Ralph

I'm curious if anyone out there knows how to stay limber while playing fairly loud with their feet. Since i have started playing some 40 years ago i have had pain in my right side when playing with my toe or heel up as they say. The pain comes from under my leg into my groin up to my buttocks and also near the inside of my stomach/psoas muscle/hip flexor. Bassically, i can't practice anymore and have to do a lot of stretchs every time before and after playing to not be in pain for more than a couple of days. I wonder a number of things should i get stronger in my legs, or change something in my playing techinque? I work out 5 days a week and stretch everyday now which has helped but i'm not able to beat this so far and cannot practice anymore. All ideas welcome.

Mabye there is a regime Virgil goes through that someone is aware of that i could try. I saw somewhere where he was doing the splits so obviously he is very limber.

BTW, if any one is interested my bands site is at

www.realitycheckband.com you can hear tunes i wrote there in MP3 format as well as in MIDI. I'm not the only writer in the band ; ) So if you like anything there you can contact us at the link that says contact. Thanks for your time

alencore

have you tried fasting? giving our inner organs some rest will do wonders.

Ralph

Well, i am more limber when my body has hardly any food in it. I have tried new diets being a vegitarian etc.. i'm acutally the helathiest i have ever been right now. i tried fasting about 15 years ago, it didn't really help this problem. Thanks for the idea though

Johnny

Gotta be a technical issue.
How high do you sit?

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Pax Christi,
Johnny
www.johnnydrums.com

drummaman1

also check out how you sit, as well as how high. When you play heel up on your right foot, do you feel like you're subconciously shifting your body weight on to that foot? Maybe a lesson with a drum teacher may help...you can sit at the kit and play, and he/she can give you an accurate assessment of how you sit on the drum seat, if you lean over the drums, if you're hunched over, etc. It doesn't have to be a drum teacher...ask a fellow drummer to watch you (or better yet videotape you!) playing, and check the results. If you're doing everything correctly (seat height, posture) then maybe an appointment with a physical therapist or chiropractor may help. I actually have an appt. for my left hand...I've been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, but my career (not to mention my wallet!) can't handle surgery, and I think I can avoid it completely.

I hope this helps.
Take care,
Chris

Ralph

In the last year i have started sitting higher that does help quite a bit, but i still have trouble if i play hard and for a long time. If i do any kinda of ska figure or four on the floor blues or whatever through a whole tune then i'm pretty much skrewed. Most of the time it does not hurt that much while playing but afterwards is the problem. i have found if i do certain streches after playing i heal faster so that is good. Thanks for your comments. I don' t have the dough to see a therpist either but maybe the Video tape idea would be possible. I did have a physical therpist see me years ago play. but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but i don't think she knew what to look for.

Has anyone ever played on the "Drumframe" That seemed like that might help if it didn't cost so much?

C.J.

It sounds like a physical issue to me... I guess you hqve alredy done so, but, have you thought about seeing a doctor ?

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"I play for free. I get paid for leaving the house, driving here and being away from my family" - Terry Bozzio

Johnny

How high do you raise your heel/leg, and do you bury the beater?

__________________
Pax Christi,
Johnny
www.johnnydrums.com

Ralph

Some times i bury the beater. Actually, i feel more stable if i do bury the beater, but mostly i don't. Actually, it seems since i have been sitting higher that on Sambas or something where there is a consitant pattern on the foot the beater is now resting against the head, which i don't really like, but that is what is happening. ; ) I'm not compleatly sure how high my heel is but it's farily high.

MaltBuddow3

I've never tried it with my feet, but every morning, b/c I have tendonitis, I run my wrists under hot water... so maybe you should do the same with your ankles....(?)

alencore

you need more time to recover from that injury or it will only get worst.