tools for tuning and a sore back, was Re: SAT and hands

[Wimblees@aol.com]

Ed:

My wife uses a SAT, and has problems with her hands and elbow. For the test
blows, I made a gadget out of two bass hammers. I glued, and doweled, the two
tails together, and smoothed off the points. This gives her hard felt in the
palm of her hand, and of course hard felt on the piano key.

For playing octaves, I made another gadget. I took two bass hammers, cut of
the tails, and srewed them on the ends of a 3/4" dowel, long enough so that
the hammers reach an octave. To help her hold on to the thing, I stretched a
strip of leather accross the top, loose enough to put her hand throug, but
tight enough so that when she lifts her hand, the dowel lifts up. She can
also tilt the thing so that she can have a hammer play one note, and then use
a finger to play a smaller interval.

So much for her. Now I have a problem, which I hope someone can help me with.
I have been having problems with my right shoulder blade. ( I am a right
handed tuner).  A muscle has become very tight in teh shoulder blade area,
and it gives me headaches. I have vibrating tool with a head on it, that
helps, but the problem never goes away. (When I go to bed, I lay on the
vibrator, and it relaxes the muscle.) (please no sick jokes here).

I saw my doctor today for my anual physical, and told him about it. He gave
me some muscle relaxing pills, but he said the problem won't go away by
itself. He wants me to go to phycial therapy to strenghthen the muscle. I
said I thought I had a strong muscle from all those tunings, but he said the
therapy will help develop other muscles to help the one that is sore and
tender.

Anyone out there with a similar problem, and a solution. Will at SAT help
with this?

Willem Blees RPT
St. Louis