lugamd Over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to care for a number of legendary drummers with shoulder pain. The causes of shoulder pain in drummers can vary. The most common causes however are due to repetitive overhead activity such as reaching for a high crash cymbal or reaching behind the shoulder to … Read more
Drumming is a very demanding and dynamic activity requiring a tremendous amount of muscle conditioning, endurance, strength and coordination. To become a great drummer we must practice long hours, performing the same repetitive activity over and over again to develop the necessary muscle memory to perform night after night. While the rate of traumatic injuries … Read more
After a long gig or practice session have you ever experienced pain in one or more fingers or lost the ability to bend or straighten a finger? If so, you could be experiencing what’s known as trigger finger or when it occurs in the thumb, trigger thumb. Trigger finger or stenosing tenosynovitis is a condition … Read more
The value of a proper warm-up routine prior to athletic competition or practice has been recognized as an optimal method of preventing injury during athletic activity. Musicians, particularly drummers, must also appropriately prepare to perform as well. Pre-participation warm-up, including stretching and flexibility exercises, is a common practice for athletes; however, few musicians realize the … Read more
Recently I received an email from a DRUM reader in Italy asking for some medical advice for treating an embarrassing problem. He was not able to sit on the thrown of his kit because of a painful problem that he had developed called hemorrhoids. At first it seemed strange to me as a novas drummer … Read more
Despite the understandable anticipation a musician experiences before a performance and the drained and tiered feeling felt after a performance, our actions preceding and immediately following the performance can drastically determine our musical fate. The potential preventative benefits of a proper warm-up and cool down routine cannot be over emphasized. The value of a proper … Read more
It is well know that the hour kept by musicians can be grueling. Limited sleep, long hours, lack of exercise and poor eating habits can lead to disaster. Drumming is a physically demanding activity requiring adequate intake of calories (food) and fluid. Good nutrition is an important component of staying healthy and is manifest in … Read more
Since the development of double bass pedals, double bass sound has been incorporated into numerous musical styles such as funk, fusion, rock, metal and progressive rock. Despite the fact that drummers have played double bass drums for many years, mastering this double bass drum technique can be extremely difficult. As a former athlete and musician … Read more
Last month I kicked off a series of articles on common hand and wrist injuries in drummers. The nerves crossing the wrist and into the hand are very vulnerable to injury either from direct trauma or due to repetitive injury. The most common nerve injury occurring in the wrist is carpal tunnel syndrome or median … Read more
Acute and chronic forearm pain is a very common condition in musicians and particularly drummers requiring them to seek medical care. The repetitive wrist and elbow motion required to play drums predispose us to developing forearm muscle tendon overuse injuries. Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis, the most common of these entities encompasses a variety of … Read more
