Rehab — good and bad

Ken Jones

Administrator
Staff member
#1
For about the past six months I've been having pain in my right arm and shoulder; both the arm and the rotator cuff area. A pain that doesn't normally affect my life too much but recently at Catalina I found out I could only make about 4-5 long casts for bonito before the pain really flared up. I gave up the pursuit of bonito and stuck mainly to the bottom fish. When it affects fishing it needs to stop.

I had gone to the doctor around the first of the year. The cause of the pain? Not sure. A cortisone shot stopped the pain for a few weeks but was not a cure. Ex-rays showed some arthritis; basically you're old. But, we need to see what we can do. So today I started some physical therapy, which I thought went well.

One question I asked him was if he thought the fishing/casting was a cause of the problem? Good news—he didn't think so. What about the hours I spend in front of a computer working on stories about fishing? Ahh! Bad news—that could be a big part of the problem. You need to get up often, go do something else, and exercise your arm and shoulder muscles.

So, I will try to get up more often. But can't give up fishing or writing about it. I imagine the same might be true for some of you?
 

evanluck

Well-Known Member
#2
I have a really great chiropractor who is excellent and diagnosing stuff like this. The Physical Therapy sounds like the right approach but if you reach a dead end there I'd be happy to refer you to my guy.
 

Stickman

Active Member
#6
When done right, physical therapy exercises restore muscle tone and flexibility that are lost due to age and (more often than not, our increasingly sedentary 21st century life styles.) I have dealt very successfully with chronic back/leg pain (sciatica) and shoulder pain so bad I could barely lift my arms - all thanks to doing the exercises my Physical Therapist trained me in. Just like our brains, if we don't use it; we lose it. Stick with those routines. It took me 18 months to become pain free with the sciatica. But I have been off pain meds for over ten years. The shoulder pain went away much quicker, once I got my "marching orders." Just consider yourself to be in training for your next fishing trip. That is motivation enough!
 
#7
Hang in there. Isn't aging wonderful? Words of encouragement and wisdom from our mutual friend, Mr. Robert Allen Zimmerman:


May your hands always be busy
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful
May your song always be sung
And may you stay
Forever young
 

pinfish

Well-Known Member
#10
hope you get well soon,

i had tendonitis on my arm and wrists from too much boxing and playing guitar - which prevented me from fishing with my right arm. so fortunately i can cast a baitcaster with my left arm. But in reality, i did have to stop doing all those things for several months for it to go away. Then i am back to doing fishing and playing guitar - boxing not so much.