Okay fellow drummers, here's a good one for you.

I've been getting cortisone shots in my wrist every 2-3 months to combat some tendon damage that I have had now for about 2 years.

Problem is, due to corporate downsizing in August, I've got no job, which means no insurance, which means no shots.

My left hand and wrist began to act up yesterday, and as of right now, I can't make a fist. My hand is all swollen up, and I have a band show tomorrow night (Saturday). How bad is it? If the show was tonight, there's no way that I could play it.

I'm currently taking Naproxen and Advil, and alternating ice and heat on my wrist. I'm also going to try to tape it up for the show tomorrow, but I may not be able to play the whole show.

So, any advice or quick fixes?








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maybe smoke a joint? haha








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Harsh times! I'd recommend going to a clinic and asking them, or asking the trainer if you go to a gym - I'd say that you PROBABLY shouldn't play on it, but hey, a gig's a gig.








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english, motherf**ker, do you speak it!?
http://www.myspace.com/tuskband

Hey man,try and warm up the wrist with some deep heat and strap it up well.

If its detrimental to your health and could lead to serious issues with your wrist then I wouldn't play the show. But who am I to talk...

I'm the genius who on a broken ankle in a cast started playing drums again in practice just 3 days after the break. And that was just practice, but believe me I paid a price for it. Don't think Ive gone through so much pain before.








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"pop culture can lick the back end of my dick"

-Derek Hatfield

Take care of your wrist and I hope the show goes well.

Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs once injured his left hand and had to play throughout their European tour one-handed. But his drumming is pretty simplistic if you are into technical drumming. Here are some links to the live videos. Not sure they would help, but just for your reference anyways.

Cheated Hearts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrfP-djsja8

Fancy/Date With The Night/Honeybear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUqjku2WJMk

Pin/Gold Lion/Phenomena:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUYHTLOA5m4

Phenomena/Rich:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciFztt6-kFo

when i play my right forearm craps up and i used to get the occasional shooting pain in my left forearm!! I get paranoid alot abou8t hurting myself and not being able to play!! i'm so protective over my limbs! all my mates scrap fight loads ( we're all early 20's so it gets ruff) and i'm the one that is always like dudes seriously get the fuck off my hands lol








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www.sadrummer.com/sadrummers/ralphmargo.html

Click this link... somewhere near the bottom is a story about a small injury I sustained 2 minutes before going on stage in front of more than 1000 ppl








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"I like to make my living beating things with a stick." Nick Menza

What you have is no different to a sports injury. If you keep playing it'll just get worse until you can play no more! Take a serious look at it my man.

Cramp seems to be common among me and my fellow drummers. Caused by dehydration and lack of exercise on the partcular area you're using. My right hand cramped once, two songs from the end of the set. I'd never got it before and it was really scarey because my hand closed into a claw and I had to hold the sticks between the middle fingers - bloody agony it was. Plus having to get the bass player to forcibly uncurl my fingers afterwards was just weird. The doc said - stay off alcohol before/during playing, drink lots of water, warm up and take the time to practice just using the hand/arm/leg thatis effected.








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I had a sim. thing going on aswell. It was the tendons on my wrist about halfway down my forarm. I had tention knots and my girfriend did some deep massage and worked it out......lol But it was the same I couldn't make a fist or hold the friggin stick. Try feeling around and see if you got a tention spot. Some times you get a calcium deposite and f's up your mussles wich in turn f's up your playing. Also you might want to try soaking in epsom salt & hot water. The pills will just mask the problem but not fix um. Good luck and all......

If you think your wrist hurts think about the Drummer for Def Leppard..i forget his name...He has to play shows and go thru life with one arm.








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Here's a pic of my right hand. I did this 3 years ago. I resumed playing approx. 2 weeks after it all happened. Talk about pain. My advice: a couple of hydros and a few beers will fix any health issue











Last edited by WhereSheWept on Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:06 pm; edited 1 time in total
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WhereSheWept wrote:

Here's a pic of my right hand. I did this 3 years ago. I resumed playing approx. 2 weeks after it all happened. Talk about pain. My advice: a couple of hydos and a few beers will fix any health issue

ow.








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Ludwig Drums
Sabian Cymbals
Vater Sticks
Aquarian Heads.
All Good.

Wow buddy...

Try putting some ice on it and not using it very much until your gig.
I hope that works, but I'm not completely sure.

well if its as bad as the guy with four fingers...dont play it! seriously a gig is a gig but for us percussionists our hands are life!!! not just for drums but for other things too man...if u MUST play the show...kiss....good luck tonite!








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