Despite my various horn postings, I am by profession a physical therapist. And this interesting topic is right in my field. I qualified as a chartered and state registered physiotherapist in 1968, I hold diplomas in osteopathy, acupuncture and many other therapies. After working for several years in London and other British NHS hospitals I opened my own private clinic, the Alternative Therapy Clinic, in 1970, and am still running it now.
A musicians problems are NO DIFFERENT whatsoever from those of any sportsman or indeed any other human being. We all suffer from the same physical or mental stresses as everyone else. I am always concerned when I read that a patient has to have a SERIES of treatments. It makes me think of the Mighty Dollar, often into the therapists pocket and out of the patients. Only ONCE in over forty years have I had to see a patient for ten treatments. Usually a course of care takes from three to six visits. Indeed I fully expect there to be demonstrable results in literally TWO MINUTES. Though my second visit is always two days after the first. without seeing a specific case, three times a week seems an AWFUL lot of visits, to me. I never use electrical treatments, very rarely use massage, and on the issue of trigger points, I prefer to get at the factor which actually caused those trigger points. Easily and quickly done without having to use needles. Of course, the final judgement has to be, whether the patient feels better. But there are very often quicker and very much cheaper ways of achieving that same result. Surgery of course,always has to be the last resort. While I'm on my Hobby Horse, let me remind Listers that genetic factors often run through families. If Dad has arthritis in his neck, perhaps affecting his violin or horn playing, then look to the child and to the grandchild and on to the great-grandchild. Every Daffodil is Yellow, even fifty years later. If a little child hasGrowing Pains, there almost certainly is the start of the carpal tunnel syndrome, the frozen shoulder, the TMJ malfunction, the slipped disk of thirty years time. Checkups should be started from perhaps age six, or possibly even younger. There, I FEEL BETTER after all that! If anyone has specific health queries, ask me on line for the benefit of all of us. John Roberts-James http://www.spinalcorrectivetherapy.co.uk/ http://www.musicsolo.com http://www.johnroberts-james.co.uk http://www.alternativetherapyclinic.co.uk http://www.sjambok.co.uk http://www.effectiveselfdefence.co.uk http://www.personalprotectionpublications.co.uk/pub10.htm http://www.personalprotectionpublications.co.uk _______________________________________________ post: horn@music.memphis.edu unsubscribe or set options at http://music2.memphis.edu/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
