Aches and pains and different ukuleles

rainbow21

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Started playing about nine months ago. Sometime in the fall, noticed my deltoids (shoulders) and biceps (upper arm) muscles getting sore in certain arm positions while inactive. Attributed it to the aches and pains of aging and not playing a concert ukulele for one to two hours daily. It increased after purchasing an aNueNue Moon Bird concert with a greater body depth than my Koaloha. Hmmm... could it be the ukulele playing causing the soreness?

Well, I acquired a Blackbird Clara a few weeks ago and the pain and soreness receded (narrow body depth). It disappeared last week completely as I was in Hawaii and barely played my travel uke.

Last night, day after returning from Hawaii, I went to an uke meetup. All was fine until I switched, for one song, to a Blackbird Farallon tenor so my friend could try my Clara. WHOA... the soreness came back full force by halfway through the song.

Conclusion that raising my arm away from my body to clear the uke body is the source of the soreness. The Clara is thin enough to not cause any pain, but the deeper the body, the greater the pain otherwise.

For discussion: Have others here noticed pain issues from playing the ukulele and does it change when you change to different ukuleles?
 
Is it possible you injured something in your shoulder (non uke related injury), which is being aggravated from the shoulder position you need to play a deeper uke?
 
Is it possible you injured something in your shoulder (non uke related injury), which is being aggravated from the shoulder position you need to play a deeper uke?

It is possible though there is no episode that I can identify that occurred... that is why I thought it was from aging initially. But changing to the Clara and then not playing for a week had the pain go away and playing the tenor had it return quickly. Might be more similar to arthritis where a certain activity aggravates it. Also figure it is not an injury because it is bilateral, though worse on my right shoulder.
 
Are you using a strap on all your ukes? If not, maybe trying to support your ukes is contributing to the problem. I have a Clara and a Moon Bird. I’ll have to notice if I hold them differently. I use straps on all my ukes so that they are supported & for the most part, uniformly positioned against my body.

I hope you can figure it out. Bummer that your Moon Bird aggravates it.
 
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It is possible though there is no episode that I can identify that occurred... that is why I thought it was from aging initially. But changing to the Clara and then not playing for a week had the pain go away and playing the tenor had it return quickly. Might be more similar to arthritis where a certain activity aggravates it. Also figure it is not an injury because it is bilateral, though worse on my right shoulder.

As you age, it's possible to injure ligaments and tendons without being able to identify when and how the injury occurred. I injured my knee last Fall, though I couldn't figure out how or when I did. But it took months to heal. It can be something small as having lifted a shopping bag the wrong way. You should definitely see a specialist, as there could be different causes and the last thing you want to do is keep injuring it. If it is really bilateral, I would see a chiropractor or spinal specialist as possibly you are pinching a nerve. Cervical issues often show up as pain in shoulders. I had a cervical disc replaced and my pain was in my shoulders. Not trying to worry you. I had a bad accident. You might just need an adjustment and massages. But see someone as the ukulele is probably just exposing a symptom and isn't the root cause.
 
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With the ukulele resting in the crook of your arm, strum by rotating your wrist back and forth, with your finger(s) and thumb over the 12th fret. Much less (or no) arm movement, and let the fingers do the walking.
 
As well as recommending a strap, as above, are you "sitting up properly"?

"Laid back and relaxed" may look "cool" but it very often isn't, in the long term ;)

YMMV :music:
 
Yes the big question is "do you use a strap"? I'm guessing no and because non-strap users apply pressure to the upper bout to keep the uke in place these deeper bodied ones caused an issue.
 
Yes the big question is "do you use a strap"? I'm guessing no and because non-strap users apply pressure to the upper bout to keep the uke in place these deeper bodied ones caused an issue.

Totally agree with Dave but I would advise further, fit a strap and see how you then fair with your Ukes.

If you still have problems seek medical help.

I had wrist issues and following seeing a specialist I had an US guided injection and within one week my symptoms were totally alleviated.
 
[/QUOTE]Conclusion that raising my arm away from my body to clear the uke body is the source of the soreness. The Clara is thin enough to not cause any pain, but the deeper the body, the greater the pain otherwise.

For discussion: Have others here noticed pain issues from playing the ukulele and does it change when you change to different ukuleles?[/QUOTE]


As a 'retired' member of the medical community and subject of numerous injuries ( impact and stress ), I agree, and highly encourage you to schedule a visit to a Physical Therapist. When making the appointment, explain to the scheduler that you are "a musician, having shoulder pain while playing a stringed instrument." That's a really important step. And, if you're in a town or city that has an orchestra, it's very likely that there is a PT with an understanding of the dynamics of play positions. It's no different than asking for a PT who's familiar with cycling or running discomforts, or any other repetitive injuries. Plan on taking both 'ukulele so she/he can see the differing positions of play.

FWIW, my cycling group has two PT's. One specialized in hand/wrist/shoulder/and neck problems; the other with knee and hip injuries. They both make very helpful observations 'on the road' on how we can improve riding positions to improve comfort and reduce repetition injuries. When I mentioned your situation, the first reply was to find someone who has treated musicians or plays themselves!
 
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I have shoulder issues. I love my baritone, but can play my soprano with less pain.
 
Totally agree with Dave but I would advise further, fit a strap and see how you then fair with your Ukes.

If you still have problems seek medical help.

I had wrist issues and following seeing a specialist I had an US guided injection and within one week my symptoms were totally alleviated.

Absolutely seek medical help for your issues.

Glad to hear the injections took care of your problems.
 
I've been sitting & playing my Moon Bird & Clara this evening. The front to back body size of the Moon Bird isn't noticeably bigger, but the overall body size, (the lower bout in particular), is definitely larger. Let's just say Miss Moon Bird is a "Fat Bottomed Girl." The most noticeable thing is that the Moon Bird is heavier. While the Clara is no lightweight, the Moon Bird is a heftier uke.
 
Thank you all for your concern and suggestions. I was actually not concerned about myself because the Clara is solving my problem. I was actually curious if others were having issues and if the ukulele size/design was adding to them. One other posted that a soprano is more comfortable and I wonder if wrist/hand/finger issues with different sizes and necks might be similar.

I use a strap on all my ukes and always play sitting down. While counterintuitive, I think this contributes to my soreness because I do NOT press down on the uke to stabilize it. Rather, I think I lift up on my shoulder and arm to avoid putting much pressure on the uke. So my shoulder muscles are actively lifting my arm for an hour or two and the wider body accentuates this. So the soreness is from using the muscle actively for a long time. It is more of a soreness than any sharp pain. Now that I have some awareness of this, I can experiment with different angles and positions to try to eliminate the issue.
 
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