The elbow moves in two different directions, bending and rotating. Most of the pain experienced by flutists comes from improper bending of the elbow(17). If the left elbow is raised too high, it will cause the wrist to be bent improperly. On the other hand, the left elbow should not be so low that is rests against the chest; instead it should be a few inches away(18). The right elbow should be placed where it feels comfortable, the forearm positioned at about a 45-degree angle from the flute. Excessive raising or lowering of the right elbow will cause wrist pain.
Next Section: Wrists
This section is part of an article that can be found here: Arm Pain while playing the Flute.