How to get Rid of Finger Pain?
I am a student who is currently practicing violin and has played the violin for seven years. During mid September this year, my fingers (index, middle, and ring) started to feel unusually coarse and dry, and therefore changing positions became increasingly difficult. I thought this was weird, since I had never experienced this before, and my playing habits have not changed since I started playing the violin. I didn't let this affect the amount of time I spent practicing because I was trying to apply for an orchestra. Afterwards, I started to feel sharp, painful sensations around my fingertips whenever I am changing position. It feels similar to getting papercuts. Now, I can only play for five to ten minutes before my fingertips starting hurting. I cleaned my strings, and I stopped playing violin for a week and tried again, to no avail. I have a music exam coming up in a few weeks, and I have to start playing violin, but this pain is limiting my ability to shift positions and practice my pieces. This has deeply impacted me and now I am afraid to change positions. I desperately need help! What should I do??? Did anyone else experience something like this???
Replies (16)
I had a similar problem with the exact same fingers, index, middle and ring fingers. Interestingly, the 4th finger is fine. I wish I had a good solution for you, but I don't.
The one difference was that I was feeling a sharp pain when pressing down on the strings, not when shifting. The pain felt like a nerve being pinched. I'm wondering, when you feel the pain are your fingers in contact with the string? Normally, there might be light contact with the strings while shifting, but the fingers should not be pressing down very hard. So it seems strange you are feeling pain when shifting but not when pressing down the strings.
For me, it was mostly the index finger and to a lesser extent the middle and ring fingers. I tried acupuncture twice a week for about 4-5 weeks and also took about 2 months off from playing violin. The problem hasn't gone away, but I have managed to continue playing by making a couple of changes.
First of all, I changed my technique so rather than press the strings directly with the middle of my index finger, I am now pressing slightly off center. If I raise my hand up with my palm facing me, I am pressing with the left side of the index finger. I am scared to try, but if I press with the center of the index finger, I'm pretty sure the pain will come back.
The second change I made was to cut back from playing 2 hours a day to 1 hour. My acupuncture doc said I can play as much as I want as long as I do not play more than 1 hour at a time. That is good advice anyway, even if you don't have an issue with your fingertips. But with scheduling, work, and hobbies, I'd rather not sit down twice a day to play violin, so I am satisfied with 1 hour a day.
I have heard there are docs that specialize in musicians and related injuries. I did not bother because violin is a hobby for me, not a living. But if you plan to play as a career, then that would be something to investigate. Good luck.
I definitely second the advice to use a light touch in shifting. About practice times: I practice and play about 3 hours a day, taking it in two 90-minute stretches with about 3 hours between.
I have experienced something like your dryness, although it didn't interfere with my playing. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, with outdoor temperature and humidity falling, I compensate three ways.
Starting with autumn 2012, I quit using anti-bacterial soap to wash my hands -- except when I really needed to sterilize my hands. Before then, about mid-September each year, as heat and humidity started to drop, my hands started to dry out. It didn't affect the left fingertips. In fact, the slight toughness that builds up through regular string contact somehow helps to prevent trouble in my left tips -- can't speak for the next person.
Now, in all seasons, I normally wash my hands with an aloe soap. Though it's already November, there's definite improvement over past years. In drier months, a little concentrated hand cream like Eucerin or Equate at beginning and end of day further helps me prevent drying and chapping.
I also try to avoid running a sleep deficit. If I'm short on sleep, my tendency toward drying and chapping increases -- don't know how it affects others, but I thought I'd throw that in. And in winter, I run a humidifier.
Can't tell your overall situation. But I figured this was worth a shot and might help.
P. S. Something else that helps me: When I'm coming off a break in practicing -- let's say, a couple of weeks off the instrument -- I practice short sessions on the first days back. Depending on how much toughness in the left tips has decreased, I may take 7-10 days to get back to 3 hours a day.
Sounds like a good reason to visit a dermatologist.
Have you switched string brands recently? Could you be allergic to whatever metal is used in the windings?
A few things that you should look at are Technique, violin set-up and Diet. If these are not working then look at allergies, strings and medical help.
Technique
Are you pressing too hard on the strings and are the fingers too high?. Practice lifting your finger slightly off the finger board, but not the string when shifting (think of an arc image).
Diet
Look for hang nails, white spots on finger nails and dry cracked knuckles and elbows. If you have some or all of the above then you are going to have get more vitamin A,E, zinc and healthy fats into your diet.
My Favorite meal for dry hands
Sweet potato with some olive oil baked at 300°F for 15 min. with a cold avocado dip, salt and pepper to taste(Vitamin A,E,B6 and monounsaturated fats). I have this a least twice a week.
I have 1-2 handfuls of walnuts everyday (Zinc, polyunsaturated fats and B6).
I use to have very unhealthy hands and elbows, and now they are perfect, diet worked.
No simple carbs
Tendonitis or carpal tunnel
May be carpal tunnel. Look at violin set-up. If you are holding the violin at a 60-80° angle with little tilt to the violin, because this will cause the forearm to over twist when playing on lower strings and shifts. This over twisting and bending of the wrist will tighten the forearm muscles adding pressure to the nerve tissue.
I feel that holding the violin at a 50°±5° angle with a 50°±5° tilt is a healthier hold for most.
These angles help straighten the wrist and prevent the forearm from over twisting.
Hi Kevin,
I often had a samilar thing but mostly for my index finger. It feels as if all the nervous endings get very sensitive suddenly and then if you continue, it only goes worst.
When it happens, I have to stop my practice session and massage the finger tip until it goes away, otherwise I'll carry it for days and I don't want this...
In my case, this wasn't helped by the fact that with my busy non violin student schedule, my playing is not consistent. Thus, my figer tips had the time to soften between my practices.
You play every day, this should help...
I do not know if you have small fingers or not but I think that people with thin bony fingers like me must be careful. I do not have much fingertip fat (padding) and it becomes sentitive more quickly if I hit a string to hard or press to hard.
Also, if ever you are on your own, I recommend doing all the dishes and cleaning with rubber gloves. If you have sensitive hands, the less you can put your hands in water the better. Of course, there's things you can't avoid as shower and hand washing but generally speaking...
Too much water exposure softens the fingerpads very quickly. I heard a famous woman violinist telling the same thing so it makes sense...
Best of luck!
Anne-Marie
Wow, what interesting suggestions. As an amateur, I've still played a lot (and regularly) for decades, and never had that problem. I don't know why (or why not), but I do know that the fingers (especially the fingertips, pads, and areas around the nails) can be incredibly sensitive. There are many, many pain fibers in the fingers and hands that send pain messages straight to the brain. That's why the ordinary paper cut is so painful. Hope you find a solution.
Cheers,
Sandy
Update: Today, I decided to change my strings just in case I'm allergic to something in it. I changed brands (I used to use Dominant) and just as I was putting my index finger on the E string, I felt a slight pain/numbness. It's not a sharp pain like what I felt when I was changing position, but it is more like a pain when experiencing fatigue or too much playing. This "pain" didn't bother me; but when I tried to change positions again, the sharp, papercut-like sensation came back, and I had to suddenly stop whatever I am playing and rub my finger for five minutes. I am really confused; some people suggested that I might have pressed too hard, and I think I do, but until now I have had no finger problems for the seven years I was playing, and this is the first time I am experiencing this. I never changed any habit; what my habits are today are what my habits are seven years ago. I have to say this is very, VERY frustrating and I don't know what to do!!! Are there any short-term solutions??? In the meantime, I am going to try to play with my fingers in bandages and see how it turns out.
Please see a doctor about this, we cannot judge how serious this could be - my recommendation would be not to play at all until you have found the cause and understand its consequences.
Tunnel Test
As an absolute guess it sounds like carpal tunnel. Talk to your parents and see the Doc.
I agree that you should see a specialist or a few if need be.
I am not a doctor, but from my own experience, if more fingers are having difficulties, the cause may be in the shoulder, elbow or wrist. It could be vascular, neurological or both. See your doctor and be persistent. The more you delay the treatment, the worse and long lasting consequences will be.
In the meantime, rest more, eat well and relax.
Observe the way your fingers fall on strings.
Play more on the pads then of finger tips. Don't press. Keep your nails short.
Experiment with your shoulder rest. Inspect if you can freely move your left shoulder, or it is blocked. If later, try playing with different rests, pads, or without. Relax.
Which new string brand did you tried?
Dominants hurt my fingers too!
Obligato is the closest synthetic string to gut (gut is told to be very soft on fingers and it's true) and has less high tension than dominants. It's smoother on the fingers and very sweet. It does not have the bad side effects of real gut strings. That could maybe be a nice try if ever you experiment with strings before your exam...
Do you have a good luthier?
You should make experiments with having the bridge lowered. (could try this on a cheaper violin first if you have one...) Or buy a new bridge to not have your actual bridge filed down. This puts the strings closer to the finger board and helpe the left hands a lot. I have done this for years on my violin. And it's part of adapting my instrument to my own needs.
From what I saw around me, these problems always happen when one becomes better. You have played seven years but I bet the peices you play now are much harder on the fingers and challenging on the hands than what you did before... You maybe play more chords, double stops, shift more...
You know, Vengerov played find (as in marvelously...) for years and then his shoulder had to get surgery... Heifetz stoped his career due to shoulder problems etc. Problems can happen at any stages of one's life and from students to masters. I read that 60% of professional string players have hand problems (pain, finger injuries etc.) Your head plays violin but your fingers are actually playing American Football...
Perhaps it's time to make a few modifications now to spare yourself from futur problems...
I think you have the best attitude to systematically look at everything possible that could trigger that pain. A doctor check up is a very good idea too!
I hope you will find a solution. Keep us informed on how it goes.
Best of luck!
Anne-Marie
I agree with everyone suggesting a hand specialist. You might want to bring your violin to the appointment, since not every MD really knows about violin playing. It sounds like you have some sort of skin or nerve damage at the fingertips.
Vitamin C, in addition to the good suggestions on diet above, is helpful for any sort of healing, but nerve damage can be permanent if ignored.
Please do see a hand specialist.
Hope you have solved your problem by now and your happy playing the violin
I had the same problem two months back. Sometimes the teacher want tell you. I was left to figure it out on my own; why did my fingers pain so much,is it really suppose to pain so much that each time I press the string down it really pained so badly and it made me think of giving up the violin.( I had just started) But then a thought how do others; play do they experience the same thing?? Found the solution; my bridge was to high. My tutor agreed and concluded that even his fingers pained while playing my violin. Got it fixed and it was really another feeling, what a decrease in the pain! As though magic had happened
Perhaps you had purchased a new violin, or refixed the bridge
The thinner E will hurt more.
With DIY injuries, or cracked skin in winter, I simply put padded sticking plaster on the offending (offended?) fingertip to spread the load. Better than nothing.
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November 2, 2013 at 12:46 AM · Can you explain your technique a bit more completely? because it sounds like you always/only slide (with pressure on the string) to change position. That could be too much friction.