Index finger pain

[poniverus]

Hey yall new to the cafe and was wondering when you all started playing if you got a great deal of soreness in your index fretting finger. I've been playing guitar for a little shy of a year and mandolin only a month and every time I close my finger it cracks/ is pretty darn sore. I've been trying to take some time off but can never seem to do so for more than a day or two cause it is super addicting. Should I power thru it and let it strengthen itself or sit it out for awhile? It's not unbearably sore but don't want to completely screw myself if I can help it. Thanks!

[UncleNorm]

Sounds like "Trigger Finger" to me. This is like a nodule on a tendon trying to slide inside a sheath that's too narrow.More exercise will only aggravate the situation. Infection may cause this too. If rest doesn't solve the problem, a visit to the doctor is recommended. If no infection, steroids (a shot) sometimes work, or surgery. Good luck.

[EdHanrahan]

Some of that soreness could also be bone bruise. But the solution is still the same - rest it for a week or more. Bone bruise takes a while to go away and is easily re-aggravated. I know it's hard, but be patient!

[jackmalonis]

Yeah if it's "catching" or "locking" or getting stuck when you play it's probably trigger finger.

Otherwise, try to lower the action both by lowering the bridge of your mandolin and adjusting (tightening) the truss rod at the headstock of your mandolin.

It's easy to do and I'm sure you could find instructions and/or a video online and probably here at the cafe.

[abuteague]

I agree with the above. Rest a week or two and see the doc if it is still bad. High action can be more work for your fingers, but also you may have trained yourself to press down too hard. I am guilty of pressing down to hard with my fingers and I have an electric 4 string to remind me to use a lighter touch. It is also my go to instrument if I have over done it.

[Mike Scott]

I had a similar issue. Went to the doc (hand specialist) a couple of days ago-diagnosis-arthritic bone spurs in the joint. One cortizone(sic) shot later and now my finger really hurts. Sounds like my playing days may be coming to a close. I will keep playing until I no longer can and then the fire sale will occur on my mandos. Sort of sucks! I am giving myself six months to a year. Oh well, I just got a dobro - no fretting had issues there!!

Good luck with your problem

[shortymack]

I had the same problem with pain in the index but it didnt crack or snap just was very sore. Am new to playing the mando as well and after the first week my index finger was killing me. I worked on my technique (left hand position, neck angle/grip) and also got an isoflex ball and made a footstool. It has since improved alot and is occasionally stiff when I wake up but nothing like before. Watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmagoBQunZI, Mike has some great tips and remember, dont strangle the neck, loosten up your grip on it. Dont power through it, the pain is a sign that you need to change something with your approach. Hope this helps and your pain diminishes.

[poniverus]

Thanks for all the insight. It seems that i'm obviously pressing down a little too hard but I think mainly has to do with it constantly being bent the entire time I practice. It reminds of me when I first started playing guitar and had trouble with fretting a C chord because after trying it over and over again my index finger would get sore because of the same type of curl of the finger required, if that makes sense.

A lot of these responses aren't sitting well with me. The few about playing days being numbered are not at all what I wanted to hear. Guess i'll just give it a break for a week or so and see how it feels. Thanks again.

[OldSausage]

When you do come back to playing, really work hard on finding ways to play so that you are not putting so much pressure on that finger - or any other finger. You will never play well until you can play easily, so that's where you should concentrate your effort.

[robster]

I'll chime in on the need to check your set up. Mandolin strings are under a lot of tension, and most mandos ship fropm the factory with the nut height way too high which will make playing at the lower frets difficult. Ditto with the guitar, but to a lesser degree since the strings are under less tension. Email me at rob.meldrum@gmail.com for a free copy of my ebook. Using an inexpensive set of feeler gauges (used to measure spark plug gaps - around $5.00 for a full set at car parts stores/WalMart/Harbor Freight) I show you how to measure the action and then make your own custom nut files from the feeler gauges to lower the nut slots to the right height.
Take a lesson from a good mandolin teacher or watch some YouTube lessons and check out hand/finger positioning for the mandolin. It's different from how you hold a guitar. Correcting this can help alleviate the stress as well.
Hang in there, and good luck!
Rob

[poniverus]

When you do come back to playing, really work hard on finding ways to play so that you are not putting so much pressure on that finger - or any other finger. You will never play well until you can play easily, so that's where you should concentrate your effort.

It's funny cuz I felt like I was starting to be able to get all my notes to ring out really well with not too much pressure as I was progressing, and then this happened. However, on the low G string I do find myself pressing down pretty hard but that's about it. I'll no doubt be a lot more aware of it now as I don't want to have to stop playing all together before I even get going!

[poniverus]

Robster-

I got Kentucky Mandolin KM 174 from the mandolinhut a month or two ago and haven't changed a thing about it.

" Mandolin strings are under a lot of tension, and most mandos ship fropm the factory with the nut height way too high which will make playing at the lower frets difficult."

Definitely just felt a light go off in my head reading that. >>>email sent

[abdavis]

If you can't take time off, try warming up on your guitar. When I starting playing the mando, my fingers would ache and be stiff the day after long sessions. I found the following progression in my playing time prevented pain/stiffness and gradually built enough strength to play as much mandolin as I wanted:

Warmup on electric guitar (or banjo), continue warming on acoustic guitar, mandolin (until slightly fatigued), acoustic guitar, electric or banjo

[Patrick Bouldin]

Hey one quick word of encouragement. In the 12 years I've been playing (I'm 51 now); I can't tell you how many times I've had pains pop up (bad/worrisome ones) and think "wow this could be it...." - every single one, thank God, has worked out. So just give it a rest, do some counters, whatever, but my ecouraging word is "don't worry, it's probably fine".

[poniverus]

If you can't take time off, try warming up on your guitar. When I starting playing the mando, my fingers would ache and be stiff the day after long sessions. I found the following progression in my playing time prevented pain/stiffness and gradually built enough strength to play as much mandolin as I wanted:

Warmup on electric guitar (or banjo), continue warming on acoustic guitar, mandolin (until slightly fatigued), acoustic guitar, electric or banjo

Sounds like a good idea. My next question was going to be if there are any finger exercises anyone could recommend for a warm up. This however, sounds like a better idea than lame non playing warm ups.

Patrick - thanks for the words of encouragement! The thought of having to give up before I even start was terrifying because I had only gotten a small taste. I can't even imagine how it feels on your end after playing for some time and thinking that.

[GTison]

doing stretching exercises will help about as much as anything. However, go to a certified hand surgeon. Let him check it out. Trigger finger surgery is not too involved so I hear. Had a friend... I do have trigger finger caused from playing the mandolin. I developed tendonitis that hurt like the devil. I did buy a Dobro and learn to play it to give myself a break from fretting for about 6 months. It helped. But then I got trigger finger. Mine doesn't bother me too much so I'm letting it go for now. Mine just pops once and releases. I remember taking my mandolin in and showing one doc what I was talking about. He said many folks couldn't even bend their hands that tightly. I was unimpressed with him.

[jackmalonis]

I work as a physician's assistant at an orthopedic clinic and while it's True that many people can't even make a fist, your doctor should have realized that function isn't related to pain necessarily.

I would get a second opinion.

We see trigger finger all the time and the three main ways of treating trigger finger:
1: a taper of oral steroids (prednisone or cortisone). Your family Doc can probably prescribe them.
2. A cortisone injection (can knock out pain for up to a year or so)
3. A very small surgey with an incision a few centimeters long where you release the tendons, allowing your fingers to move without catching.

All three options can provide good relief (surgey has the most lasting relief) and are pretty easy/painless, so for anyone in the thread who deals with trigger finger I would find a Doctor who will do something for you.

P.S.- those first two treatments can help for arthritis as well.