Best Way to Fix Tennis Elbow Pain for Piano Tuners

Kevin Busse Nov 30, 2024

81 People Read

As a piano tuner, you rely heavily on the repetitive use of your hands and arms. If you're experiencing persistent elbow pain, you might be suffering from tennis elbow or "lateral epicondylitis."

Tennis elbow can be a frustrating condition that often leads to reduced job satisfaction, which I think is highly important because if you're like me, I chose this career path to do rewarding work.

The good news is, I have experienced this condition before and I will tell you how I deal with it from time to time whenever I begin to experience symptoms stemming from tennis elbow.

In this post, we will discuss the best way (In my experience) to address tennis elbow for piano tuners, so let's get started!

How to treat Tennis Elbow for piano tuners?

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The Best Way to treat Tennis Elbow as a Piano Tuner

I wear an arm band that goes over my forearm from 30 minutes to 3 hours each night.
If the pain is highly irritating then I may wear it 2-3 times a day for as long as I can tolerate it.
Additionally, it's essential to take it easy on your elbow. (Avoid tunings for the time-being)

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What is a remedy for tennis elbow as a piano tuner?

Do other jobs!

Player Piano Work; these jobs may not be that bad, after all!
Focus on regulation work
Employers will understand if your elbow needs a break from tunings
Catch up on emails

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Piano Tuning A Simple And Accurate Method J Cree Fischer Technician Book Review

Other remedies for Tennis Elbow

Massaging the effected area may feel good and stimulate more blood flow for healing, but I've found that massaging alone does not help it go away.
Ice Pack/Hot Pack

What are symptoms of tennis elbow for piano tuners?

I will experience a soreness when massaging the effected elbow.
I may find myself trying to adjust the angle of my elbow to reduce the effects of repetitive motion that "test blows" require.
I may reduce the volume or velocity of each time I do a "test blow" to lessen the impact of each time I strike the key.

Advanced tennis elbow pain

If the pain seems beyond a simple remedy, the first thing you should do when experiencing elbow pain is to visit your family doctor. They can diagnose whether you are suffering from tennis elbow or "golfer's elbow," additionally known as "medial epicondylitis" on the outside of the elbow joint. Once you have a diagnosis for tennis elbow, it's important to take it easy on your elbow.

Physical therapy is also recommended for chronic tennis elbow and advanced recovery. Physical therapists will prescribe you exercises and stretch the affected area of your elbow joint. Cross friction massage and dry needling are some of the techniques they may use to break up the scar tissue in your elbow. If it becomes a pain management issue, your physical therapist will adjust your therapy to ensure the best possible results.

Treatment can be a good idea if the affected area seriously effects your job satisfaction. The soft tissues that are thread-like in the forearm cause the adverse sensations which cause steady pain on the outside of the elbow, especially while using your elbow joint.

Prognosis for Tennis Elbow in Piano Tuning

Tennis elbow will impact your life as a piano tuner unless you start experimenting with remedies or seek professional help. Over time, it may cause you to lose range of motion and directly impact your job satisfaction.

With these tips, a good team of medical professionals, an orthopedic doctor, or the right treatment plan, you can heal from tennis elbow and get back to work. Whether it's an arm band, massaging, physical therapy, or other treatments like dry needling, there are suitable options for you.

Take care of your elbows, take it easy, and good luck in your journey towards tennis elbow recovery.

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