Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum RSI Caused by Computer Use - Will Piano Help or Exacerbate?

Too many sprouts can harm you . . . Too much of anything can harm you I guess . .

Thanks for all the helpful tips, Mr. SH. I'm going to look into growing the sprouts.. never realized how much protein and nutrition they have. I've tried sprouted bread in the past and it was good, but it's hard to get around here now. I try to avoid all grains now because a lot of them have gluten-like substances in them, and I think the nuts have much more nutrition than grains anyway. I don't mind making my breads from almond flour; they're quick breads, no yeast, easy to make. I get blanched almond flour from www.nuts.com and it's very good. They also have a great Tahini product. That's a good idea about the hummus - am going to try that, too.

Agree, homemade is always better. I make my own yogurt from half & half all the time - They say the store yogurts are weak as probiotics because they only let it set 4-7 hours. I let mine cook about 12 hours.

I'm with you, "Let food be thy medicine" is the way to go.

Just a quick one on my experience here:

I got quite nasty RSI from typing a few years ago that really affected my playing. I still flares up now and then, but here's some stuff I've done that's helped:

1. New computer keyboard - no-brainer. Luckily, the new-style Apple keyboard is nice and light. Generally, the lighter the better. Laptop keyboards are often better than desktop ones.

2. I've changed my typing style to avoid "weak" fingers. My main problem is with my fourth on my right hand. I just don't use it when I type any more. Result: slower typing, happier fingers.

3. Ice baths really help when it flares up - really ice the hands until they're numb.

4. Wrist splints, but only at night, to stop me crunching up my hands and restricting blood flow.

5. Playing on a light piano. For practice I now only use my Dietmann upright, which has a super-light action. I only use my digital (Nord NP-88) for shooting videos, MIDI work and gigs. In general, I think the more "givey" action of a real piano is probably less damaging than the hard keybed of a digital.

6. I've diversified my musical doings (I now compose more, and sing in a choir) so that if my RSI flares I can still scratch the music itch

I just realised that after posting all that I forgot to answer the OP's actual question - duh.

I think playing can help the in the recovery stage, as long as you're not overdoing it, not doing massive Rachmaninov-like stretches, and playing on a piano with a light, forgiving action.

There - I'll shut up now

Thanks for all the answers so far! I'll speak to my doctor soon - a blood test should show if I have a disproportionate level of magnesium vs calcium (which is fairly likely with my diet).

Is the general recommendation to use a piano with 'light' keys? I was under the impression that heavier keys used so differently from a keyboard/mouse might make my hand stronger - am I wrong?

Thanks!

Dunno if everybody would say the same, but I definitely found that a light action helped. Mind you, I learned on light pianos, and I've always preferred them to heavy ones, so it could just be a prejudice I have.

I'd say the main thing is to be careful with your hands and experiment to find out what works best for you. Talking to other people about it, it seems that no case of RSI is quite like any other. On the upside, loads of people get it and manage to cope with it - it's just a question of being careful, thoughtful and patient.

Yes, would definitely stick with a light-action keyboard, at least for now. My 2 Rolands seem just right for me, weighted yet not stiff and heavy.

The fact that you're still asking about strength is worrisome. If you physically can push the keys down, you don't need any more strength.

I'm not a fan of light action for RSI myself, because I think it could tend to mislead people into using only finger movement instead of technique that's healthily coordinated with the arm. This is part of what gets people into trouble on computer keyboards. It feels as if you're hardly moving, so you don't think about doing it ergonomically.

Of course, some people prefer light action and that's fine, but it won't protect against injury.

Is it fairly likely that most piano tutors will know their stuff regarding students with RSI, or will I be looking for someone with specific experience?

I would say, from experience, the answer is no. Most piano teachers are not familiar with RSI. There are some highly qualified ones, but I think that's a specific enough knowledge that you should be asking that question.

I bought a Casio AP-245 in the end. Marginally lighter action than others, and I found it for £250...

I'll just see how it goes. My RSI stems from my hands being curled up and tensed a lot of the time, something a vertical mouse and a split keyboard can't really cure so I think piano will help.

Thanks all!

I find playing piano helps; I have mild RSI (I could use a tablet instead if I wanted) but I play a light keyboard. Dunno if that helps, but it gives me no concerns in that direction . . .

Being used to a fairly heavy action, I find that a light one (the FS690) actually results in more tension, as I have to hold back and prevent any contact with the keys that aren't supposed to be played.

weel heres my oppinionnn: I AGREE

I discovered that I had a quite severe RSI problem as soon as I started playing piano but it was due to the over use of the computer (8 hours a day at work + 5 more at home) with bad ergonomic.

My first thought was that piano playing was the root cause of the pain so I stopped for a while but the soreness never really went away. Piano had just awaken a problem that was already there without any real symptoms.

I now play piano for about 30 minutes a day without any issue but I am not sure if it helps my RSI (I think not) but at least it does not make it worst.

Here is what I have done that helped a lot:

- Read "What every pianist needs to know about the body" by Thomas Mark. This book will help you understand how all parts of your body are actually linked and will help you improve your posture and positioning for tension free playing (all recommendations from the book also apply to computer work);
- Physiotherapy to reduce some of the inflammation in my forearms and shoulders;
- Ergonomics. If you work a lot at the computer, make sure that you use good ergonomic equipment. Most of the standard chairs, mouses and keyboards are actually very bad for your body in the long run.