I'm a total beginner at mandolin and don't practice like crazy, so I'm sure it wasn't just overlooked. I was just plucking out some chords and felt something like a small pinprick kind of in the middle of the tip of my ring finger (on my left hand). It didn't hurt much and I didn't think much of it, but when I was putting the mando away I just barely grazed the floor with my finger and felt a much bigger pinprick sensation. It's been about an hour now and hurts only when I touch it (not when I move it), but it hurts to the point that I'm not typing with that finger (sorry for any typos!). Does anyone know what this could be or if it's anything I should be worried about? I'm hoping it will go away in a day or so, but please let me know if I should have it looked at. Thanks!
Yeah, it sounds really terrible. I can sympathise. About a bit more than a decade ago I was leading an HVS rock climb and where I should have done a bridging move I didn't, got stuck, held on for as long as I could then ended up falling off, my protection coming out with me. I fell down about 20 feet, landed on a rock shelf and hurt my back, quite badly, but oddly no bones broken. However I couldn't breath into my flute for weeks as my intercostal muscles (between the ribs, at the back) were bruised. The same happened after I fell ski-ing about seven years ago and again some five years ago after I fought off some muggers who nearly got the better of me and kicked my ribs in. And recently my back was sore so bad after a triathlon thatI couldn't play the box for a week. Maybe I ought to start getting worried about these things as well.
OK, although these things DID happen, I may have come across less than serious. My real advice would be to rest for a few days before doing anything. Good luck.
I don't mean to disregard a previous comment, but I'm fairly certain that it is not a callous. I've got plenty of those on my fingers and feet and they've NEVER felt like this before. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I could help relieve some of the pain?
I had the same thing in my thumb after a marathon session at a festival a couple of years ago. The side of my thumb got a sort of pins-and -needles sensation from running up and down the edge of the keyboard (for about seven hours straight, admittedly), even though I wasn't applying much pressure.
It was uncomfortable for about two days, then went away completely.
I suspect you have the same thing to some extent - it was almost a friction burn, but more nerve tingle than actual damage.
The good news is, it's the only injury I've ever sustained from playing the box. Apart from the slights and arrows of outrageous banjo players, fiddlers and guitarists, that is
Eno
Soak it in warm water, rest a day or two. Use some Elmers glue to make a slight hardened film over yer dainty finger tips until some real callouses grow in. Then get back to practicing.
It's a pity that this thread is being treated lightly as as I too get this problem occasionally and would love to know the cause/cure. I play a heavily strung Octave Mandola/in and have tough, calloused finger tips. I get this sharp stabbing pain in my index finger two or three times a year. It doesn't seem to relate to frequency or intensity of playing and disappears again after a few days. It is quite painful when it does appear. The pain is generated by a light pressure rather than heavy. Any ideas please?
Could be a nerve ending too fired up. Could be some trouble with the bone--a spur, or tiny fracture. Could be a fine splinter--a piece of string wrap? Dunno. How you resolve it depends on how good you insurance is--get it x-rayed? Go to a neurologist? Sounds like the sort of thing you have to suss out by process of elimination.
hippyfish doesn't say whether s/he is based in USA, UK, ANZACland or wherever. Maybe there's an NHS there though. But I try and avoid going to GPs, overpaid cvnts that they are, averaging over 100,000 UKpounds PA nowadays. The last time I went was because of my back and the eegit just said "You'll have to give up running and cycling then."
And they're supposed to be doing their bit for health promotion nowadays.
Fvckin tw@t.
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I'm in the US, and no we don't have NHA here.
Also, Len, it sounds like we must be experiencing the same thing. My finger doesn't hurt when I press on it, only when I barely brush it against a surface. It's starting to feel a little bit better, so I'm hoping it'll just go away in a couple more days. I would still be curious to know what it actually is and what caused it, though. Thanks!
That sounds like a bit of wire -- string wrap -- lodged under the top layer of skin. I play both sizes of mando myself, and also have this problem occasionally. The epidermis (top layer of skin) sheds continually, so the discomfort should go away without you doing anything about it. If it doesn't, the warm soak treatment and a band-aid anointed with Polysporin ought to do the trick.
Elmer's Glue, eh? I use a dab of superglue -- thinner, just as effective. Just don't touch anything till it's dry.
finger injury?
finger injury?
I'm a total beginner at mandolin and don't practice like crazy, so I'm sure it wasn't just overlooked. I was just plucking out some chords and felt something like a small pinprick kind of in the middle of the tip of my ring finger (on my left hand). It didn't hurt much and I didn't think much of it, but when I was putting the mando away I just barely grazed the floor with my finger and felt a much bigger pinprick sensation. It's been about an hour now and hurts only when I touch it (not when I move it), but it hurts to the point that I'm not typing with that finger (sorry for any typos!). Does anyone know what this could be or if it's anything I should be worried about? I'm hoping it will go away in a day or so, but please let me know if I should have it looked at. Thanks!
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by hippiefish
Re: finger injury?
bloody hypochondriac
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by llig leahcim
Re: finger injury?
Yeah, it sounds really terrible. I can sympathise. About a bit more than a decade ago I was leading an HVS rock climb and where I should have done a bridging move I didn't, got stuck, held on for as long as I could then ended up falling off, my protection coming out with me. I fell down about 20 feet, landed on a rock shelf and hurt my back, quite badly, but oddly no bones broken. However I couldn't breath into my flute for weeks as my intercostal muscles (between the ribs, at the back) were bruised. The same happened after I fell ski-ing about seven years ago and again some five years ago after I fought off some muggers who nearly got the better of me and kicked my ribs in. And recently my back was sore so bad after a triathlon thatI couldn't play the box for a week. Maybe I ought to start getting worried about these things as well.
OK, although these things DID happen, I may have come across less than serious. My real advice would be to rest for a few days before doing anything. Good luck.
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: finger injury?
ha ha,
"my back was sore so bad after a triathlon"
and
"I was just plucking out some chords and felt something like a small pinprick"
tee he
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by llig leahcim
Re: finger injury?
Might be the beginning of a callous. If so, congratulations!
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by Joe CSS
Re: finger injury?
I don't mean to disregard a previous comment, but I'm fairly certain that it is not a callous. I've got plenty of those on my fingers and feet and they've NEVER felt like this before. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I could help relieve some of the pain?
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by hippiefish
Re: finger injury?
I had the same thing in my thumb after a marathon session at a festival a couple of years ago. The side of my thumb got a sort of pins-and -needles sensation from running up and down the edge of the keyboard (for about seven hours straight, admittedly), even though I wasn't applying much pressure.
It was uncomfortable for about two days, then went away completely.
I suspect you have the same thing to some extent - it was almost a friction burn, but more nerve tingle than actual damage.
The good news is, it's the only injury I've ever sustained from playing the box. Apart from the slights and arrows of outrageous banjo players, fiddlers and guitarists, that is
Eno
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by bc_box_player
Re: finger injury?
Soak it in warm water, rest a day or two. Use some Elmers glue to make a slight hardened film over yer dainty finger tips until some real callouses grow in. Then get back to practicing.
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by Jusa Nutter Eejit
Re: finger injury?
The moral of the story is Don't let a little prick spoil your enjoyment. of the music
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by mcknowall
Re: finger injury?
Or thesession.org
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by TomB-R
Re: finger injury?
Is it possible you got a speck of metal splinter in your fingertip off the strings?
Sometimes they're so small as to be almost invisible, but can give a similar sensation.
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by Martin Milner
Re: finger injury?
It's a pity that this thread is being treated lightly as as I too get this problem occasionally and would love to know the cause/cure. I play a heavily strung Octave Mandola/in and have tough, calloused finger tips. I get this sharp stabbing pain in my index finger two or three times a year. It doesn't seem to relate to frequency or intensity of playing and disappears again after a few days. It is quite painful when it does appear. The pain is generated by a light pressure rather than heavy. Any ideas please?
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by len
Re: finger injury?
Could be a nerve ending too fired up. Could be some trouble with the bone--a spur, or tiny fracture. Could be a fine splinter--a piece of string wrap? Dunno. How you resolve it depends on how good you insurance is--get it x-rayed? Go to a neurologist? Sounds like the sort of thing you have to suss out by process of elimination.
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by Will CPT
Re: finger injury?
hippyfish doesn't say whether s/he is based in USA, UK, ANZACland or wherever. Maybe there's an NHS there though. But I try and avoid going to GPs, overpaid cvnts that they are, averaging over 100,000 UKpounds PA nowadays. The last time I went was because of my back and the eegit just said "You'll have to give up running and cycling then."
And they're supposed to be doing their bit for health promotion nowadays.
Fvckin tw@t.
# Posted on July 31st 2007 by Key Maniac Lad
Re: finger injury?
Couldn't agree with you more, KML, and you can't get an appointment because they need so much more time to spend the money
# Posted on August 1st 2007 by RichardB
Re: finger injury?
I can usually get an appointment with my GP within 24 hours.
He saved me from being paralysed waistdown once, and he has saved my life twice.
I'm pretty well pleased with my GP.
# Posted on August 1st 2007 by showaddydadito
Re: finger injury?
Sorry, I forgot to mention that I'm in the US, and no we don't have NHA here.
Also, Len, it sounds like we must be experiencing the same thing. My finger doesn't hurt when I press on it, only when I barely brush it against a surface. It's starting to feel a little bit better, so I'm hoping it'll just go away in a couple more days. I would still be curious to know what it actually is and what caused it, though. Thanks!
# Posted on August 1st 2007 by hippiefish
Re: finger injury?
That sounds like a bit of wire -- string wrap -- lodged under the top layer of skin. I play both sizes of mando myself, and also have this problem occasionally. The epidermis (top layer of skin) sheds continually, so the discomfort should go away without you doing anything about it. If it doesn't, the warm soak treatment and a band-aid anointed with Polysporin ought to do the trick.
Elmer's Glue, eh? I use a dab of superglue -- thinner, just as effective. Just don't touch anything till it's dry.
# Posted on August 1st 2007 by Charmion
Re: finger injury?
Careful with superglue -acrylic resin is not nice stuff. Don't use it on a daily basis.
# Posted on August 1st 2007 by Key Maniac Lad