When I play drums, I try to warm up gradually and hold my drum sticks lightly. However I have been having problems with tendonitis in my right wrist. What do you folks do to prevent tendonitis?
not much you can do, it's a repetitive injury. You see cashiers in a grocery store wearing bands all the time for the same thing.
It's like anything, you might get it, you might not. Changing up your technique so you are not too tight and stiff, use more fingers then wrist will help, like erskoman says, the forearm/wrist should move only in a quarter note, the other notes/motion should be from the fingers.
drum4fun,
Is the tendonitis from drumming or some other repetitive activity that your doing?
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Jim Chapin didn't said that if you use proper technique you can play hours a days and never have a problem ? [img]eek.gif[/img]Originally posted by Randy Walker:
[QB]not much you can do, it's a repetitive injury. You see cashiers in a grocery store wearing bands all the time for the same thing.
QB]
Thank you Randy, Andy, and donu for your helpful replies. I will make it a point to concentrate on how I am executing my strokes/technique (i.e. the forearm/wrist should move only in a quarter note, the other notes/motion should be from the fingers).
Andy, when I am work I spend many hours in front of a computer. However I have been on vacation for the past few days and have spent more time playing drums so I think my recent tendonitis is probably due to my drum playing.
First, i would examine the computer angle... make sure that isn't the problem before you go and change anything having to do with your drumming.
Moeller strokes... examine it. I had wrist problems a while back and since getting into this, among other new techniques, i haven't had a problem. Also, make sure that your are playing 'on' the head and not 'through' it... playing through it in combination with incorrect grip is like taking batting practice over and over and having the shock go up the hands and arms from incorrect grip.
Lastly, a GOOD teacher to examine your technique. Talk to people in your area and ask them who they would suggest. Also, have they, themselves, check out your technique... just get a concensus of what good players are doing. Ah... Weckl, those hands will be able to go forever... examine what his hands are doing.
I would even suggest wearing a wrist brace to work and allowing your tendons a little rest. Rest and a re-examined technical point of view should give you a good place to start.
Drum4fun:
I think Andy V. really nailed it with his observation about drumming vs. other repetitive activity. Very astute. We all use computers and that ol' mouse can lead to problems in the fingers, wrist, arms, shoulderblades etc.
My two cents on this issue is that I had similar tendonitis about nine years ago. It's hard to sort out if you're working a lot, as I was at the time. When I got a breather, I approached a few prominent teachers. When I had no success, I got hold of some videos and watched what drummers did that I didn't do. The Steve Gadd video, first one with primitive videography, helped most. Whereas I was holding the stick in the usual "thumb and first finger fulcrum" (as espoused by two-thirds of the drum teachers out there), I noticed that Steve's grip varied and that often he seemed to be "splitting" the fulcrum between thumb, SECOND, and first fingers. In fact, often his first finger would be loosely extended. Never, never did it curl around under the stick.
So that's what I did: started working on a thumb/second finger fulcrum, using the first finger as sort of a guide. Moving the stick became an action sort of like snapping the fingers. Never had a problem since and, I'll tell you, I felt relieved when Weckl's last video came out and he (and Steve Smith) recommended a similar grip. The change in grip/finger configuartion was a lifesaver for me, seriously...with the added benefit of getting my 3rd and 4th fingers more active. If you pinch with thumb and first finger, it seems that those other guys want to "fly away" from the stick. And if you pinch, that's when the tendonitis, in my case, reared up. Good luck!
WB.
Thank you matricks and Willy. I really appreciate all of the helpful and informative replies. HOD is the best!
Being a 20 year veteran of mixed martial arts and kickboxing, a natural understanding has come about for me regarding repetitive motion and it's therapies.
Most musicians don't excercise on a regular basis. Alot of them have poor eating habits and smoke. A recent study on women said that women that are obese and don't excercise regularily (at least 3-4 times a week, fairly hard, working up a sweat) are 200% as likely to die vs. a woman that works out and keeps her weight at a normal level.
One of the excercises we do in kickboxing is stretching. Stretching like a mofo!!! A drummers stretch would be to pull the fingers back with your other hand headed backwards towards your elbow while sitting. Another to incorporate the bicep would be the same stretch, but sitting at a table. Extend your arm out straight, turning it so the underside of your elbow is pointing towards the ceiling. Lock the arm in this position as straight as you can. Now use the table to pull your fingers back towards your elbow again. If you do this stretch correctly, you should feel a tension on the muscles/tendons running all the way from your wrist and forearm all the way to your bicep.
Also......... working in, and warming up all the joints is important. Rotating them in their natural rotation to their outer extremities will back off the onset of arthritis (calcium deposits). This process of excercise and fully rotating your joints helps get the blood to the nesscessary places, which in turn helps the repair ness to keep you going to a ripe old age.
Oh!! And just as importantly.... eat a good diet and take your vitamins daily.
hope this helps!!
-j
Thanks WecklsMechanic for your good advice. I tried out the stretches that you mentioned in your post. Those stretches will become part of my daily warm-up routine. It sounds like martial arts is a great sport for drummers. I probably should join a martial arts gym.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks