Mandolin-related injury... don't laugh

[Tobin]

I'm embarrassed to even admit this, but if there's any group of people in the world who would understand, it's you folks.

Having recently acquired some new-to-me instruments, as well as being in the final stages of refining some tunes I've been working on, I hit it pretty hard over the weekend. I think I overdid it; I couldn't help myself.

But you know what? It isn't my fingertips, finger joints, wrists, or any other mandolin-playing appendage that's giving me trouble. It's my left foot. The tendons on top are very sore and cause me shooting pains any time I have to lift my foot. I can hardly walk today, and using the clutch pedal in my car is killing me. It took me a while to realize it, but I'm pretty sure I strained it through excessively exuberant foot-tapping.

How ridiculous is that?! I've decided that my official cover story is that I got thrown off my horse.

[OldSausage]

Well I'm sorry to hear it. It will be interesting to see if you can rest and recover the foot without it harming your timing!

[James Rankine]

Do you have a right foot? No need to stop playing unless you are a left foot dominant foot tapper (if such a thing exists). Sounds like acute tenosynovitis - sure it will settle quickly with rest from tapping.

[Hendrik Ahrend]

Hey Tobin, in stringed instruments, the timing has never been in the foot, always in the right hand.

[Randi Gormley]

Next time, try heel tapping instead of toe tapping, or altnate feet. It's what we ITM types do! Seriously though, sorry to hear it. I drive manual, too, and anything that affects that is a real annoyance.

[DataNick]

Tobin,

RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation


Hope you feel better man!

[journeybear]

Sorry to hear that. Hope it heels soon. Oops - I meant, heals.

I hardly ever tap my foot while playing. It throws me off - honestly! But as it turns out, I also have had an issue with my left foot (the extremity, not the movie) for months, even during the band's hiatus. Between the ball and the middle two toes, it hurts like a sumbitch when I put pressure on it. I wonder if I somehow broke a bone, jumping or landing badly. I do tend to lean on my left foot more than my right while playing (no idea why), but I don't see how that could have led to what seems to be a chronic condition. I elevate my feet on a pillow in bed, awake or asleep, but it's been the same for a long time. It's pretty strange.

Well, good luck with this. Hopefully things will correct themselves soon enough. Don't kick yourself about it too much. But if you do, use your right foot.

[Ellen T]

You need to find a good soothing mandolineament to apply to your ankle and foot.

[John O'Brien]

Funny that you mention this. I played a lot this weekend, even acquired a second mandolin on Sunday. I played a ton. I'm right handed, but for some reason, I tried to use my left hand to operate my phone. The touch screen didn't recognize my touch, due to the ever toughening callous forming on each of my fretting fingers. I guess that's progress. No art without torture I suppose.

[F-2 Dave]

Yeah, I think I'd go with the horse story too.

[Tobin]

Do you have a right foot? No need to stop playing...

Who said anything about stopping? I'll cut the dang thing off before I let it impact my playing!

I hardly ever tap my foot while playing. It throws me off - honestly!

I can play without tapping it. Sometimes I do tap my heel, or switch feet, or just play without any extraneous jiggling body parts. For some reason, I tend to heel-tap when I'm sitting, and toe-tap when I'm standing. I stand more than I sit, though. And while I can play without tapping just fine, I sort of have to make myself do it.

Toe-tapping is an oddly humorous habit of humans. I mean, what causes it? Why does rhythm manifest itself in our foot instead of, say, blinking our eyes to the beat? Or shrugging one shoulder along with a tune? Those would be considered ridiculous habits if you saw someone doing them, but toe-tapping is considered normal. So there must be some common human tendency for music to go to our feet. Maybe it's a natural tendency to want to dance?

[Timbofood]

I suggest using F-2 Dave's signature!
New boots! Dan Post is my current boot of choice, they just seem to fit my foot well. Looking at a pair of Tony Lama's though. Actually wore out my last pair, fifteen years!

[Joey Anchors]

Tobin I am hoping for a speedy recovery!

[Eddie Sheehy]

Get an Automatic...

[SGraham]

We rehearse at our dobro player's house. His dog loves to come lie down next to my tapping foot and rest her chin right on my foot so that her head bounces up and down as I tap. It keeps me from tapping too hard. So, I recommend you get a dog and make her the protector of your pedal tendons.

[mandobassman]

I played in a band several years ago where our bass player had a tendency to slow down (actually, it was our guitar player who really dragged the beat, only the bass player would just follow him). It really frustrated me and I often found myself pounding my right heel onto the stage in an effort to wake everyone up and keep the beat strong. There were several days following some gig where my right calf was cramping so bad I could hardly walk. Thankfully, I play in bands now with much better timing.

[Petrus]

So there must be some common human tendency for music to go to our feet. Maybe it's a natural tendency to want to dance?

In the case of banjo maybe it's a side effect of trying to control the fight-or-flight response.

[Mike Steadfast-Ward]

The cure: Metronome, Rice as suggested (frozen peas, but mark the packet as a precaution against eating, refreze as necessary and cover pack with tea towel ice burns are serious) get an automatic. Tap with alternating feet (yours of course) and get well soon.

[Violingirl]

Oh, man, I know how tenosynovitis hurts. I woke up one day and thought I had broken my hand in my sleep. Woo wee but it was painful. My doctor subscribed Aleve or Advil and lots of rest.

It's sort of funny that we are talking about it. I have been doing a serious lot of playing these last days, both violin and mandolin and I feel my tenosynovitis flaring up. Boo! I still have two more playing obligations today before I can rest it for a moment.

[Marty Jacobson]

I've actually done this same thing... played a set and then when I walked down from the platform my foot and tendons on the front of my shin were very sore. Went away in a day or so, though.
I think it's important to try to relax while you're playing -- be conscious of your posture, choose postures that relieve stress, and use a least-possible-movement approach when toe tapping.

[Astro]

The dreaded Mandolin Foot.

[OldSausage]

The dreaded Mandolin Foot.

So many of us go that way, maybe we should do more to raise awareness.

[Astro]

A benefit concert ?

I think Tobin was brave for speaking out.

Many fail to recognize the podiatric hazards of keeping beat.

SAVE YOUR GAIT --STAMP OUT THE STOMP

[Michael Weaver]

Tobin, RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation Hope you feel better man!

You sound like some kind of Corpsman or something.....

Oh...you forgot to say drink water.

[Ellen T]

So many of us go that way, maybe we should do more to raise awareness.

What color finish will the ribbon have?