{"id":572,"date":"2023-01-06T07:47:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-06T15:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/?p=572"},"modified":"2023-06-30T13:49:09","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T20:49:09","slug":"adventures-in-arthritis-pt-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/adventures-in-arthritis-pt-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures In Arthritis, Pt. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have been playing drums my entire life, since I was able to hold a pair of drumsticks on my own. My father was a drummer who owned a set of Ludwigs, which I later inherited and eventually passed down to my son. The kit was the \u201cJoe Morello model\u201d, which was originally silver sparkle, but had mellowed into more of a \u201cginger ale sparkle\u201d, probably from the gigs he had done in the smoke-filled rooms back in the 1960s. Sitting in a closet for the better part of 30 years probably contributed to that color migration as well. The sizes were: a 13\u201d tom, 16\u201d floor tom, and 22\u201d bass drum which were large for drums in those days. The date stamp in the shells, where visible, read \u201cFeb. 8, 1961\u201d. The inner ply of the bass drum was maple, while the toms were mahogany. My son and I refinished it back in 2012, and that\u2019s a whole \u2018other story in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around the time I was four years old, I saw a man named George Lawrence (owner\/editor of Not So Modern Drummer magazine) play a drum solo at my parents\u2019 photography studio in Jackson, MS during a photoshoot for his band. My father recorded that solo on one of those old portable cassette players that resembled a brick with a handle. I can remember listening to that drum solo over and over; I do remember that it was something in 6\/8, and had a lot of descending wraparound drum fills that later on, I would discover in the playing of Neil Peart of Rush and Barriemore Barlow of Jethro Tull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually the tape broke, and that was the end of that \u201cdrum lesson\u201d. During that time period, I decided that my calling in life was to play the drums, and somehow I\u2019ve been doing it ever since. It kinda blows my mind to think about it, actually!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do remember George had a Slingerland kit that wrapped around from a 6\u201d tom all the way to an 18\u201d floor tom, and every size in between. I had only seen more drums than that on TV; I believe it was Willie Ornelas\u2019 kit from the Sonny & Cher show, which would have made sense, due to their popularity at the time. To say I had \u201cdrum envy\u201d was an understatement, as all I had was a 4pc kit, dreaming of a day when I could have my own wraparound kit. Looking back, the fact that I even had a drumkit at my disposal from such an early age was a privilege that I\u2019ll forever be grateful for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It goes without saying that over the past 50 years, I\u2019ve put a lot of miles on my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So one day in about 2016, I was in the attic of my house, swinging from truss supports and trying to avoid putting a foot through the ceiling. It was at that time I noticed a nagging pain deep in the middle of my hand, where my thumb \u201cplugs in\u201d to the largesse of my palm. It was pronounced, and I could \u201crepeat it\u201d\u2026 so I knew something was not quite right. Overall, my drumming wasn\u2019t affected by it, so I didn\u2019t pay any mind to it other than the old humorous trope: \u201cif it hurts when you do *that*, then don\u2019t do *that*\u2026\u201d and so I soldiered on with gigs and lessons. Not too long after that, ouch\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Big Ouch<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fast-forward about nine months, and I had begun to feel a bit of pain in my right hand grip. Side note: I\u2019m a traditional grip player most of the time, and hadn\u2019t yet begun to experience any symptoms in the left hand. Those would begin to show up about a year later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I went to a sports medicine specialist, got X-Rayed and he pulls up the picture, circles a spot in the middle of my hand and says \u201cyep, here\u2019s your problem, you\u2019ve got Osteoarthritis. See how the cartilage is disappearing? And oh yeah, you\u2019ve got a bone spur right here (adds another circle). Happy day, Mr. Ray!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not really great news by any stretch of the imagination, but it\u2019s information\u2026 and knowing what\u2019s up is far better than continuing to ignore the problem, and wonder why I\u2019m experiencing pain. So I began to educate myself on how to manage it, because it\u2019s not going to go away and will continue to degrade as time progresses. I guess we drummers really do have a \u201cshelf life\u201d of sorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preventative Measures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Over the course of my \u201cjourney\u201d with this condition, I\u2019ve gone to a hand specialist and taken steroid injections several times now. They\u2019re not too bad\u2026 I had incorrectly fantasized they\u2019d be jabbing a sewer-pipe sized needle into my hand and pumping it up full of goo with the consistency of axle grease, but it\u2019s actually a very small needle and the cortisone is of a thin viscosity. Other than the initial \u201cstick\u201d, the topping off of your \u201cjoint capsule\u201d with the lovely, lovely cortisone is a very bizarre feeling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from temporary relief and feeling like Superman for the rest of the day (steroids tend to give me a euphoric feeling), I don\u2019t find them beneficial for me at this point. They\u2019re certainly not a cure; rather they\u2019re more of a Band-Aid. My doctor told me their effectiveness will begin to wear off over time, so I\u2019ve decided to forego that course of treatment until I get to the point that \u201cnothing else works\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hand doc did craft for me a couple of custom-fit hand braces made from \u201cAquaplast\u201d, a polymer material that, when placed in water of a certain temperature, renders it into somewhat of a fabric that is easily molded and fitted to any shape you can imagine. These braces do provide a bit of relief after a long day of hitting things with sticks, as they tend to immobilize my thumbs and \u201cgive them a break\u201d. It\u2019s just that I always forget to wear them\u2026 and so I suffer. :\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halitosis\u2026I Mean\u2026 Holistic Measures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At this point, I\u2019ve found the most effective solution for me to be holistic in nature. Stretching and warming up on a pad before playing makes a big difference in my overall performance, and helps cut down post-performance discomfort. You should always come from the place of “asking” your body to perform a task rather than “telling” it to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The stretches I use are three basic moves. I begin with making a \u201cStop\u201d gesture, with my arm extended and palm facing forward. Pull gently with the opposite hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Stop sign stretch. HALT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Stretching each individual finger is also beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
How many seconds should you stop? Let me count… <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next, maintain the “stop” pose and turn your fingertips towards the floor, and stretch that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This feels good just looking at it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And then stretch the individual fingers, one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
OH YESSSSS <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next, make a fist, curl your wrist under and give a gentle pull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Few will know the gloriousness of these stretches. Try them sometimes! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Demento Called…<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To preface this paragraph, I\u2019m not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV), so check with a medical professional regarding any personal limitations you may have regarding the aforementioned drugs. As for pharmaceutical options, NSAIDs such as Tylenol (Acetaminophen), Aleve (Naproxen), and Motrin (Ibuprofen) have proven to work best for me. I\u2019ll take a couple of Tylenols an hour before downbeat, and it makes the gig go so much smoother. Post-gig, I\u2019ll have 800mg of Ibuprofen to help reduce any swelling. I’ve also discovered “Voltaren”, a hand cream loaded with Sodium Diclofinac (yummy…J\/K :p) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting A Grip On Things<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During the time I began to feel some level of pain in both hands, it caused me to examine my grip in an effort to figure out how could I best reduce the pinching of my thumb and forefinger as the \u201crotational axis\u201d for my stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The usual “fast fulcrum” with the index finger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My solution involved moving the rotational axis to the first joint of my middle finger, which allows my pinky and ring fingers to also curl around the stick more easily. The middle finger also comes into play and provides a much longer and stable \u201cfast fulcrum\u201d, which gives more power to the stick. It also reduces the amount of pressure my thumb has to endure in its role providing support to the other fingers in controlling the stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A slightly modified fulcrum to accommodate my hand pain. There’s literally no tension in the “front” of my hand. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Because of the increased contact from my fingers, I can completely remove my thumb from the stick at times, as holding the stick in such a manner creates a \u201cpocket\u201d for the drumstick to move within. However, this technique is a bit limiting, as I cannot play buzz strokes, or anything requiring a prolonged pinch with the thumb & whichever rotational axis is being used at any given moment (the index finger or the 1st joint of the middle finger). It\u2019s how I can give my thumb a rest in between the times I need to utilize it to play a figure that\u2019s necessary to \u201cmark the musical trail\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Look Ma, no thumbs! Sometimes this grip is necessary.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A couple of beneficial byproducts of this somewhat modified \u201cTony Williams grip\u201d are the following: 1\u2013 My hands are much more relaxed, and 2\u2013 Because of the increased skin-to-stick contact ratio, the sticks do not have a propensity to slip out of my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dealing With Loss<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s things that I used to be able to play that elude me now; I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s from lack of practicing those particular techniques, or because my hands don\u2019t take well to the stresses that some particular rudiments can bring to them. Or subconsciously, I avoid those things that cause me to notice my creaks and squeaks. I love to play brushes, and my left hand traditional grip typically gives me a nudge that I should back off a bit, as the brush applies sort of an upward pressure to my left thumb joint and puts stress on it. It\u2019s not that I can\u2019t play brushes, I just had to modify my technique a bit to do so and have to \u201cmentally prepare\u201d to be able to back off a bit if & when my thumb starts screaming out our \u201csafe word\u201d (it\u2019s \u201cEyjafjallaj\u00f6kull\u201d, in case you\u2019re interested\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At any rate, when I was in my 20s, I once heard someone in a discussion say about guitar great Jimmie Vaughn \u201cHe (JV) has forgotten more chops than anyone else will ever play\u201d, or something to that effect. That\u2019s a bit of a stretch, LOL\u2026 but it sounded cool to me, and it fit in with the #1 thing I was hearing at that time from people who were employing me in their band. To quote a legendary drummer from San Diego named Ray Tejedas, aka \u201cThe Counselor\u201d, \u201cYou gotta lay dead, kid\u201d. Lay. Dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I took that line to heart over time (read: almost 30 years!), and began to let go of things I \u201chear\u201d that don\u2019t necessarily serve the music well. As they say, \u201cyou gotta choose your battles wisely\u201d and so I began to take on the attitude to \u201cleave the pyrotechnics to the young cats\u201d. Steve Ferrone once gave me some great advice: \u201cWhen you hear a fill in your head, don\u2019t play it, wait til it comes around the next time then do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this is ironic, as my current gig is with a guitarist who is both exalted as legend, and known as one of the fastest guitarists in the world. I\u2019ve come to realize I wasn\u2019t hired for my ability to \u201cplay fast\u201d; I\u2019m there to make good musical choices, and craft for the band rhythmic equations and statements congruent with what\u2019s being played in the moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Lies Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Arthritis has been somewhat of a blessing in disguise; ergo: this is me, remaining optimistic and positive that I\u2019ve still got a lot of years in this business of drumming, and I\u2019m going to soldier forth and keep on doing this until the day I cannot. It\u2019s caused me to make better musical choices overall when playing with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really haven\u2019t \u201clost\u201d anything so far, since my discovery. Rather, I\u2019ve learned to adapt to the new \u201cfeatures\u201d my body is revealing to me, and the workarounds haven\u2019t been all bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as a note to my four-year-old self\u2026 Hey kid, You\u2019d rather play a 4pc kit anyway. It\u2019s less confusing and easier to set up\/tear down. \ud83d\ude00<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our instructor Bill Ray on his ongoing challenge with osteoarthritis and how to overcome it while pursuing one’s passion. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"disabled","site-content-layout":"disabled","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"disabled","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"disabled","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"disabled","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"disabled","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"disabled","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"disabled","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[37,34,35,36],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-woodshed","tag-billraydrums","tag-health","tag-instrumentchallenges","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1498,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/572\/revisions\/1498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=572"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seattledrumschool.com\/dev\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}