Pinky help plz

[jacohead]

So I was practicing note bends just using my pinky finger on the left hand and put the bass down to get a bite to eat. I come back and i get some pain whenever i use the pinky to fret any note. It feels like a bone bruise and the first nuckle joint looks a bit swollen. Its only been about two days. Has this ever happend to any of you and what did you to to heal it ? thanks

[JimmyM]

i just never bend strings using my pinky. that's a lot to ask of a pinky finger.

[jacohead]

Tell me about it !

[Stumpy]

Most guys I know use the pinky/ring finger to do bends etc. I just never do it.

[JimmyM]

i use my ring finger backed up by the middle finger.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by jacohead

So I was practicing note bends just using my pinky finger on the left hand and put the bass down to get a bite to eat. I come back and i get some pain whenever i use the pinky to fret any note. It feels like a bone bruise and the first nuckle joint looks a bit swollen. Its only been about two days. Has this ever happend to any of you and what did you to to heal it ? thanks

Swelling need ice to take it down. Anti-inflammatories to reduce the swelling, Ibuprofen based is good, and rest.

I know it seemed like a good idea at the time but, never use the little fingers un-supported, or any finger really without proper training and exercise to support the movement.
It should be a week to 10 days to heal, if not see a doctor.
after it heals i needs to be gently brought back to use as it will still be weak, so build it back in over the course of 4-5 weeks and chalk this up to experience.

[XtheDeadPawn]

Or just don't use it at all I only use my first three finger for any fretting.

I got a finger exerciser but, I gave that up once I found out that my pinky started getting injured.

I feel pinky are better left on the G string if anywhere at all for fretting. However when playing chords or scales I use all four fingers.

[Orph]

I experienced that early on, all it took was a week of rest, I think I sprained it in my case.

I'm back to bending notes with my pinky now. It's strong enough to do it, if I keep it straight, slightly bending my wrist to accomplish the bending of the string. I would be careful doing it, though, until you "crack the code", so to speak.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by XtheDeadPawn

Or just don't use it at all I only use my first three finger for any fretting.

I got a finger exerciser but, I gave that up once I found out that my pinky started getting injured.

I feel pinky are better left on the G string if anywhere at all for fretting. However when playing chords or scales I use all four fingers.

-1. sorry, not great advice. finger exercisers are crap. and using the little finger is easy once you get used to it and use good technique. and using only 3 fingers for fretting is really missing out.

[Marton]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

-1. sorry, not great advice. finger exercisers are crap. and using the little finger is easy once you get used to it and use good technique. and using only 3 fingers for fretting is really missing out.

I agree here, even if for some reasons you don't play with 1 finger per fret on the lower part of the fretboard, you're better using a 1-2-4 technique, like a double bassist.

[nsmar4211]

You hurt your pinky doing too much with it before it had a chance to build up strength. Let it rest. Start slowwwwww-those are tiny muscles in your hands. Maybe I missed it, but why are you practicing string bends with your pinky? Have to say I've rarely even seen a guitarist do that and they have tinyyyyy strings that high.
Let it rest..... ice it..... don't do that again .
Use your third finger to help your pinky until it builds up, they're anatomically connected anyway

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by nsmar4211

Y Maybe I missed it, but why are you practicing string bends with your pinky? Have to say I've rarely even seen a guitarist do that and they have tinyyyyy strings that high.

What? Really? I bend with my pinky all the time. On a guitar it's easy to do it either way, but on bass I usually bend downwards. Bombtrack is a song that comes to mind where you need to bend the A on the E string with your pinky.

[jacohead]

Originally Posted by XtheDeadPawn

Or just don't use it at all I only use my first three finger for any fretting.

I got a finger exerciser but, I gave that up once I found out that my pinky started getting injured.

I feel pinky are better left on the G string if anywhere at all for fretting. However when playing chords or scales I use all four fingers.

-1.. The pinky is so important to me man. It opens up so many doors !

[mat b]

Listen to JimmyM... Think about the string bass, 1-2-4 fretting but your pinky is backed by your ring finger... You should use your pinky while playing

[SurferJoe46]

My little finger got swollen and refused to bend, and when I was at the VA for a check-up, my doctor asked me what happened. I told her it was from playing bass and she looked at me kinda strange.

So she got me an x-ray and they found a small piece of bone had chipped from 'something' that injured it - but she said it could not be playing a bass. It had to be a direct blow to the finger at that joint.

She scheduled me for surgery and after it healed I find I can totally use that finger again normally.

Now - there is such a thing as RSS - or repetitive stress syndrome or a form of carpal tunnel, although that is the wrong name and wrong area for that problem.

Bone chips can happen from dislodging calcified deposits too from arthritis and degenerative bone diseases.

If the pain returns after a relatively decent healing time or there's swelling and numbness you need medical intervention.

I am a retired biomedical engineer and have a degree in that field, so I've been around this type of a problem, although I ignored it in myself for a long time.

Home treatments may not be a good thing for someone needing a full set of working digits. Use cold at the first sign of any pain and after a half hour of that since the finger is pretty small and cannot protect itself from extreme cold damage, then heat is the best thing.

Cold is only to initially numb the pain and can actually harm or lengthen the healing time if used too long or many times.

Heat is what will help it heal better and somewhat faster in this situation if there's no underlying and untoward medical condition involved.

Using the little finger in high-pressure repetitive bending is really not conducive to it's health. If you look at it when you are holding a string you may notice that you are applying pressure off-axis or not in a straight line drawn through the finger and that sideways pressure is damaging to the final joint.

Play with care.

.

[jacohead]

*Update * My pinky has stopped hurting and i can now fret notes with it, however , it now feels sore and stiff. It does not hurt anymore and i can still play the same way i use to but it just feelsdifferent. I let it heal by not using it at all for about 3-4 weeks. Is this normal ?

[jacohead]

Originally Posted by jacohead

*Update * My pinky has stopped hurting and i can now fret notes with it, however , it now feels sore and stiff. It does not hurt anymore and i can still play the same way i use to but it just feelsdifferent. I let it heal by not using it at all for about 3-4 weeks. Is this normal ?

Anybody ??

[Fergie Fulton]

Hi jacohead, yes seems normal enough. There will always be a stiffness due to tissue damage. Try using Arnica cream, rub it in first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5037570_arnica-cream.html

Now you have its use back it will still be weak as such so treat it with care and don't push it. The rest was the best thing, now some gentle re-hab with the arnica and let yourself be the judge of how it compares to before. Without an examination its so hard to be specific, if in doubt see a physio. Good luck

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by jacohead

Anybody ??

You MIGHT be a candidate for cortisone treatments.

There used to be a medical caveat to having it done, however. You were limited to just three treatments before you had to stop. Because cortisone is damaging to certain tissue in the body, many physicians will not go beyond those limited number of treatments for consideration to the tendons.

C/P from About.com/cortisone treatments:

Small amounts of cortisone (injections) in the body are probably reasonable, but repeated injections can cause damage to tissues over time. Sometimes this is of little concern. For example, if a patient has severe knee arthritis, and a cortisone injection every 6 months helps significantly, then the number of injections probably does not matter too much. On the other hand, if a patient has shoulder tendonitis, but an otherwise healthy shoulder, the number of injections should probably be limited to prevent further damage to these

You may NOT be a good candidate for cortisone treatment(s) however.

Cortisone is not a pain relieving medication, it only treats the inflammation. When pain is decreased from cortisone it is because the inflammation is diminished. By injecting the cortisone into a particular area of inflammation, very high concentrations of the medication can be given while keeping potential side-effects to a minimum. Cortisone injections usually work within a few days, and the effects can last up to several weeks.

I'd try some cortico-steroid topical creams as they will leech through the tissue of the finger and can provide some, although temporary, relief.

I personally use one of the following palliatives with some honest-to-goodness old fashioned aspirin. If aspirin was invented today, it'd be prescription only, as it's that good (although it can cause stomach upset and slight bleeding)! As in all things medical, this is my personal experience and your results may vary.

Some of these are Over-The-Counter preparations.

* Hydrocortisone 2.5% (Hytone cream, lotion, ointment)
* Hydrocortisone 1% (Many over-the-counter brands)

Just be careful to not mask the pain for too long, as it is telling you that there is damage happening to the finger joint(s) - and you should listen to your body.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

You MIGHT be a candidate for cortisone treatments.

No not even something to consider, you have done the hard part, let time heal the injury fully and put it all down to experience