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Knuckle pain


Grandpa

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Hi.

So I am 64, haven't drummed seriously in a long, long time, but I am trying to get my chops back into shape to play with a local, fun group.  After only two days of drumming for about an hour each day I'm getting pretty noticeable pain in the large (base) knuckle of the left index finger.  I'm playing traditional grip.  I'm watching the left hand but can't really analyze anything that is causing the problem. Any thoughts? Grip too tight?  Is there some generic error in the grip I should be looking out for?  Maybe I just overdid it for the first couple of days?  Maybe I'm just too old for this.

I was expecting achy wrists and blisters (got 'em!) but not this. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.  Right now it hurts to turn a doorknob. 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

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  • 6 months later...

Haven't been here in awhile, but just saw your post and thought I'd respond.

I'm 56 and returned to rudimental drumming after a decade hiatus.
I deal with daily hand stiffness and pain, with occasional knuckle "lockup" on my left hand (those barre chords, you know?)
I soak my hands in a bowl of hot water every morning for ten to twenty minutes to reduce the stiffness and it does help.
I now make my living as a touring singer-songwriter and music educator, and figured playing guitar every day would already reduce potential hand issues.
Boy, was I wrong.
Drumming has made things worse.
So I've had to decide how much drumming I can handle and still have enough left in my hands for paid musical work.
I play occasionally in a community marching band (when I'm not touring), and that is about as much drumming as I can handle for now.
I'd try soaking your hands in hot water in the morning, using some kind of menthol-based joint lotion (don't rub your eyes), and if it's really bad an occasional tylenol wouldn't hut. If it stays the same or gets worse, see your doc about ppossible advancing arthiritis. Good luck!

Beth

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 1/29/2019 at 4:39 PM, Grandpa said:

Hi.

So I am 64, haven't drummed seriously in a long, long time, but I am trying to get my chops back into shape to play with a local, fun group.  After only two days of drumming for about an hour each day I'm getting pretty noticeable pain in the large (base) knuckle of the left index finger.  I'm playing traditional grip.  I'm watching the left hand but can't really analyze anything that is causing the problem. Any thoughts? Grip too tight?  Is there some generic error in the grip I should be looking out for?  Maybe I just overdid it for the first couple of days?  Maybe I'm just too old for this.

I was expecting achy wrists and blisters (got 'em!) but not this. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.  Right now it hurts to turn a doorknob. 

Thanks!

Normally I would say it has something to do with the grip pressure in the left hand. It could also be if the left hand is turned too far outwards away from the head in the old "east coast style" kind of grip that Marty Hurley taught early on. I could see both of those things causing that type of pain. 

Edited by Weaklefthand4ever
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