Injury

dubmon · #1 04-30-2009, 03:46 PM

Hey JMJ,
Just curious, as you've played your arse of for years and toured like crazy, night in and night out---have you ever had an injury that affected your playing and had to deal with it and press on? Of course, I hope the answer is "no", but if you have, I'd be curious with whatever you'd wanna share about it. I recently have somehow injured by right wrist which strangely doesn't affect my fingerstyle playing, but starts to hurt when I play pickstyle (about 50% of what I do!). I've been getting some PT/acupuncture and it is starting to help (plus playing pickstyle less

, but it's all out of pocket, as I am yet another musician with no health insurance, so I can only seek pro care for a limited time. And, I HAVE to play. Just wondering if you have any similar experience with pain/injury when the show HAD to go on, and what you did to aid in comfort/recovery (but again, I hope not

JimmyM · #2 04-30-2009, 04:04 PM

Please allow me to interject...I used to have chronic hand pains when playing pickstyle, and learning Carol Kaye's picking method helped tremendously. She explains it on her website www.carolkaye.com , but it's all scattered out all over her website so you have to go poking for it. It completely alleviated the pain I had using a pick. Some people can withstand the downpicking by the bridge thing I used to like to do, but when I hit 40 my hand started killing me to do it and I just can't do it anymore. Since you got injured, it may not work until you heal, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

jmjbassplayer · #3 05-01-2009, 07:55 PM

I have had carpal tunnel. Saw a great chiro in Los Angeles, he sorted it. Also had some acupuncture. That was about 10 years back. These days, smooth sailing.

But I had to play through extreme pain, and sort of "invent" new muscle groups to take over. It is a fading memory, but I remember some strange adaptations of technique.

But about 7 months ago, a ramp broke off the stage deck at the end of a NIN show, with me on it. I hit the floor hard, mostly on my right hip, leg, and shoulder. My shoulder is now giving me occasional trouble, but 2-3 chiro visits and a massage or two, and it seems to abate for months at a time.

I think acupuncture and chiro work really well for repetitive stress injury.

s

dubmon · #4 05-01-2009, 10:58 PM

Thanks JMJ---it's encouraging to hear about other folks getting past such things, and that life goes on, especially busy pros. I am vehemently anti trad western medicine for the most part(from my past experience, all they wanna do is cut and medicate), so the alt/acupuncture/massage route is where I go looking for help.
And Jimmy, y'know, I have played pickstyle for so long with technique that would make Carol Kaye roll her eyes---pinky sticking out--horrible! But it was always fine, and I had total control over muting, subtleties of tone, etc. But I guess I could try her approach again---it just always felt really awkward.

jmjbassplayer · #5 05-01-2009, 11:12 PM

Yeah, no trad medicine for me too, for the most part. I keep it real.

JimmyM · #6 05-02-2009, 12:22 AM

I'm married to an RN, so I can't come out against trad medicine

but I do wish they'd incorporate more homeopathic medicine into it. And I really wish insurance companies wouldn't roll their eyes at paying for it.

Speaking of rolling eyes, yeah, Carol will tell you that everyone who plays bass without using her technique will end up crippling themselves. I don't know about that, but I do know that I can use her technique and play with a pick as long as I want to, whereas I had to give up the pick at one point because I literally couldn't hold one longer than 30 seconds. I'll be the first to admit that it doesn't look as cool as Dee Dee Ramone (unlike most technique nazis, I totally believe in looking cool onstage), and it can sound a little muddy compared to playing at the bridge (or slappy if you pick too hard), and palm muting is right out using Carol's method, so I can understand not liking it. But for me I had no choice. It was either do it Carol's way or go strictly fingers.

Andrew Jones · #7 05-02-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Saw a great chiro in Los Angeles, he sorted it.

Arlo Gordon? If so he helped me allot. As well as great advice on diet and it's effect. Marcus Miller was getting treatment at the same time,some how our appointments kept over lapping.Nice guy,absolutely loved my dog.Lobo, a wolf hybrid.

Aj

Mic Nuggette' · #8 05-02-2009, 10:41 PM

I have suffered hearing loss in my left ear for several decades. Usually I can compensate for things unless I am sick with flue or congestion. I have adapted over many years to learn how to compensate for my lack of hearing at times.
Mic Nuggette'
Pelvic Triangle 2004

jmjbassplayer · #9 05-02-2009, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew Jones

Arlo Gordon? If so he helped me allot. As well as great advice on diet and it's effect. Marcus Miller was getting treatment at the same time,some how our appointments kept over lapping.Nice guy,absolutely loved my dog.Lobo, a wolf hybrid.

Aj

Yeah, that's the guy. Along with him, the most excellent Dr. Michael DeNapoli in Pasadena, CA. Between those two guys, I'm pretty much handled.