Advice For Potential New Drummer With Arthritis In Fingers

[TML]

I began playing guitar at age 11 (I'm 62 now). In my teens and twenties I played in a lot of bands. At age 31' date=' I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Over the next fifteen years, the arthritis caused extensive joint damage in both hands and wrists, making it difficult or impossible to play the guitar the way that I wanted to. So, in my mid-forties, I stopped playing guitar entirely, and switched to bass.[/quote']

 

How did your hands manage that? Like so many guitarists, I have screwed around with bass a little bit but never got serious about learning to play it properly. Strangely, I think I get bass a little more than I do guitar. For example, I sometimes have trouble picking out strum patterns in songs but I can follow a bass line perfectly. Sometimes I can't relate the bass line to the song when it is played by itself, but I do hear it well in the mix and I assume that I would learn to relate it to the song if I had ever gotten serious about learning to play bass. That is probably a lousy way of explaining it but it is all I have after working all day.

 

Anyway, I have never considered switching from bass to guitar because I didn't think there was any way that my hands could deal with the thicker strings. My arthritis is primarily in the large knuckles where the finger joins the hand and I just assumed that, if those hurt when playing chords, they would hurt a lot more when playing thick bass strings.

 

I would be interested in hearing more about your experience playing bass and how your hands dealt with the thicker strings.

 

 

In my fifties, I decided to learn to play the drums. I took lessons for about 18 months, learning basic rock beats and fills, and a few rudiments. Then I took a long hiatus from drums until a year ago, when I began taking lessons again. I have a great teacher, and have made a lot of progress in my playing, The damage in my hands and wrists limits my range of motion, and I know I'll never be Jojo Mayer, but that's okay; I'm having a lot of fun, and I'm very motivated to keep learning and improving.

 

Fun is the main thing, especially for someone like me who only plays as a hobby.

 

 

 

Here's my advice:

1. You don't say if you're seeing a rheumatologist. If not, make an appointment TODAY. Every day that you delay increases the risk that you will suffer irreversible joint damage that may make daily functioning, walking, eating, dressing, etc., difficult, let alone playing a musical instrument. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause other conditions, such as cardiovascular disease. A good rheumatologist will assess you and prescribe the best treatments for your particular form of arthritis, including drugs, PT, homeopathic treatments, diet modification, exercise, etc. Biologic drugs (Enbrel, Humira) were the only thing that stopped my arthritis in its tracks, but they came along fifteen years after I was diagnosed. Today there are many more treatment options available to you.

 

I am seeing one and have another appointment coming up shortly for arthritis in another area of my body. He doesn't seem overly concerned about the arthritis in my fingers because he says I still have good range of motion. It might hurt, but the fingers still move about (although gripping things can be problematic). I don't think he is necessarily ignoring my hands, I just have a much bigger arthritis issue elsewhere that needs to be proerly diagnosed and dealt with as it affects my mobility, which is obviously more important. But I will mention my hands again when I next see him.

 

 

2. Find a good teacher who emphasizes tension-free hand technique. If you start out with improper hand technique, you can do more harm than good. If you can't find anyone locally, look into Skype lessons with Bill Bachman at drumworkout.com.

 

 

I had thought of technique a bit as I am coming to the realization that I can do much more damage to myself with improper technique.

 

 

Hope this helps. Good luck and welcome to drumming.

 

It does and thanks.

 

Edited July 10, 2016 by TML

[rayboomboom]

 

He doesn't seem overly concerned about the arthritis in my fingers because he says I still have good range of motion. It might hurt, but the fingers still move about (although gripping things can be problematic). I don't think he is necessarily ignoring my hands, I just have a much bigger arthritis issue elsewhere that needs to be proerly diagnosed and dealt with as it affects my mobility, which is obviously more important. But I will mention my hands again when I next see him.

 

I had thought of technique a bit as I am coming to the realization that I can do much more damage to myself with improper technique.

 

Ah yes, western medicine: wait til it's a problem then deal with it.

[1001gear]

The most common cause of injury is probably overdoing it. You need to go at a comfortable rate in the early years - yes years. Warm up to your level of proficiency and stay there. If you can't do it with deliberate ease, slow down. If you get tired in any way, stop. The next day, don't try to start where you left off. You need to warm up again. (sorry boys and girls) The gains may seem too few and far between but that's the only way to improve; especially technically.

Edited July 13, 2016 by 1001gear

[sixstringer7]

TML,

 

Sorry for the delay in responding, I only saw your post today.

 

I would be interested in hearing more about your experience playing bass and how your hands dealt with the thicker strings.

 

Thanks to my current treatment regimen, I no longer have pain in my hands. What I do have is joint damage and loss of range of motion from years ago, when the arthritis was not well-controlled. On my left (fretting) hand, most of my fingers are OK, but my little (pinky) finger is totally destroyed. I found out quickly how limiting it is to play guitar without a little finger (at least, the kind of music I like to play). So, I switched to bass. Obviously, I can't observe the one-finger per-fret rule; I need to move my hand much more than is recommended. But, I make it work as best I can. My right (plucking) hand suffered more extensive damage, but I am able to play with a pick, or fingerpick with my index and middle fingers (with some difficulty). You said that you currently have pain in the joints of your hand, so I would recommend that you get the pain sorted out before you pursue guitar, bass, or drums. Which brings me to.....

 

I am seeing one and have another appointment coming up shortly for arthritis in another area of my body. He doesn't seem overly concerned about the arthritis in my fingers because he says I still have good range of motion. It might hurt, but the fingers still move about (although gripping things can be problematic). I don't think he is necessarily ignoring my hands, I just have a much bigger arthritis issue elsewhere that needs to be proerly diagnosed and dealt with as it affects my mobility, which is obviously more important. But I will mention my hands again when I next see him.

 

I would be very skeptical of any rheumatologist who isn't concerned about the pain in your hands. Without knowing anything about your particular case, it's certainly possible that other joints may be more concerning if they affect your mobility, but there's no reason I can think of that your doctor can't address all of your issues at once. Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic condition affecting the entire body, unlike osteoarthritis, which affects certain joints as a result of overuse or neglect. RA is caused when your immune system goes haywire and attacks the linings of your joints as if they were a foreign body. This causes inflammation; it is this inflammation that causes the pain in your hands. The fact that you still have good range of motion in your hands is a positive, but that can change in a hurry if the inflammation goes untreated.

 

If you haven't already, I would strongly recommend that you educate yourself on your condition, so you can be an effective advocate in dealing with your doctor. Back when I was diagnosed in the 1980s, the standard treatment protocol for rheumatologists was to prescribe the mildest drugs first, gradually going up the ladder to stronger drugs over time as needed. While this protocol reduced the frequency and severity of side effects, it also increased the likelihood of permanent joint damage by delaying the use of the most effective treatments. About ten years ago, this protocol was changed. Now, rheumatologists tend to prescribe the most effective drugs first (while closely monitoring for side effects). The reason I bring this up is that you mentioned your doctor advised you to begin taking turmeric. Turmeric is one of a number of homeopathic-type treatments (fish oil is another) that arthritis sufferers often try. Some people find that they help, other people don't. However, there are a whole range of drugs that have proven success in treating RA. You and your doctor should be discussing these treatment options before settling on turmeric as your first treatment option.

 

I hope this was helpful. Keep us posted on your progress, and best of luck.

[Hand-Drummin' Fool]

TML Newbie, I just saw your 2016 postings in Feb. 2020. Wanted to respond about arthritis and drumming.

Have you considered switching to hand drumming, instead of using a kit? I have a severely arthritic left thumb joint (bone-on-bone) and had to give up playing guitar after 40 years, due to the pain from barre chords and regular fretting.

So I switched to playing a djembe in drum circles, and now have only minimal pain after playing.

Or maybe consider playing the African dununs with sticks -- you'd hit them far less often than when playing a kit, so less wear on your fingers.

Or if the pain becomes severe enough, could always try playing a buffalo frame drum one-handed with a beater.

These suggestions may seem less than ideal to you, but at least you'd have some options for continuing to play music despite your physical limitations.

I can honestly say that I wish I had taken up hand drumming years ago, while I was still playing guitar. To me there's an immediacy and intensity to drumming with other people in a group that just wasn't there with the guitar. Very primal. I actually prefer hand-drumming over guitar now.

Anyway, hope this helped! 

 

[1001gear]

Would just like to add that the method I detailed at the front of this thread has taken root and is developing quite well. Going is slow but that's a function of diminishing obsession; gett'n' olde.

[JeffBradt]

I realize that this is an older thread, but I wanted to chime in:

Warming up is key, and care for the body is crucial, for drumming longevity. I am googling how to prevent arthritis, as carpal tunnel syndrome is enough for me and I want to be drumming when I am 100. If you want to do the same, or even if you want to last into next year, please do all you can to prevent and/or alleviate arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Drumming can get both of those things going, if one neglects to warm up, eat, and exercise, all properly.

Be kind to your body; it's the only one you get.

This means you, folks.

[Phil O'Keefe]

15 hours ago, JeffBradt said:

I realize that this is an older thread, but I wanted to chime in:

Warming up is key, and care for the body is crucial, for drumming longevity. I am googling how to prevent arthritis, as carpal tunnel syndrome is enough for me and I want to be drumming when I am 100. If you want to do the same, or even if you want to last into next year, please do all you can to prevent and/or alleviate arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. Drumming can get both of those things going, if one neglects to warm up, eat, and exercise, all properly.

Be kind to your body; it's the only one you get.

This means you, folks.

Great first post!

Welcome to Harmony Central.

[Chloe]

Arthritis can make it difficult to hold drumsticks for an extended period of time but there are grip assists that can help you called EazyHolds. https://eazyhold.com  

EazyHolds are silicone bands that attach to the sticks and you just slide your hand in and they allow you to release your grasp to rest your joints and keep inflammation down as you play. The silicone cuffs come in several different sizes for small to x-large hands.  Here is for a ladies hand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077TDS8VX?ref=myi_title_dp.     And here is for a mans hand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TS37342?ref=myi_title_dp

[MarkoTPMD]

Hey, great thread! I played as a teenager back in the sixties for a few years. I started playing again probably 4 - 5 years ago, bought a used kit and some great Paistes and have been having a ball just playing along to my music. 

I was having some trouble with Tendinitis at the base of my thumb, I had to ice my hands down after playing. I tried a million different sticks and grips. I've never taken lessons, which probably was the problem. Eventually I found a few sticks I like, and my hands have gotten stronger, and I guess I'm balancing the sticks better, but I haven't had much pain for a while now. I do have shoulder arthritis, I'm heading for my second shoulder replacement soon, but it is due to playing a racket sport for 38 years. Thanks for the tips!

Having too much fun!

[1001gear]

I gave myself tennis elbow as a kid so my understanding of that is, it's from banging on the tendons .

Regardless, my older and wiser approach involves glacial tempi warmups tracking the sticks instead of propelling them. This required chucking the traditional teeter totter methods for percussion grips that offered farm more real time control and most important, damping. Proper damping is key to musical playing and minimizing injury.