I retrained with John Bloomfield [MoveRight specialist] over approximately four months. John is an alert, empathetic, patient, and imaginative teacher who by focused observation can pinpoint problems and suggest quick and simple corrections. He was better than any of the physical therapists I saw at showing me exercises to release tight muscles in my neck and back, although that is not his specialty. I now do about half the typing required at my job. At times I am entirely comfortable. John has given me the tools; the rest is a matter of self- awareness.”

After a particularly frustrating day of practice, I was on my way home when I felt the third and fourth fingers of my right hand pull together in a sort of cramp or spasm. I tried to massage it away, but I couldn’t. I stuck my hand deep into my pocket and continued walking when I felt a sensation that seemed to be creeping through my right hand. All of my fingers were curling into a fist. There was no pain, only a light squeezing of muscles. Three hours after my right hand closed up I felt my left hand third and fourth fingers pull together, just as my right hand had done. I felt like I was living my own private horror movie, knowing what was going to happen to my hand, being unable to stop it, and only being able to watch and feel this odd sensation take over.

I started to take lessons with Robert Durso [MoveRight specialist], and began to learn how to replace my old movements with healthy new ones. My body responded favorably and my dystonia was gone within a year’s time. The technique unifies fingers, hand and forearm, so that they all move together in a coordinate way.

After eight months the worst of my dystonia was over. After two years of retraining my technique I returned to school and finished my Bachelor’s. I have now completed my Master’s degree in piano performance. Not only am I free from dystonia, but I am playing difficult pieces with more precision and artistic statement than I ever did before my injury. I cannot imagine what it is like for people who struggle with the injury for years, and are told they will never be healed. I hope my story will offer insight and inspiration.”

The 3 sessions I had with you [Edna Golandsky, MoveRight Therapeutics founder] changed all of that. You determined that the problems consisted of positioning and movement, exacerbated by the presence of wrist supports. After adjusting my keyboard position and working at applying the principles of proper finger, hand, wrist, and arm movement that you showed me, the pain has decreased steadily and dramatically and I have been able to resume working full-time. I can't thank you enough!”

Edna is unsurpassed in her ability to communicate the proper coordinate movements involved in piano playing. In the past I've always labored at the piano, feeling physically uncomfortable and therefore very insecure in my playing. It's difficult focusing on musical expression when the physical playing itself is a struggle. Thanks to Edna, this is no longer the case. Because I'm no longer fighting the instrument, practicing has become a pleasure. One learns so many things on which to focus during practice that it's never boring or tedious. Beyond the mechanics, Edna explains how to draw meaningful, expressive sounds from the instrument, and how to create long lines. Unlearning old habits and replacing them with correct ones is a challenge. Edna is very patient and always very encouraging.

The principles of movement I've learned from Edna are applicable to other areas, as well. As a Database Administrator, I spend about 5 hours per day in front of a computer. A number of my colleagues suffer from computer keyboard and mouse related repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and despite using wrist rests and Aspirin, their problems persist. I, on the other hand, have avoided these RSIs by ensuring that my forearms are properly angled to the keyboard, and by eliminating potentially dangerous movements such as dropping the wrist when typing, and twisting my wrist to reach the 'enter' key ”

The situation continued unabated until a friend referred me to John Bloomfield [MoveRight specialist]. John invited me to come in for a consultation. During that session he explained that I needed to keyboard moving my arm as a unit, from the elbow, and drop my fingers down above each key, rather than use the fingers as isolated units to poke at the keys, as I was taught in Junior High. That very first session he showed me how to use the spacebar without causing pain in the thumb. I think the thing that made me an instant convert was John saying that I would know I was doing it right if there was no pain. After that 20 minute session I was able to keyboard with about an 80% reduction in pain! After the next two one hour lessons, and practice at home amounting to about two five-minute sessions a day, I was able to keyboard quite comfortably. The next four sessions were spent mainly in perfecting a keyboard technique that was kind to the wrists and all of the fingers. Today I'm essentially pain-free.”