Playing the Oboe and Musicians' Health

Visit her website Classical Stretch to purchase my favorite: 2007 TV Series (SEASON 4). She has a few other DVDs such as those below that I have not used.

Pete Egoscue, a Vietnam Veteran, returned from the war in need of intesive physical rehabilitation. After completing prescribed military treatments he remained a shadow of his former self. Frustrated he began a pursuit for better health and a fully functioning body. Through his studies he arrived at exercises, strecthes and methods to analyse, improve bio-mechanics, posture and health. I highly recommend these books to understand the body's mechanics, prevent, manage, or even eliminate pain.

Product Description
Latex-Free Exercise Bands are made of synthetic rubber and provide the same performance and benefits as natural rubber latex bands without the possible complications experienced by those with latex allergies. The only resistive exercise bands endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Ideal for building upper and lower body strength for rehabilitation or fitness. Whether building strength after shoulder or knee surgery or improving athletic performance, our bands, tubing and corresponding resistance exercise programs can be easily and economically used for any exercise program. The progressive resistance of our products parallels the basic concepts of building strength and mobility. As each level is mastered, the resistance can be increased with ability. In general, tan and yellow are used for early rehabilitation or very frail individuals. The most common resistances are red, green & blue. Black, silver and gold are typically used by athletes. The use of elastic resistance rather than weight-bearing exercises minimizes pressure on the joints and decreases the possibility of incurring other injuries. They can be used while traveling, sitting at home or even in the office. Uses for the Thera-Band Bands include: exercise, gym, balance, fitness, birthing, yoga, pilates, and stability and resistance.

Some of the most common and most debilitating injuries for a musician are injuries of the hand and upper extremities: muscle, tendon, joints, nerves. This book is a medical textbook that details the diagnosis and treatment of the musician including the social, psychological and physical dimensions. The authors are a neurologist and a hand surgeon. One of the more remarkable operations shown is the transplantation of the great toe to the hand in order that a bagpipe player may continue to play after having lost his thumb. This book is wonderful for players of all instruments: keyboard, woodwind, brass, guitar, etc.

The human hand is so complex that NASA has offered $200,000 in prize money to the person or people who can design a proper glove for wear in space. Writes Jack Hitt in the NYT Magazine: "Gary L. Harris, a giant in the world of space gear, told me that "flexing the hand in space is like squeezing a tennis ball." Harris is an industrial designer and the author of a book called "The Origins and Technology of the Advanced Extravehicular Space Suit." "There are 200-something bones in the adult body," he said, "and something like 26 of them are in our hand. No mechanical device made yet can duplicate it, yet it has the weakest muscles." (NYT july 01,07)