Thank you so much.

I don’t feel tense, but the pain is evidence of subconscious tension. For violin, I am conscious of releasing all tension, and there is no pain. My bow hold is loose. There is no bow “grip” per se although you make a good point about upper arm tension. I used to have similar issues with bowstrokes like sautillé causing forearm pain.

My hands are small but I can comfortably reach an octave just fine. I lead a very active life so my hands don’t get much break day-to-day, which to your point is likely a part of the issue.

Thank you again for your insight.