OVERSTRAIN

 

 

You can detect physical overstrain by listening to your body. As well as evaluating your own symptoms, it’s worth getting your music instructor’s opinion and, if necessary, consulting a physician or physiotherapist specialised in musicians’ symptoms.

Typical symptoms among musicians are

  • Muscle symptoms (stiffness, pain, weakness)
  • Neurological symptoms (numbness, stabbing pains)
  • Hormonal symptoms (menstrual dysfunction)
  • Metabolic symptoms (fatigue, weight gain)
  • System regulation disorders (sweating, chills)
  • Psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, sleeping disorders, depression)

 

Typical mistakes when suffering from overstrain are

  1. Interpreting your body's messages as normal.
  2. Masking your body's messages with medication.


Erja Joukamo-Ampuja and Jouko Heiskanen