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trombone hand pain

Posted by Oldie but Newbie on 9/16/2025, 6:37 pm

I have a trombone player whose fingers hyper-extend. Because of that (I think), she is having a lot of pain in her right hand thumb. When she holds the slide properly, her thumb is bending very far back and she can't help it. Any advice???

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by TYB Host on 9/17/2025, 8:31 pm, in reply to "trombone hand pain"
Board Administrator

Would a wrist brace that secures around the thumb help?

Tim

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by OP on 9/19/2025, 6:36 pm, in reply to "Re: trombone hand pain"

I will look into this (or the carpal tunnel brace. Thanks!

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by xbdxbd on 9/19/2025, 8:19 am, in reply to "Re: trombone hand pain"

My carpal tunnel brace wraps around the thumb enough to lock it in place. I wear it when I sleep. It came from a medical supply company, so you might have to do some digging to find one that will work for the student. Sorry I don't have a brand...it has worn off over time.

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by +1 on 9/18/2025, 10:10 am, in reply to "Re: trombone hand pain"

On the thumb splint.

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by Q on 9/17/2025, 10:04 am, in reply to "trombone hand pain"

It's okay to turn turn the slide vs bell closer to a V than an L. Just as long at her fingers don't hit the bell she'd be able to grip the trombone more comfortably.

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by Not sure on 9/17/2025, 7:48 pm, in reply to "Re: trombone hand pain"

This helps her right thumb.

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by Keith Dye on 9/17/2025, 7:11 am, in reply to "trombone hand pain"

In reality, the right hand should bear no weight at all. The entire weight of the horn should be balanced in the left hand. If the slide functions properly, the right hand should simply be free to move it as required. If they're holding the horn properly a player should be able to remove the right hand completely (with the slide locked) and it have no impact on the horn position.

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by OP on 9/17/2025, 6:47 pm, in reply to "Re: trombone hand pain"

She is holding the weight with her left hand - but her right hand thumb is hyper-extending when she holds the slide. 3 fingers, bottom of the slide brace. That thumb is just bending back so far. Even if I have her bend her thumb in the opposite direction (making more of an "O" shape than a puppet face shape, if that makes sense), her thumb still just pops back. She isn't squeezing hard. It's weird.

Re: trombone hand pain

Posted by ovwrkdnundrpd on 9/18/2025, 10:13 am, in reply to "Re: trombone hand pain"

OK, don't judge me. In my early years I had a girl dead set on playing trombone with no thumb on her right hand. So I got her a trombone with a big locking mechanism and she put the slide in between her two fingers for the slide. She had to run her fingers all the way to the side of the slide but it worked.

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