Some Thoughts On Injury And Recovery (Playing On A Busted Finger…)
Last Sunday I injured the pinky finger on my left hand, which led to a doctor’s office visit for xrays and a tetanus shot. The good news is that I’ll be able to play the Saturday evening gig with Dudley Manlove Quartet, just with a bit of pain. I’m planning to tape the knuckle to help moderate the pressure and hopefully between ice / ibuprofen / red wine it’ll be a bearable evening. But it raises an interesting question about “playing through the pain” and I want to offer some thoughts on the topic. I’ve played gigs in some memorably injured and sick conditions. One of the things I absolutely will not do is risk long-term damage to play a show. This finger injury is a situation where playing will definitely be painful, but I’m not at risk of further damage. It’s likely that doing the gig will mean a slightly longer recovery time, but I am willing to live with some discomfort as long as I can play – and as long as I know it’s going to get better. I’m a musician with a long-haul perspective; I intend to continue playing for the rest of my life, and there’s no rational reason to take risks just to make a gig happen.
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