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Finger Pain

Snakedoc - Wed, 07/15/2009 - 10:28 | 2,811 views

I have experienced pain in my PIP joint (the main knuckle on the finger) on my index finger for a long time now. The pain is on the top of the joint and ranges from annoying to feeling like glass is in the joint.

Xrays & MRI showed nothing.

I play in a popular stage show that requires me to hit hard and often using all sorts of mallets and sticks. The amount of shock that our hands and fingers experience is quite high.

I have switched my fulcrum to my thumb and middle finger so as to bypass the troublesome joint, but even this will not keep back the pain. It seems that simply being along for the ride causes the pain--just not as quickly.

Any one else here ever deal with this? My job and livelihood depend on a solution. I am desperate!

Thanks.

Drummer Comments (5)

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l_dunsmore Says Re: Finger Pain

Submitted On: Wednesday, Jul 22, 2009 - 3:32 PM

the drummer kid makes a good point, there are types of wood (in sticks) that obsorb more and less vibration. I play promark oak sticks and i have to loosten my grip more to get the satisfaction from the stick, a harder stick like oak will make your hands take more impact as aposed to hickory. You will go through more sticks playing hickory and you will have a collection of splinters but you are at a much smaller risk, because hickory is much lighter than oak. Which all comes back to find your commen ground becasue you dont want to play through pain in any situation

ThatDrummerKid Says Re: Finger Pain

Submitted On: Monday, Jul 20, 2009 - 10:29 AM

y'know I have actually sometimes gotten finger pain from different things related to drumming. Once I tried Neil Peart's signature Japanese Oak sticks and soon after playing i notices some fatigue/pain in my hands/fingers. I then found out that the pain came because Japanese Oak, or any Oak wood for that matter is a much harder wood, and it doesn't absorb vibrations from striking the head like hickory or maple does. This in-tern sends all those vibrations straight into your hand, eventually resulting in aching and pain feeling in your hands/fingers.

- - D - - Says Re: Finger Pain

Submitted On: Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 3:45 PM

drink milk!

Snakedoc Says Re: Finger Pain

Submitted On: Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 2:23 PM

Thanks. Yeah, I have a small node on the knuckle from smacking it on the rims. The drs. didn't seem to really care about it. I think it is at least one of the problems. I'm not too eager to have them go in and cut it out though.

Yes, I have learned to play as loosely as possible and even shifted my fulcrum to my pinky at times. Anything to make it through...

l_dunsmore Says Re: Finger Pain

Submitted On: Friday, Jul 17, 2009 - 1:07 PM

i have had finger pains in my middle knuckle on my index finger for quite some time and iv been told that it can be calcium deposits from either hitting my finger on something or just over playing. the only solution i can come up with, and im sure you are a seasoned player, is to either use a taditional grip for less stress on your fingers or loosten you grip so the impact isint all in your fingers, I too have played on a popular stage show and it is my lively hood as well, learning to deal with it would be the worst solution so find your commen ground