Drummer Keeps Shining on Broadway With Neck Pain Rehabilitation
November 12, 2025
For a professional drummer, losing feeling in your arm mid-performance isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s career-threatening. Jakubu Griffin of Teaneck, New Jersey, was concerned about the neck pain that triggered this episode, but he worried about the prospect of neck surgery. Would there be a long recovery time? How would having surgery affect his ability to play?
Jakubu explored his options and found a different way to stay on stage — occupational and physical therapy without surgery.
“Playing an instrument is my livelihood,” he says, “and I want to be able to do it at the highest level for as long as possible."
The 54-year-old drummer comes from a musical family, which makes his path to professional drumming feel like “the natural progression of things.”
His performance history is impressive. Jakubu has toured the globe and held a multi-year residency with a world-renowned theatrical circus in Las Vegas. His performance credits also include collaborations with several Grammy-winning artists and celebrated entertainers. Now back home in Teaneck, he keeps the beat with Broadway and off-Broadway gigs, including traveling shows.
Last spring, while performing in the premiere of a show in Atlanta, Jakubu experienced severe pain in his neck in the middle of a song. It felt like an intensely pinched nerve. His whole right arm went numb, and he played through the pain for 20 or 30 minutes. The fatigue spread up to his shoulder, making it hard for him to even hold on to his drum stick.
Any musician would be alarmed, but as a drummer, Jakubu felt he had to play on.
“A drummer can’t stop playing in the middle of a song,” Jakubu says. “I’m the heartbeat of the band.”
The Hotel Stay That Could Have Stopped the Music
Jakubu suspects the problem may have begun on the road before the show, when he slept at a hotel with thick pillows that gave him a stiff neck, leading to the nerve compression that threatened his ability to perform.
When Jakubu returned home to Teaneck, he reached out to Gary Panagiotakis, D.O., Vice Chairman, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Hackensack University Medical Center. Dr.
As part of the comprehensive approach of care at Hackensack Meridian Health, further advanced imaging and diagnostic nerve tests were completed to help diagnose the source of his symptoms. Panagiotakis also treated him for sciatica, a condition that can cause pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling from the lower back to the foot.
Physical Therapy Is Just Another Gig
Instead of surgery, Jakubu began a rehabilitation regimen that included occupational therapy for the combination of arthritis and nerve compression in his neck and carpal tunnel syndrome affecting his hand.
Regarding fitting therapy into his packed performance schedule, Jakubu says, “I just treated it like a job and just made sure I made my two appointments per week. It was like going to the gym. I just knocked it out.”
His commitment to rehabilitation paid off. After a couple of months of consistent physical therapy and occupational therapy, Jakubu’s symptoms improved dramatically.
“At this point,” he says, “I’m not having neck pain flare-ups, and I’m able to play normally.”
According to Dr. Panagiotakis, “Jakubu is a very motivated person. He put in the time and did all the work needed to not only feel better, but to help prevent future issues."
Addressing Pain as an Occupational Hazard
Jakubu wants to use his experience with neck pain and successful rehabilitation to spotlight a bigger issue in the music world. He emphasizes the toll that professional performance typically takes on musicians — a toll that often goes unaddressed.
“All musicians live in pain,” Jakubu says.
He explains that playing most instruments requires holding your body in awkward, uncomfortable positions for a long time.
“We play for hours,” he says, “and we’re doing something that is just physically abnormal for our bodies.”
His advice to fellow musicians is to be conscious of your health and have problems checked out.
Dr. Panagiotakis agrees wholeheartedly. “You don’t know what you don’t know,” he says. “You don’t have all your options laid out for you until you have an evaluation and an accurate diagnosis.”
Treated Successfully, Treated Like Family
Jakubu attributes the success of his rehabilitation to his care team at Hackensack Meridian Health, particularly Dr. Panagiotakis’ assistant.
“She was very helpful in scheduling,” he says. “She was very kind throughout the whole thing and made sure I was able to get in when I needed to. She treated me like a family member.”
Next Steps & Resources
- Meet our source: Gary Panagiotakis, D.O.
- Find an orthopedic specialist or call 800-822-8905 to make an appointment.
- Learn more about orthopedics and sports medicine at Hackensack Meridian Health.
The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.
