Stress fractures?

Km6543

Senior Member
Anyone ever have, or heard of, stress fractures in the foot from kick drum playing?

I don't have any symptoms of one, or anything like that. But am just curious because I would want to take appropriate steps to avoid them. Thanks!
 
No.


I reckon you're overthinking this mate. And if you're stomping your feet on the pedal so hard you're even contemplating that this might be an issue, then you're doing something fundamentally wrong. No ways about it. Revise what you're doing, because this drumming caper is gonna get awfully expensive for you.....and that's before the visit to doctors office. Even the heaviest of players are never gonna be in remote danger of fracturing their bones.

Maybe kickboxing....or breaking rocks with your feet might be a better vocation? :)
 
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I play barefoot and have bruised the bones in my right foot and once got a bone spur on my heel that was very painful to play on. It took months to heal and I had to wear shoes because I kept re-injuring it.
 
I think you might need to look at your technique if this is a concern... when you kick the pedal you don't drive the footboard into the ground, or the beater through the head or even have much pressure on the pedal when it's hitting rock bottom... it's like hand technique, you throw it most of the way there and you let the stick/beater bounce back.
 
I believe rule of thumb for any type of physical activity/movement would be to stay loose and relaxed (so stretch before playing/practicing) . As soon as you tighten up thats when injury can occur. Also when it comes to drumming a looser relaxed grip will improve the overall sound.
I don't play double bass anymore but when i did I always focused on relaxing especially during fast playing.
 
I play barefoot and have bruised the bones in my right foot and once got a bone spur on my heel that was very painful to play on. It took months to heal and I had to wear shoes because I kept re-injuring it.

I have no idea how you guys how you guys play barefoot. I'm pretty sure my feet would be beat up from that. (never mind walking around at a gig looking like a hillbilly LOL)

To the OP. Don't stress it (no pun intended). Unless you have a crazy magnesium deficiency or some unique condition, you are not risking fracturing your bones any more than if you went for a walk.
 
To be fair my bruises and bone spur were equipment problems. I replaced the hinge on my pedal with a delta hinge and it sat too high creating a ridge right where I do heel toe. That gave me a spur in my heel. Playing on a backline kit with a pedal that has a toe stop, I was pressing the ball of my foot on the stop and bruised the bone. I did that twice. And yes I walk around barefoot looking like a "hillbilly".
 
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