Experience with shoulder problems?
I'm starting to get some issues with my shoulder. My problem started as some dull 2/10 pain under my right shoulder blade, mostly when I wasn't doing anything (drumming didn't make it hurt any more, at least while I was playing). I started stretching it, but I also kept playing. Now I also have some acute 4/10 pain across the top of my shoulder blade that does actually get worse about 20 mins after I finish drumming and kinda nags at me throughout the day. It's never very sharp, and my range of motion seems fine still. It's been 3ish weeks now, and it's only gotten worse.
Everything while playing is fine, no mobility problems or pain at all, the pain actually resolves while I'm on the kit. I keep my cymbals low and I'm always making little neurotic ergonomic microadjustments to my setup, so I don't think that's the problem. My appointment with my doctor is on the books, and I imagine he'll refer me to PT. My plan for now is complete rest, I'm going to try my best not to touch my kit or practice pad for the week leading up to my appointment.
Does anyone have any experience with pain like this? I've heard some real scary stories about shoulder injuries drumming and I really don't want to stop, drumming has become my main focus and it's keeping me sane nowadays. I'd appreciate any perspective about how common, scary, or fixable these things usually are.
Posted Jun 5, 2026, 4:52 AM UTC