After fighting the pain and lack of sleep for the past month, I finally threw in the towel today and went to see my family doctor. It didn't take him very long to figure out what the problem was...or, for that matter, what caused it. He subsequently sent me home with a prescription for a week's worth of methylprednisolone tablets and said I should see considerable relief within two or three days.
"Could have been worse!" was what I learned after getting home and digging around the Internet a little bit. For example, I read about an angler who was chucking frogs for bass on the Potomac when he saw a bass blow up in the distance. He gave his subsequent cast a little extra oomph to reach the spot, tearing his rotator cuff in the process. The surgery and recovery that followed were successful, but it cost him a whole year of fishing time.
When you consider the number of casts an angler makes on any given day, coupled with the weight of a fishing rig and the torque a rod generates during the casting motion, it's easy to understand the formula for shoulder problems that's created if one gets careless.
As the earlier Potomac angler learned, you're well-advised to make some changes in your casting technique. For one thing, he learned how to cast both left- and right-handed. Second, he learned how to use the rod tip to generate more distance when pitching or flipping. And finally, he learned to keep his upper arms close against his upper torso when overhand casting. Keeping elbows close to the body prevents anglers from using their arms and shoulders, forcing the rod to do the work.
Combining these changes allowed that Potomac angler to fish regularly, mostly pain-free, while waiting for surgery. He managed the little aches and pains after each outing with over-the-counter pain-relievers.
Here are some tips for both weekend fishermen and tournament professionals designed to help protect against shoulder injuries:
* Let the rod do the work. Our arms never can generate as much torque as a fishing rod.
* Learn how to cast, pitch and flip with a non-dominant hand. Make this a practice priority during the winter.
* Review line options. A line with less stretch means anglers have to do less work with their arms and the rod.
* If aches and pains in shoulders from wear and tear already exist, pre-medicate before a tournament or practice day. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever with breakfast, and stay on top of pain management with additional doses throughout the day.
* Ice is a friend. A few minutes of icing can go a long way to manage pain. Keep some ice packs handy when you're on the water.
* A simple, focused exercise regime involving light weights and lots of repetitions works wonders to strengthen shoulders and arms, enabling better endurance through the stress of casting. Stretching also should be a part of any routine.
Preventing shoulder injuries is much easier than recovering from them. A few simple adjustments to technique and equipment can save lots of wear and tear. Use the tools and let them do the work. Incorporate some simple exercises into a daily schedule to help prepare for the rigors of fishing. It's another instance where an "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
And in case anyone has been wondering, this tendinitis is what has been limiting my blog posts for the last month. Trying to keep a heating pad in place while using a computer keyboard is an exercise in futility...at best.
No comments:
Post a Comment