JDondero

For the past few weeks I have been dealing with a major lip problem. I think I overplayed on a job and damaged my lip in the process. I have lost range to the point where a G on top of the staff is a real effort, and really no notes are definitely guaranteed to come out when I want them to. It feels like my top lip is swollen as soon as I place my mouthpiece.

There is no pain at any time - it just takes tremendous effort to play anything. I actually had to cancel out of a couple of gigs to rest my chops, and will play later today for the first time in a week.

Anyone have experience with this type of injury? What did you do and how long did it take?

Thanks

John

dizforprez

Wow, I have dealt with it twice, the first time took 3 months to recover and the second time took over 9 months. The best advice I can give you is to stop playing for a month. I think the reason it took longer the second time was because I didn’t take the month off, I was under a contract for a 10 week show gig and i couldnt take time off. I had to grin and bare it. I tried to patch the dam with water still in the lake so to speak. recovery will depend on many things such as how long you have been playing on the damaged chops and how good a player you are already.

When you start back over really look at how you play and make some changes. In running there is a saying to the effect if that you get injured once it is bad luck if you get injured twice it is bad training., for you it might be alittle bit of both. For your lips to get that messed up I would think you have been doing things incorrectly for a while and this would have happened at one point or another.

I am sure others here with more knowledge than I will make comments, but as I said I have had to rebuild two times. IT was a slow process that was very painful but worth it and the knowledge I gained about how to play correctly has been the bases of my playing ever since. IF you haven’t yet check out some of David Bacon’s post here as well as Song and Wind from wind and song press. you should also find a good teacher ASAP..i think everyone needs guidence when dealing with what this. Quick fixes will not work, go ahead and mentally gear up for the long haul here becasue i am guessing you are looking at 6 to 9 months of work here to get things back.

If you have any questions please PM me.

Gnostic

:)

Liad Bar-EL

John,

Here are a couple of Chop doctors:

1) Jeanne G Pocius e-mail: jgpocius@yahoo.com

2) 'Pops' e-mail: Bbtrumpet@webtv.net


Be well,

Liad Bar-EL

soulfilet

John, how are your chops now? I guess that was 5 years ago?

I just posted a reply in the TrumpetMaster thread called "lip injury" by utu, with information about Dr. Simon McGrail in Toronto, who has operated on many brass players with herniated lip muscles. I saw McGrail recently about a problem, and he told me I have a stretched lip muscle, which doesn't need surgery, and he gave me specific exercises to help it. Check out the thread.

Annie

There is a really great website on this - I got the link from one of my old teachers - he had a similar problem last year. Here's the site:

Embouchures.com

There is more info on the TH under a post called "One year since injury"

Forum: trumpetherald.com