sore baby finger

[Tash]

when i'm practicing the middle section of rach's prelude op.3 no2, my little pinky finger starts to get quite sore around the 2nd joint (one closest to my hand) because it's trying to bring out the melody but i'm playing with that joint straight which i think is putting some pressure on it so i have to stop. i've tried to bend it a little but the thing is just too short and won't let me. i'm just worried about injuring it, so can anyone tell me if this sort of thing can lead to an injury in my finger? i only have a month left of playing it (thankgod, i love the piece but have been playing it way too long) so i suppose it should be ok...

[xvimbi]

If I understand correctly, then we are talking about a collapsed joint, which is a sure way to injury if it becomes a habit. There is nothing wrong with doing it occasionally, just not all the time. You can smoke a joint, but you shouldn't collapse it 

[Tash]

collapsed? can you go into that in more detail and see if that could be the case?

[xvimbi]

"Collapsed" is more or less a colloquial term that refers to the fact that a joint is at or past its normal range. For example, take a ballerina who puts her foot up on a bar with the leg straightened and then bends her torso forward to touch the knee with her head. At this moment, the knee joint is "collapsed". Any weight lifter, or athlete in general, knows that putting weight on a collapsed or locked joint is absolutely prohibited, because it will ruin the joint. Fingers are no different. When you press down on a key with a collapsed finger, the force transfer is exceptionally bad. A lot of the force is used to bend your finger even more. Over a long period, this can lead to the lengthening of the tendons, which is very bad. In the short run, it leads to some irritation, which is what I think you are experiencing. If you must keep your pinky straight, try to minimize the force.

[Tash]

oh ok, yeah i don't think it's too serious. i should probably just stop practicing that section so much. thanks xvimbi, i've lerant something new for the day!