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DJEMBE-L FAQ
Drum & Health Issues
Tendonitis
v13

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From WebMD ( www.webmd.com )

This illustration shows the joints where bursitis is common.

This photograph shows the arm bones at the point of articulation (the joint area) between the bone of the upper arm (humerus) and the two bones of the lower arm (radius and ulna).

Bursa are fluid-filled cavities located at tissue sites where tendons or muscles pass over bony prominences. Their function is to facilitate movement and reduce friction between moving parts. The cause of bursitis may be chronic overuse, trauma, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, infection, or unknown. Most bursitis occurs in the shoulder, but it may also affect the knee, elbow, Achilles tendon, first metatarsal of the foot (bunion), or other areas. Chronic inflammation can occur with repeated attacks of bursitis or injury.
Symptoms

Temporary rest or immobilization of the affected joint may be recommended.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be effective in relieving pain and decreasing the inflammation.
If the inflammation does not respond to conservative treatment, aspiration of fluid from the bursa and the injection of corticosteroids into the bursa is an alternative treatment. Surgery is rarely required.
Exercises for the affected area should be started as the pain resolves. If muscle atrophy has occurred from disuse or prolonged immobility, exercises to build strength and increase mobility are indicated.
Bursitis caused by infection is treated with antibiotics. Sometimes surgical drainage of the infected bursa is indicated.

The condition may respond well to treatment, or it may develop into a chronic condition if the underlying cause is not corrected.

Call your health care provider if symptoms recur or do not improve with treatment.
Prevention

The following is extracted from the Djembe-L mail list djembe-l@egroups.com. Thanks to everyone who has contributed.

I a'm the unfortunate victim of a wrist tendinitis and would like to know
the views of other people on this ailment. I've been playing for a while but
have recently been taking the conga up as well. Let's just say i've been
playing more then ever. Thing's are really picking up. My oppurtunities to
jam and play live have multiplied...and now this ! It appear's to me to be
as much of a psychological struggle as it is a physical one !

Any input is more then welcome ! especial from those who have suffered from
the same.

jason
==================================================
From: R Clark clark@acceleration.net
Ya, coonga is definitely demanding on the structure.

No one has succeeded in divorcing the psyche from the physical structure,
that I know of. They are intimately allied, ay?

I qualify. At the moment I am experiencing mild pain in my wrist and elbow.
I have succeeded in keeping this difficulty down to a dull roar This time.

The best input I may provide is RICE... Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.
Before playing Warm Up is an excellent idea. So is lightening up on how
hard we strike the drum and shortening the sessions. A wrist brace
(and in my case one for the elbow as well) that provides support for
the stressed area can also help.

Further and slightly more detailed analysis of the maladies involved
in playing and some common sense remedies, may be found on my websight:
<http://www.acceleration.net/clark/PaperVu/handcare.htm>.

I wish you Well.

I hope this Helps, R
---------------------------------------------------------
From QehQeh <qehqeh@yahoo.com>:
Hi Jason and All: I suffered from tendonitis about 20 years ago when I was playing in a LOUD top 40 band five nights a week. Make no mistake about it, this is
VERY serious. See a doctor. I'll bet he/she will tell you what my doctor told me, "STOP playing until it's healed or you're looking at surgery!" You're either
playing too hard/too long, and/or using improper technique. I took a year off from playing drums. When I returned to playing, I changed my playing/performance habits. Not everyone is built like an athlete, capable of sustaining high levels of
stress for long periods. Even if you are, your body is going to break down eventually. You have to make an honest evaluation of what you are capable of (physically) and adjust your playing and technique accordingly. Any doctors out there? - K.K.
---------------------------------------------------------

From Shawn M <windcage@hotmail.com>
hello-

not much i can say here except a few years ago i saw a review of a book on tv that was written to address this problem. the authors had interviewed alot of people suffering from it and came upon some exercises, i don't know if they developed them or got them from people who in similar instances didn't get tendinitis. anyway i've always intended to read the book but the title is burried in my notes and could take hours to find. i'd do a search at a major university library data base, melvil etc,(i know both cal poly san luis obispo and u c santa barbara have lbrary sites that can be found by search engine. these sites have a number of ways to search major college
libraries. once a title is found even the smallest us city library can get the book through inter library loan) there is useful inf out there. i saw a peice about a person who used hot pepper to treat his pain from running, his feet hurting too badly to do it w out the hot pepper, it was working for him. obvious caution says see a specialist.

my own experience came in swimming. with shoulder tendinitis. doing research to coach high school swimmers i came upon a pararaph in a book called swimming even faster that said this problem is usually the result of incorrect stroke technique. i followed their directions and realigned my arm at the moment when i catch the water and begin my pull. the source of the pain was determined the book was right and i
don't have that problem any more , or when i do i know the shift to make to solve it.

aikido has a few exercises for the wrist that might be helpful for stretching before play. i can't remember what book they are in. but many aikidoists probably know them. four stretches taken from 4 basic throws. they may be in goza shioda's book .

sorry it's only hints at help but on my shoulder i only had to back the intensity out of my workout for a few weeks. alot probably has to do with intesity of strike and ridgity of form. relax and stretch. some people have their dietary cure alls. i'll vote for carrot juice and reduced dairy (maybe 1-2 glasses of milk etc /day). more than
8 pieces of wheat bread a day can afect my joints to. know one lady who could barely walk and changed to vegetarian and recovered. don't want to get too anecdotal . but experiment some whith what you eat reducing or increasing certain foods and see if it seems any different to you (need to chart stuff to do this lots of
factors affect)but that's a whole nother area. would suggest reading up on sport nutrition from college text books to anyone involved in endurace training , like drumming.
---------------------------------------------

From Orida Diabate omdiabate@msn.com

Check out the magic of Reiki with a practitioner licensed Usui system.
It did magic on me with one session for tendonitis of knee and ankle I had
for six month. For those interested I am licensed and live in Dallas.
Keeping peace
Orida Boukhezer-Diabate
------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Patter Hatfield" <drumdog49@hotmail.com>

You are so right about that...Reiki is wonderful for many ailments.
An Energizer for mind,body,Spirit.
I too am a Reiki Practitioner in Bay Area CA
Peace
Patter
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From: "Barbara" <bbird@azstarnet.com>

Jason. After 30 years of pet grooming, as well as drumming, I more and more find
myself dealing with wear and tear of the wrists. I experience tendonitis as well as
some carpal tunnel, which can really mess with my stick work and dunun playing. I
can achieve a measure of control of symptoms with arnica, a homeopathic remedy that comes in both pellets for under your tongue and gel to put on the wrist. A cream or gel form of "Traummed" can also be found in the health food store and is helpful for inflammation. I also take glucosamine supplements to keep it at bay. I hate the physical deterioration I am experiencing, but I try not to "go there". No use
turning against myself, right? Conga technique is probably a little more demanding
on the wrists because of how we play "into" the drum head and actually press down.
Let's face it, drumming is a very physical thing. That's what we like about it. It
requires a certain amount of athleticism, so treat your wrists like an athlete would
and honor your body's message to you. If all else fails, I find that Advil Gelcaps
help!
BBird
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Beverly Nadelman" <PrismConcept@Yahoo.com>
Authors Subject: Re: tendinitis & Reiki

I am a Third Degree Reiki Master living in Brooklyn,
NY.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Gerard van Dijk" <inibara@wxs.nl>

Your tendinitis story made me think back of the time I had a tendinitis on the wrist myself when I was living in Burkina Faso. Since I did not drum yet, I guess it was due to other reasons like Paris-Dakar style car driving on the unpaved (and empty) roads for 30.000 km a year. And the cars didn't have power steering at that time (1977-1980).
After suffering a few months of this pain I showed my problem to a couple (both doctors) that lived nearby and were good friends. They suggested to immobilize the wrist for three weeks with a gypsum cast. This was applied at my home. During the three weeks it did not hinder me from driving even a motor bike (although with more care) and it would certainly prevent me from drumming ! Most important the tendinitis got the rest it needed to recover. After the three weeks the cast had to be
removed. This was a problem ! Due to the fact that the hospital had no running water, was dirty and was sadly enough less equiped than my Do-it-Yourself workshop at home removing the cast was done at home with a hacksaw and tweezers (I still have some pictures of this "operation" on the terrace of our house). Most important for you is: It helped. I never got a tendinitis there any more !
In my drumming-professor practice I once had a girl that started with dun-dun lessons. She was very quick very enthousiastic but I was also a little bit afraid about her being to frenetic. Her muscle tension was to high and since she soon joined other players outside the lessons she got elbow and arm problems.
>From the first lesson on I pay attention on how to grab the sticks in a
correct and flexible way and having a good position behind the drum.
See read more ? www.wxs.nl/~inibara or www.go.to/inibara
Good luck and see you ... drumming
Gerard van Dyk
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From R Clark clark@acceleration.net

Greetings Bev, Patter, Orida, (my companions on the path of Reiki) and ALL,

I too am Reiki trained at the second degree level. This brings up a question for me, a line of thought that others not Reiki trained might respond to with their reasoning, too. My approach to drumming is from the healing angle. I feel a tremendous responsibility to channel Peace when I drum. It seems that in order to drum responsibly I Must be centered, relaxed, and at Peace myself. I feel that my inner vibe is carried by the drum to the surrounding area and let's face it shall we, these drums are Loud so the surrounding area is potentially large. This can take in quite a large number of people, that might be positively affected or healed. I find this idea tremendously exciting. Since Reiki is channeled through the hands, also. I use the same visualization and mental mind-set when drumming as when "doing" Reiki. I
also use the "distance healing" aspect of Reiki at such times, feeling that the Reiki is broadcast, too.
So you see these two types (Peace/Reiki) of healing energy are combined. Perhaps they are simply different facets of the same jewel. I suspect they are.

So my question to you is... "Have you any experiences with 'energy transfer/channeling' of a healing nature while drumming?" "If so Please describe the inner and outer details of these experiences."

Drumming for Peace, R

++++++++
Quick Service

Patients are impatient folk
Who will not wait to hear a joke
Or even pass the time of day,
But want their health back, right away.

They hate to sit there one full minute,
Mouth shut (thermometer jammed in it).
They can't bear waiting not a bit,
For wounds to heal and bones to knit.

They want to be all well at once.
If you can't do it, you're a dunce.
And though the summon a physician,
They really need a good magician.
--Richard Armour ("The Medical Muse" 1963)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Dave Bledsoe" <dave@abcvoice.com>
> So my question to you is... "Have you any experiences with 'energy
transfer/channeling' of a healing > nature while drumming?" "If so Please describe the inner and outer details of these experiences."

Here's a topic I can truly sink my teeth into. I have a friend who follows a shamanic path who shared a technique with me, one that is very similar. Utilizing a hoop drum and beater, I channel the healing energy through the drum into a person who needs healing...there are several factors at work at this point. The vibrations of the sound waves massage the recipient, the mind-over-matter principle is at work, as the recipient feels these vibrations and believes that healing is taking place, and then also the principles of Reiki are at work. I have not radiated this outward when playing djembe or other drums, as the hoop is perfect for "targeting" a spot, holding it over the affected part of the body.

On an aside, there are many in the pagan community who utilize drumming for
raising energy in ritual, for whatever purposes required...I speak here of the American pagan community, having no experience with any others.

To further comment, I have noticed one benefit to my own health when drumming, aside from general fitness. I am hypoglycemic (hope I spelled that correctly), which means that my metabolism is such that when I am "out of gas", I experience weakness, shaking, and lethargy. Drumming seems to stave this off, as I can function without these effects until done drumming, and then have a snack or meal, without encountering my symptoms. And I'm talking long term drumming, up to 4 hours (with breaks to rest).
A question...anyone out there versed in drum therapy?
Blessings
Snowtiger
--------------------------------------------------------------------

From HappyShel happy@drums.org
Greetings:

I *really* appreciate all the info ya'll have written in the past few days
re: tendonitis, as I now have it, and have been working with getting rid of
it for several months.

One of the things I have noticed about me (and maybe, some of you) is that I
am not stretching before drumming.
Dancers stretch before they dance as do other disciplines. Some of us
amateur drummers do not stretch - instead, we sit down, take out our djembes
and immediately whack 'em. It's no wonder we have body ailments.

To alleviate join pain, I have been taking Colloidal Minerals with sulfphur.
What this does for me is eliminate the pain in my shoulders and wrists -
but, does nothing for the tendonitis.

Massage works wonders, too. It's those beautiful, loving, warm hands, gently
stroking and plying the muscles and tendons. Pain actually goes away but,
as soon as I drum, again, fast and hard.... the pain returns.
Besides, ibuprofen and glucosamine, is their any herbal remedies that may
work?
I do realize that individual results may vary; as a seeker, I am seeking.
Peace,
HappyShel

Beverly Nadelman replied:
In addition to the arnica already mentioned, salve with calendula (marigold) may help. Willow bark, from which aspirin was originally derrived, is also a pain
reliever and anti-inflamatory and has fewer deleterious side effects than aspirin or other over thc counter pain relievers, most of which can cause stomache or
intestinal bleeding and/or have liver ramifications. When I get a chance I will check the herbal. This was just off the top of my head.

Oh, yeah-don't negate the various rubs, particularly those with capsican(spelling?).

Feel better.

Beverly

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Karen Cucura" <awakeninglotus@netzero.net>

Hi Jason!
You have had some great advice from many caring people. My suggestion in
addition to theirs would be to find a neuromuscular massage therapist or
rolfer to work the hands, wrists, arms and pec muscles. Much can be
accomplished with the proper therapist or rolfer, pre-session stretching
exercises and warm up session. We do what we can when we love the music
so we can keep playing.
In light and music, Karen
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Merlin" <Merlin@silvercircle.org>

At 20:21 24-10-2000, you wrote:
>On an aside, there are many in the pagan community who utilize drumming for
>raising energy in ritual, for whatever purposes required...I speak here of
>the American pagan community, having no experience with any others.

Europe just the same - environment permitting that is... ;-))

>To further comment, I have noticed one benefit to my own health when
>drumming, aside from general fitness. I am hypoglycemic (hope I spelled
>that correctly), which means that my metabolism is such that when I am "out
>of gas", I experience weakness, shaking, and lethargy. Drumming seems to
>stave this off, as I can function without these effects until done drumming,
>and then have a snack or meal, without encountering my symptoms. And I'm
>talking long term drumming, up to 4 hours (with breaks to rest).
>
>A question...anyone out there versed in drum therapy?

No, not unless you mean it being therapeutic for myself... ;-) but for
hypoglecemy take chromium supplements and cut out all white sugar - helps
no end!

Happy drumming
Dennis (Netherlands)
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DJEMBE-L FAQ Drum & Health Issues Tendonitis v13

DJEMBE-L FAQ
Drum & Health Issues
Tendonitis
v13