Dave Stancik and James
   Buckland ), and I formed a concept which calls for a clamp which
   latches onto the headstock of the guitar. James Buckland has already
   manufactured the prototype for me. This clamp is attached to a camera
   tripod with a camera support. I use a Bogen 3055 ball head because it
   has a large base. I sit with the lower bout of the guitar on my right
   thigh (as described earlier) and attach the headstock to this
   clamp/tripod/camera support. This allows for me to make extremely
   detailed adjustments while having an EXTREMELY stable guitar. I can
   adjust the angle of the neck as well as the rotation of the guitar
   itself. This is really a simple concept and you could easily get a
   clamp made for yourself. Then all you would need to do is go to your
   local camera store and buy a tripod and ball head. Hopefully, all
   players will find a proper solution for sitting at some point in their
   development but I recommend this for anyone who is having severe
   problems with regards to sitting, whether it be physical pain or
   refusal to accept the shortcomings of the other choices. It's
   basically the way Fernando Sor sat except that I use a tripod at the
   headstock as opposed to a table at the bout to support the guitar...so
   its totally non obtrusive...and I can still tune! If a cushion or
   suction cup based support works for you then thats' great but keep in
   mind, especially if you are a teacher, that they just don't work for
   everyone and they shouldn't be expected to. If you need help I hope
   this clamp/tripod/camera support will work for you but if it doesn't
   you may come up with a different idea! Good Luck!!!
   
                                  [INLINE]
                                      
   
   
   
   
   
   
                      Copyright © 1996 by Nitin Arora
                                      
   
   
   
   
   Works Cited
   
   Norris, Richard. The Musician's Survival Guide. ICSOM(1993). 39-46
   
   Zacharov, Dennis. Posture: Sitting, Standing, Chair Design and
   Exercise. Charles C. Thomas(1988) 73,108-109, 180 
   
   [INLINE]
   Here's my E-Mail Address if you have any thoughts, opinions, or
   questions. Legnani (at) aol(dot)com 
   - Click here to return to the main page.
   
   
   
                      Tips on Sitting with the Guitar
                                      
   1. Pick a chair, preferably a forward sloping chair. Do not use
   backward sloping chairs. If you must use a horizontal chair try
   tucking one leg under as it will bring you forward and alleviate some
   pressure on your back.
   Seat cushioning should be comfortable but firm, avoid extremely hard
   chairs with no cushioning and overly cushioned chairs. Be wary of
   backrests.
   
   2. Sit with the entire body in a symmetrical and aligned position
   while still making minor movements and adjustments. Sitting properly
   yet too rigidly makes for poor pressure distribution. Also, try
   wearing loose clothing as too allow for easier movement.
   
   3. Footstoolers(if you must) try a larger footstool so that you can
   make minor adjustments with the foot of the raised leg. Also use a
   flat footstool or forward sloping one; don't make it so the feet point
   upwards.
   
   4. Be careful about where you place your music stand, don't place it
   so that your head must tilt either forwards or backwards. Tilt the
   music stand rather than the head.
   Music stands should not be too far away from the body or too close, as
   to strain the eyes.
   
   5. If you must see your hands while practising experiment with looking
   straight into a mirror, as opposed to manipulating the body in order
   to see your hands.
   
   6. Get out of your chair and move! take breaks, walk around, walk in
   place, stretch, etc. The human body does not like monotony.
   
   7. Ask yourself "Do I really need to sit as much as I do?" Writing in
   fingerings, visualization, and having deep thoughts about guitar
   technique don't need to be done while sitting. Try them standing up or
   lying down.
   
   8. Eat well and exercise. People in good shape are less likely to have
   back and neck problems.
   
   9. Be happy dammit! People who can reduce the amount of stress in
   their lives are less likely to have back and neck problems. Exercise
   can also alleviate stress.
   
   10. Don't let impatience be your master. Often guitarists feel that
   they must be making physical contact with the strings in order to be
   progressing. Taking a day to work on your sitting position with and
   without the guitar is just as valid as spending a day working on your
   rest stroke.
   
   Copyright © 1996 by Nitin Arora
   
   - Click here to return to the main page.

-- 
Joel Siegel <jdsiegel (at) 
ucdavis(dot)edu>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is:     +
I only know that I am called a feminist whenever I express sentiments      +
that differentiate me from a doormat." -Rebecca West, 1913                 +
"We'll add creationism to science textbooks just as soon as you add Darwin +
to the Bible." -Author unknown                                             +
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++