Anyone Have Experience Playing Drums After a Groin Hernia Repair?

Bewildered Beast

Bewildered Beast

Member
I'm going in this week to get a hernia fixed and was wondering if anyone had done the same, and could tell me how long it takes to be able to play freely on the kit again? I had a gut hernia done a long time ago which I barely remember, but not sure about the inguinal repair. It's on the left (hi hat side for me).

I've been told no driving for 1-2 weeks because I won't be able to use the clutch, and no lifting over 5kg for 6-8 weeks, but not sure about drum kit.

Am I destined for two months of rudiments on the pad?
 
I would say take a week or so off and let your body be your guide. Give it time to actually heal......2 weeks in the grand scheme of things is nothing to ensure no long term issues.

Plus it is the hihat side, so you can ease your way back into playing without "having" to hammer that leg.

I would be more watchful of how it feels to sit on the stool and work your core muscles.

Don't undo the work that was just done.......my $0.02.
 
Don't rush anything at all. Trust the docs on this one!

Drumming shouldn't hurt ever ever ever, and there's a lot of twisting involved when playing a kit.

I had a horrific left groin tear in 2019 (which took about a year to stop hurting, sport hurts!) and had to play a gig after a week which wasn't fun but a hernia op is a different sport altogether.
 
I'd rule yourself out of playing commitments for 4 weeks. You'll know when the time is right.

I had this hernia myself several years ago, but at the time I was on drum hiatus. I remember instant relief after surgery. Took awhile to get confident in the abdominal muscle intrusions to heal. (Keyhole). (Also made me think how females who have cesarean are super tough).
 
I've had hernia surgery twice. First time, I took two weeks off from gigs. Second time, it was during COVID, so there were no gigs at all, but I would have taken a bit more time off had there been gigs because I'm older. I hope you're having laparoscopic surgery. You'll heal faster, with much less pain. I had it done the old fashioned way first time, with a long cut, and the recovery was very painful.

Also, if they put an abdominal binder on you, make sure to take it off immediately after surgery, put on a t-shirt and then put it back on over the t-shirt. I experienced a terrible, itchy rash on my skin because I didn't do that and it took three weeks to heal. Also, ask for no catheter. After surgery, you'll want to pee, and that caused a burning sensation for a couple of days that was bad. Good luck.
 
I had hernia (umbilical) a number of years ago and I couldn't sit down without being in pain for a week or so post surgery. It was either standing or lying down for me.

I'd take it easy. If you're anything like me, you really get into a groovy song and the adrenaline starts flowing. You might not even feel the damage you might be doing until it's too late. Best rest up.
 
I had double hernia mesh type surgery about six years ago (I was probably 60). I was not actively gigging at the time but started light playing within 2-3 days; no issues.
 
I had inguinal hernia mesh surgery about 8 years ago.
My hernia was so bad I couldn't walk for more than about 100 yards before I was in severe pain.
I had no issues with drumming or walking after a few days.
It took a couple of years before I was back to doing squats and Olympic lifts without any soreness, but now it's like it never happened.
I got the hernia from playing Wii Fit.
 
Bewildered Beast said:
I'm going in this week to get a hernia fixed and was wondering if anyone had done the same, and could tell me how long it takes to be able to play freely on the kit again? I had a gut hernia done a long time ago which I barely remember, but not sure about the inguinal repair. It's on the left (hi hat side for me).

I've been told no driving for 1-2 weeks because I won't be able to use the clutch, and no lifting over 5kg for 6-8 weeks, but not sure about drum kit.

Am I destined for two months of rudiments on the pad?
Click to expand...
My stock response for anything like this - Ask your doctor/physician/surgeon and be guided by what they tell you. Don't take advice from anyone on the internet about recovery times. All hernias are different and what works for one person may not work for another. Anyone professionally qualified enough to know what they're talking about won't give you any advice on a forum either.

By all means listen to others' experiences, good and bad, but don't assume they'll apply to you.

All that said, hope the surgery goes well and you're back playing quickly! :)
 
I had a double hernia at the very bottom of the abdominal wall. I could play drums alright but hauling them and setting them up was the hard part. I also had a groin injury at the same time, walking was tough but I had no trouble playing.
 
mikyok said:
Don't rush anything at all. Trust the docs on this one!

Drumming shouldn't hurt ever ever ever, and there's a lot of twisting involved when playing a kit.

I had a horrific left groin tear in 2019 (which took about a year to stop hurting, sport hurts!) and had to play a gig after a week which wasn't fun but a hernia op is a different sport altogether.
Click to expand...

I never had the hernia thing happen, but 7 years ago I got checked into the boards playing hockey, and it tore my rotator cuff and ripped up the muscles in my ribs...the doc told me to tke it easy etc. etc, but I had gigs to play and didn't want to fink out on the group, so I played anyways. The playing was not as bad as the loading in of equippmet, and the driving...all of the stuff that surrounds a gig...

that injury - and the subsequent not taking care of it properly - has made it trickier for me to use my right arm now. Iit does not bend up as high as it used to. I had to redo my drum set up - specifically my ride - because of rushing back into things and not taking the PT seriously. It also took me a year to be able to play gigs longer than an hour.
 
I have had two hernia surgeries on the right side, and like everything else, I just let it take its time. Walking, steps, any lifting at all will take time, will hurt for a while, so please don't rush. The money involved will be wasted and a second time on top of the first one will kill you. The driving issue is also for a quick stop where you may have to lift your foot quickly from the gas and onto the brake pedal. That will wake you up. Be patient.
 
I had a laparoscopic mesh hernia repair about 3-4 years ago-you'll recover pretty quick but it will feel weird awhile. After my recovery I started picking up heavier things and I was wary-like when I was carrying 50 pound bags of corn or heavier deer stands it would feel like it's pulling so I'd stop and cough and feel my groin to check my parts aren't bulging like a toad frog again. It took over a year before I could lift heavy stuff without it freaking me out. Drumming never bothered me within days.
 
The second time, I had an inguinal and a navel hernia fixed at the same time. I can say with confidence that it's nice having a normal looking navel again.
 
Thanks for all the info above.

A week after having the open left groin hernia repair and I'm finding that I can easily play on the kit (but wouldn't be carrying it anywhere) as long as I'm not stomping on the hi hat pedal. Sneezing, coughing and laughing are still proceeding with caution, but definitely not as bad as I remember from the gut hernia.

It's actually been really positive to use the time and go back and learn some new rudiments on the pad and focus on that for a while (it's fun just to say 'pataflafla' let alone playing it).
 
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