Pianists as athletes-My journey of injuries and healing

My Friday posts have been delayed for over a month, reluctantly. The fact is: I can not type for a month! The past four weeks was the darkest time of my entire piano life because I suffer from weakened hands, reduced mobility, hyper sensitivity, and extreme anxiety about the unknown future. Never had I experienced inability to press any key of the keyboard. My injuries started, officially in the end of July while I was in Toronto attending the summer music festival.

Bach Partita in C minor was the piece I was practicing daily. After a master lesson session playing the opening section, I returned to the practice room trying to remember what was suggested by the master, all of a sudden I found my right hand pinky hurts while pressing the top note E flat. After trying again a few times the pain did not go away. That evening I went back to my hotel early, wondering how and when I hurt my pinky. The pain got worse and worse until I could not even touch my hair or wash my face. The following day, my right hand ring finger started to hurt as well. It was Thursday morning and I was scheduled to perform Mozart Sonata in a masterclass. I walked ten minutes from my hotel to University of Toronto, keeping my right hand inside my pocket to avoid any kind of contact that may cause acute pain; for example, contact of wind, or any part of my backpack.

The Mozart sonata went well enough as I tried to play lightly overall. But my prospect about the solo performance on the upcoming Saturday was not very promising. I felt helpless. (part 1)