Painful calluses

[Brian Lynch]

I have a problem called painful calluses. on the top joint of my left hand middle finger i have developed a really painfull calluses, to the point where i cant even bend that joint it is that painful. i have bin playing with a cow skin djembe so i would amagine it has something to do with that and the way i play. has anyone ever experniced this before and what can be done.

[bubudi]

check these threads
social/hand-care-t113.html
help/split-finger-tips-advice-needed-t1497.html

[bops]

Hi Brian, how long have you been playing jembe? How long have you been playing on cow skin? When did the pain start?

[Brian Lynch]

Hows it going Bops, these pains come and go depending on how long i play the djembe for at a time. I first experienced this pain about two years ago from playing Congas. It has always bin on the same left hand finger no other finger, i am right handed as well if that says anything. ive bin playing cow skin on and off for two years. the first trip to Africa which was January 2010 for three months saw me only playing goat skin and i didnt get any pains, when i came back i started playing cow skin, i got it from time to time but only really when i was playing hard for a long time. i went back to Africa in January 2011 for three months but was not playing cow skin again. sinse if bin back ive bin playing cow skin and have bin getting pain but to the point where i cant bend my finger. Not being able to bend my finger happened last week after a two day Nansady Ketia workshop and playing for the concert which was full on. what has allso happened from what i can see is these is blood blisters under the calluses.

[bops]

Congas can be brutal on the hands... then again so can cow skin jembe. If I were you I'd probably switch back to goat. That is, after you give yourself some time to heal. Don't play on an injury, you'll only make it worse.

Once you're ready to start playing again, consider adjusting your technique. It can be hard, since technique gets so ingrained... but since it's only happening in your left hand, it's probably due to your technique. Try to play with your left more... lead with your left, play accompaniments with opposite handing if you can. You have to work your left hand disproportionately to make it stronger.

Good luck man!

[ralphswurld]

Calluses are dead skin and shouldn't hurt... Especially 3 year old calluses. Is "normal" skin being pinched in-between the calluses or something?

[archetypo]

I occasionally get painful callus build-up on the middle joint of my index or second fingers, and whenever that starts to happen, I sand them down gently with a nail-shaping file or a foot file. I like to maintain a certain level of skin thickness on my hands, but whenever callus starts to build up in any one area, out comes the file. It helps if you soak your hands in hot water first, to soften up the skin, and then after filing, slather your hands with shea butter and sleep with a pair of cotton gloves on.

And definitely start working your left-hand technique. I find that the more I refine my technique, the less I suffer from calluses. One good way to work the left hand is to go over all your usual phrases and exercises left-handed, slowly, with a critical ear for consistency of sound from one hand to the other. Watch your hand technique in a mirror, see if you can spot what you're doing differently on that hand that's causing the callus. If you're getting blood blisters under the calluses, you definitely need to do something about them - calluses can be very hard and literally cut into the flesh underneath, no joke. Don't play on them until you've fully healed up and rehabilitated your hands. Better a short hiatus than permanent damage.

I've always found that if I play hard enough to hurt my hands, I'm trying too hard, using volume to compensate for lack of precision in my technique. When I really focus on refining my sound and relaxation, volume is no problem. I notice most master drummers I've met have little to no callus on their hands, and when I've asked them about it, they all say the same thing - technique!

[the kid]

what has allso happened from what i can see is these is blood blisters under the calluses.

Def burst blood or water blisters as if you play on them they get bigger. They hurt too much to. I've had to put a needle and tread through some blisters in the past cos they kept closing up and filling with ooze again. Good way to freak people out is show them your hands. Anybody who done a bit of work with a shovel will be proud of you do.

And it's good to fill down the calluses as arch said there. Again it limits the pressure being exerted inside the finger. Sometimes the calluses exert a force inside which,i think, causes more problems with water and blood build up

[e2c]

atch your hand technique in a mirror, see if you can spot what you're doing differently on that hand that's causing the callus. If you're getting blood blisters under the calluses, you definitely need to do something about them - calluses can be very hard and literally cut into the flesh underneath, no joke. Don't play on them until you've fully healed up and rehabilitated your hands. Better a short hiatus than permanent damage.

Totally agreed on treatment and backing off from things that cause further injuries 'til things are healed up. You're right about how calluses can cause pain, too - to surrounding surface tissue and deep tissue as well. (Happens a lot with feet...)

I've always found that if I play hard enough to hurt my hands, I'm trying too hard, using volume to compensate for lack of precision in my technique. When I really focus on refining my sound and relaxation, volume is no problem. I notice most master drummers I've met have little to no callus on their hands, and when I've asked them about it, they all say the same thing - technique!

Absolutely! Great points, archetypo.

*
Something else to keep in mind: post-age 30 repetitive stress injuries and the like tend to happen much more frequently (though the main culprit there is lots of time on computer keyboards).

Best to try and take care of one's hands now, so that 30-40 years down the road, you can still enjoy playing. Plus, we won't always be able to hit hard - it's good to learn how to get the sound you need and want with the least amount of force necessary. (Also helps save energy when playing for long periods of time.)

Like archetypo said, volume seems to have a lot to do with relaxation and overall technique - I know that when i tense up and play harder, I get less overall return in terms of feel and sound, including loudness/softness. It's so easy to slip into this - I know I have to check myself mentally and "body scan" for places with tension, etc. Sometimes I find that shifting positions ever so slightly (when seated) can help big-time on this. (Just like sitting for too long at a desk - best to take small breaks, get up, stretch.)

all very common-sensical, when it comes right down to it.

[the kid]

Sometimes you have to keep playing and smiling cos it's your work

Whats harder the drum or your hands?

Sometimes your gonna bust those hands

Personally, i think you have to create a tolerance to the pain your suffering while playing. It takes years to get good and get good technique. But along the way is some suffering.

Yes many djembe masters may have not too much callus build up but after 30-40 years playing the hands are totally used to playing and it's normal. And in there later life they aren't playing as hard or as much as they were in the ballet years.

[e2c]

Gotta disagree on the "no pain, no gain" idea, really.

It's not followed by reputable athletic trainers anymore, and with good reason.

Now... performers are in a slightly different category. Dancers (of all kinds, as in ballet and modern dance companies) dance injured a lot. But their careers are quite short (15-20 years at the absolute outside - often much less due to multiple injuries over time), and dance fans will tell you to make sure that you go and check the "injured" list on the day of a performance prior to buying a ticket. (Its a real thing; posted on the wall near the ticket windows, usually.)

A body can only take so much before it needs time to off to heal.

the kid, I do hope your hands will be in good shape years from now! But I'm not sure that playing music = the player must suffer physical pain in order to learn. If you want to take that approach, that's up to you (or anyone else who might choose it), but it seems rather too - for want of a better word - macho for my tastes.

[bkidd]

i would say "no pain, no pain". pain is always an indication to pay attention. sometimes pain is part of the learning process where the body has not been used in a particular way and simply needs to build up stamina or technique through practice. other times, however, the pain is an indication that something is wrong and ignoring this sensation or trying to push through it may lead to prolonged or even permanent injuries.

-brian

[e2c]

I'm not talking about strained/tired muscles, but about hand pain, especially around joints.

I've had two tendon sheath cysts in my hands over the past couple of years (they can form around any tendon in the palm and fingers, hurt like crazy and restrict normal movement of the affected tendon) and when that happens, the only safe course is to back off playing for a while.

I got both from not exactly optimal technique. They're healed now, thankfully... though i do have trigger finger in my left hand as a result and that doesn't go away.

here's some info. - http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcar ... index.aspx

[the kid]

The tread is called painful calluses not painful tendons


Calluses are natural for people who work with their hands. Carpenters, weavers, farm workers all get calluses. It's part of the job. Check any drum carvers hands. Huge calluses. Larger than most djembe players.

Problems with tendons from typing or other pursuits is a different thing altogether.

[e2c]

the kid, with all due respect, the topic hasn't been messed up, by me or anyone else. "Painful calluses" are from injuries to the hands.

I know you're proud of your calluses. Not everyone agrees with you about that, and I don't think complaints about what I've said are going to change others' opinions and comments.