Hey, I'm sure you've heard of oboist Alex Klein who had to quit his job as principal oboe of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra because of focal dystonia? I don't have it, but I was wondering if anyone knows how to prevent it from happening. Anyone?

As of now, no one really knows what causes focal dystonia or how to prevent it. I would suggest not overworking yourself when practicing, if your hand hurts take a break. Don't overexert yourself. Mr. Klein did a ton of practicing and I think generally overworked himself and the oboe and that certainly did not help with his dystonia. There are articles that you may want to read. I know that Leon Fleischer also suffered from dystonia in his right hand. You may want to research that too. Good luck!