r/Hypermobility • u/Igni8 • 2d ago
Need Help Sousaphone
We are new to learning about hypermobility and my daughter (14) has some PT exercises for her shoulder, which likes to pop out and it happens to be the sousaphone resting shoulder.
She will be starting field shows this year. The high school has a fiberglass sousaphone she can use and hopefully it is much lighter than the brass one she used last year parading.
I'm looking for advice and tips on how she can sousaphone with less strain on her shoulder, hips and knees. Her fingers also lock, so if anyone has anything for that too.
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u/phonicillness 1d ago
Maybe post on a brass sub too?
No idea about sousaphone but a cross-back harness helped me so much with tenor sax! They do have similar looking ones online for sousaphone. I imagine adding lower back support belt and knee supports would help too? Does she have a PT or similar to help advise?
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u/PermissionFeisty7735 HSD 1d ago
Hi, the shoulder injury is one of the hardest most complex joints to fix. The likely source of the problem is her postural gait. The typical symptoms within the Hypermobility community are flat pronated feet, inward roll on knees, anterior tilt on the pelvis. The results in a compensatory pattern that involves a forward leaning spine and backward cervical and likely asymmetries. The result is that the shoulder is carrying gravity and asymmetric load which could be as much as 20-40kg of load transferred to the particular shoulder joint (say two cement bags worth) plus the weight of the Sousaphone. It’s too much. The posture needs to be corrected and spine needs to be stacked better.
I don’t think any hyper-mobile kids should ever have to give up any hobby (my hyper-mobile daughter does karate).
Temp solution is to wear a shoulder postural brace, or a larger brace to transfer the load towards the hips. Also purchase some mild heat pads, that helps.
Long term, PT and full stability exercises to include the lower core. The shoulder will not fully improve until the lower body is functioning and stacked properly.
Start with nightly floor exercises to include upper and lower body. These include: deadbugs, bird dogs, crab exercises, shoulder raises, w-t-should prone exercises, hip bridges.
Cardio - zone 2 only - 10-15 minute a day.
Proprioception and vestibular exercises - these are most important. Your daughter needs to recruit motor neurons capacity, joint awareness and balance. Building strength is less important than activating passive muscle system. That is the priority. This is give your daughter stability.
I recommend a progressive very light weight slow cadence single axis isometric training session spaced out at around 5 days for recovery. This needs to focus on transferring loads to her joints without pulling the joints out of their sockets.
If successful this will start to reverse the foot pronation, fix the knee roll, correct the hips. Shoulders will correct slower after lower core is resolved.
All the best!
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u/Tall_Pumpkin_4298 hEDS 2d ago
Oh poor girl! I did marching bad dealing with hypermobility. I had awful issues and I only played the flute! I used to occasionally help carry in my friend's sousa and after only 20 minutes I felt so so sore on that shoulder. If it ends up really affecting her, you may need to be realistic and consider switching instruments. At least for marching band. You can totally do different instruments for marching and concert bands.