For a few weeks now I've been playing in a particular session where the seating arrangement (the usual cushioned low bench found in pubs) appears to be giving rise to post-session pain. I've been playing tenor banjo in the session – not my preferred instrument. I favour the mandolin but my crappy little mass-produced mando doesn't have sufficient volume to be heard above other instruments.

The combination of the poor seating and, I suspect, tension caused by my comparative lack of ease with the banjo (which causes me to grip too tightly, etc.) and the fact that the session environment means that we're all playing way too fast for our own (and the tunes'!) good seems to be causing some musuculoskeletal wear and tear. The upshot is that this time last week I had a nagging pain in my ribs(!), which was exacerbated if I
tilted my head in a particular direction or raised my arm above a certain height or at a certain angle.

I hadn't suspected the session as being the cause of my discomfort and by the weekend the pain was so pronounced that I suspected I might have some heart trouble and had myself checked over at the local hospital. I received a clean bill of health in the heart and lung department. The doctor suggested that it might be some minor muscular issue and told me not to worry. The pain gradually receded and I put it to the back of my mind.

Now the pain has re-emerged and I've put two and two together.

Has anyone else had similar problems? I'm reluctant to give up on this particular session and I will make an effort to arrive early next week and base myself on a stool as opposed to the bench. However I suspect that the seating is a contributor to the problem, but not the sole cause – the tensions caused by nervous "gripping" and playing at a speed beyond my natural capability for a three- or four-hour stretch also have a part to play. If the pain resurfaces, then I may have to reconsider playing in sessions at all!

Advice from fellow musicians greatly appreciated.