clarinet dystonia
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Posted by: mellosax ® 09/08/2003, 19:48:22 Author Profile Mail author

I play clar, sax, & flute & have had embouchure dystonia for almost 3 years. Sax & clar are about gone but flute is unaffected. I have air leakage, embouchure weakness, & cannot play sustained notes. Sax is worse than clar, which is surprising--must be the angle of the mouthpiece. Double lip helped some, but not enough. I was diagnosed via videotape by Dr Frucht & I visited Dr Branfonbrunner in Chicago. I had jaw surgery with no improvement, physical therapy (no change), & a $900 dental splint (no help). Stay away from oral surgeons & splints. I recently bought a Yamaha electronic sax/clar which uses a recorder-type mouthpiece so no embouchure pressure is needed. Its an option in some situations. Any input would be appreciated

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Re: clarinet dystonia
Re: clarinet dystonia -- mellosax		Top of Thread	Archive

Posted by: Lauren ® 10/02/2003, 07:16:06 Author Profile Mail author

I admire your persistence. I've had dystonia for 5 years now and stopped playing all together. I now focus on teaching, which I enjoy. I think everyone's case is different so it is difficult to give any feedback or advice, but I believe that once you have dystonia, nothing is a sure thing. I was diagnosed with dystonia in my mouth from playing trumpet, so I switched to the bassoon and was successful for three years until it developed in my jaw. Keep trying and all the best! ~Lauren

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