Yamaha DTXpress/DTXplorer/DTXtreme

Ok, So I haven't played in ...hmmm lets say about 2 months? And now,
since it's been taken off the market, I'm no longer taking Viox.

So I sit down to play for about 20 minutes and wow! Now I'm in *real&
pain!! :(

 My doc has moved me to "celebrex" but it doesnt seem to work well... If
any of you "more experienced" drummers have any advice, I'd love to hear
it...

"what a drag it is getting old" :P

Vern

-- 
Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course, if the network
http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" \ufffdVLG

Hey Vern
Not only have you had your relief taken away but the other similar
medications are now under fire. I guess if one must choose- one would
choose to have pain and not have a stroke. I have a small bitter place
in me that the things I have done just to make money ( drive nails,
type commands at computers) have limited my ability to enjoy the
fruits of my labor (recreational drumming). I also am interested in
ways that drummers have found some relief. I fear wrist surgery
(arthritis is not my issue yet) and I have found that prescription
strength anti-inflammatories make me sick and sleepy. God knows the
self-medication I did as a young guy didn't help my playing a bit. It
does seem to have prevented glaucoma however.
Any other older guys have any successes with exercises, banned
supplements, voodoo spells, aura healing, or surface application of
beer? We want to know.

Creighton


On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:11:47 -0600 (CST), Vernon Graner <vern@...> wrote:
> 
> Ok, So I haven't played in ...hmmm lets say about 2 months? And now,
> since it's been taken off the market, I'm no longer taking Viox.
> 
> So I sit down to play for about 20 minutes and wow! Now I'm in *real&
> pain!! :(
> 
>  My doc has moved me to "celebrex" but it doesnt seem to work well... If
> any of you "more experienced" drummers have any advice, I'd love to hear
> it...
> 
> "what a drag it is getting old" :P
> 
> Vern
> 
> --
> Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
> Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
> Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course, if the network
> http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
> Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG
> 
> 
> Community email addresses:
>   Post message: DTXpress@yahoogroups.com
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> 
> Shortcut URL to this page:
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> 
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>   http://www.dtxpressions.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


-- 
Creighton Higgins

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Vernon Graner" <vern@t...> wrote:
> Ok, So I haven't played in ...hmmm lets say about 2 months? And now,
> since it's been taken off the market, I'm no longer taking Viox.
> 
> So I sit down to play for about 20 minutes and wow! Now I'm in 
*real&
> pain!! :(
> 
>  My doc has moved me to "celebrex" but it doesnt seem to work 
well... If
> any of you "more experienced" drummers have any advice, I'd love to 
hear
> it...

Hey Vern,

Where's the pain--wrist, fingers, elbows?  Do you have it when you 
aren't drumming?  Joint pain seems to be an occupational hazard with 
drummmers. Everyone from Billy Cobham to Max Weinberg ices down after 
playing.  I suppose that if you've been using Viox and Celebrex, then 
full-fledged osteo-arthritis is your problem. People have suggested 
that proper technique and posture, depending on the source of the 
trouble, can minimize discomfort. If the wrists and hands are 
involved, squeezing a flexible rubber ball can sometimes help, though 
I've heard others say that it can be counterproductive; learning not 
to grip the sticks as tightly is another method. Cumulative stress 
can be alleviated by leading, at least some of the time, with the off 
hand; in other words, righties would benefit from becoming lefties 
and vice versa. Again, if the hands are involved, drumming gloves may 
be in order. Wrist and elbow wraps can also bring temporary relief.

Alternatives to traditonal medication are glucosamine sulfate (the 
ever-popular shark cartilege) and MSM, both of which I used for 
years, without enough success to recommend them wholeheartedly (my 
trouble is mainly in my feet and knees and only sporadically in my 
fingers, wrists, and elbows). There are other counterculture 
remedies. Sports doctors might be able to offer nonmedicinal 
techniques. I must admit, however, that when things get rough, I go 
right to the naproxin until the pain subsides--the earlier I catch it 
the better.

Ed

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Ken" <boomer17@a...> wrote:
> Try over the counter Alieve (sp?) if you haven't already. It might 
do the trick.

Ken,

I should have mentioned that the prescription Naproxen that I've 
taken for arthritis pain is actually the same as over the counter 
Aleve, except that my tablets are triple the strength of one Aleve 
pill. Naproxen, however, isn't as friendly to the stomach, especially 
in large doses, as Celebrex is reputed to be, though I've heard that 
Celebrex doesn't always work. Also, Naproxen need not be taken 
everyday, and it doesn't raise blood pressure.

Ed

You might want to try taking some vitamins.  I used to have a lot of trouble 
with my hands hurting after 4 hour gigs, plus low endurance.  I finally quit 
drinking at gigs and taking a Potassium & Super B Complex suppliment every 
day.  I also changed the foods I ate and used bigger sticks.  If I had more 
of a stick to grab onto, my hands had less cramping.

Good luck, I know pain isn't fun.

Mike

>
>   On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:11:47 -0600 (CST), Vernon Graner <vern@...> 
>wrote:
>   >
>   > Ok, So I haven't played in ...hmmm lets say about 2 months? And now,
>   > since it's been taken off the market, I'm no longer taking Viox.
>   >
>   > So I sit down to play for about 20 minutes and wow! Now I'm in *real&
>   > pain!! :(
>   >
>   >  My doc has moved me to "celebrex" but it doesnt seem to work well... 
>If
>   > any of you "more experienced" drummers have any advice, I'd love to 
>hear
>   > it...
>   >
>   > "what a drag it is getting old" :P
>   >
>   > Vern
>   >
>   > --
>   > Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
>   > Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
>   > Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course, if the network
>   > http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
>   > Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" \ufffdVLG
>   >
>   >
>   > Community email addresses:
>   >   Post message: DTXpress@yahoogroups.com
>   >   Subscribe:    DTXpress-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
>   >   Unsubscribe:  DTXpress-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>   >   List owner:   DTXpress-owner@yahoogroups.com
>   >
>   > Shortcut URL to this page:
>   >   http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DTXpress
>   >
>   > Alternate DTXpress site:
>   >   http://www.dtxpressions.com
>   > Yahoo! Groups Links
>   >
>   >
>   >
>   >
>   >
>
>
>   --
>   Creighton Higgins
>
>
>   Community email addresses:
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>
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>     http://www.dtxpressions.com
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I've had problems with both arthritis and carpal tunnel pain and have
had some success with all of the remedies mentioned so far.  Although,
like Ed, I had limited and unspectacular results with
chondroitin/glucosamine/MSM.  One thing I have found that does help me
is a homeopathic ointment called Arniflora.  It's clear, oderless and
really does work for me.  I've recommended it for friends and some
swear by it and some others get little or no relief.  As with anything
targeted at unigue body compositions/chemistries - YMMV.  It is not
expensive (~$10 for a large tube) and is worth exploring IMHO.  It is
even recommended as a preventative, but I am hopelessly optimistic
(deluded?) and never remember to use it until the pain reminds me to
so I have no experience using it in that manner.

Some people look at homeopathy the same way they do snake oil, but I
am of the opinion that the more tools in the kit the better when it
comes to dealing with the ravages of Father (Mutha?) Time.  Anyway,
that's my two cents ($473,985.37 adjusted for inflation).

Best of luck from a "more experienced" (55+ years) ex-garage band drummer.

FX

--- In DTXpress@yahoogroups.com, "Vernon Graner" <vern@t...> wrote:

> Ok, So I haven't played in ...hmmm lets say about 2 months? And now,
> since it's been taken off the market, I'm no longer taking Viox.
> 
> So I sit down to play for about 20 minutes and wow! Now I'm in *real&
> pain!! :(
> 
>  My doc has moved me to "celebrex" but it doesnt seem to work well... If
> any of you "more experienced" drummers have any advice, I'd love to hear
> it...
> 
> "what a drag it is getting old" :P
> 
> Vern
> 
> -- 
> Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
> Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
> Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course, if the network
> http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
> Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG

Vern, 

You might want to try some adjustments on your kit and
on your technique.  I used to have bad back problems
when I would play long gigs. (2 to 3+ hours)  A nice,
comfortable drum throne goes a long way.  I would
experiment with a few different heights to see what's
most comfortable for you.  One of the best things that
I've found is to not orient myself to the kick drum. 
I actually read an article in Modern Drummer about
this a few years back.  It was written by a drummer
who noticed after playing a steady, nightly gig for a
few weeks in a row that he was having really bad back
pain.  His chiropractor asked him about his playing
technique and if I remember right, I think he even
came out to watch him play.  In watching the drummer
play, the chiropractor noticed that while his feet and
legs were centered on the snare drum to be able to
access the kick and hi-hat pedals, his upper body was
oriented toward the front of the stage, facing the
kick drum straight on.  This resulted in him playing
in a slightly twisted position for hours at a time and
this twisting was aggravating his sciatica.  He solved
the problem by setting up his kick drum skewed to one
side (as though he had an imaginary second bass drum)
and having his feet, legs and upper body all parallel
to the front of the stage.  It doesn't look as
"symmetrical"  from the audience's perspective, but
it's a hell of a lot more comfortable.  The other
solution would be to leave the bass drum straight
while you face the front corner of the stage, but
there must be something psychological about playing
live that makes drummers feel like they have to face
forward. I've been setting up that way for years and
it really seems to help.  
   One really nice thing about electronics is that, in
terms of volume, you can let them do the work. 
There's no need to smack them so hard that your wrists
are hurting.  You can adjust velocities,
sensitivities, or just turn up your amp or your
headphones. I have found that using heavy, double
ended sticks with no taper or bead really helps when
playing on electronics with the hard, rubber surface. 
Switching to those really helped my wrists.  One
detrimental thing that I've seen some students do is
to set up their ride cymbal in a really awkward
position, either too high, or too far to the right
(for righties) or too far back when setting it low
(over the floor tom).  Anything that causes you to
have to adjust your body or arms into an "unnatural"
position is going to cause some discomfort in the long
run, and most likely is going to cause bad technique,
also.  
  In general, I would think that trying to minimize
the actual causes of pain ergonomically is better (and
cheaper) than trying to medicate the symptoms.  I'm
sure for most people some kind of combination of the
two is the most realistic solution. Hope you find some
relief soon. 

Joel 




		
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Sticks?  I find Zildjian anti-vide sticks or the Carbosticks both have
a lot less vibration than normal wooden sticks.  May not help, but I
find it more comfortable anyway (I don't have arthritis yet so cannot
comment on the effect with that).

Keith.