fly fishing injuries (sports related)
- This topic has 19 replies, 14 voices, and was last updated Feb 8, 2008 at 6:19 pm by
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I appear to have a possible sports related injury due to casting, possible bursitis in my right shoulder / upper arm.
Let me offer this disclaimer up front….I am not a doctor and any advice that I offer…..should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. I’m just a slow redneck fly fisherman.
With that said…………I have known guys who have played baseball a significant portion of their lives…..some into their 30’s. Tendonitis is quite prevelent with pitchers and there throwing arm (and shoulder). Some of them would pop a couple of Advil prior to pitching a game. They swear the Advil keeps down the inflamation and as a result…less pain. Try it and let me know how it goes.
If the pain persists, we’ll explore surgery as an option.
Hope this helps.
You might have a overuse injury. Use the old formula R.I.C.E. REST ICE COMPRESSION ELEVATION.
You might try some anti inflamatory’s Like Motrin or Aleeve even Asprin or Tylenol. I take Naproysn and Tylenol most days for all my lingering sportaches. If your pain persists I would see a Othopedic surgeon.
Physical therapy to strengthen your arm and shoulder might help. If things don’t get better you Doc might use X-rays or a MRI to ascertain any joint damage you might have that would require surgery. I had both my knees scoped but never anything on the shoulder although I have a torn labrum in my right shoulder.
From what I hear shoulder surgery is tough. I have had tennis elbow and casting my 8 weight can bring out a twinge of pain but it goes away with rest and drugs and I keep plugin away.
I’m not a doctor but I speak from experience. Hope you get better.Labrati, you might have bursitis and it is relatively easy to treat. However, sounds like you already have some doctors in the house who are stumped. PM me for advice if needed (disclaimer, I am a physician).
BTW, Jason Borger (a previous Podcast guest speaker on this site and a member) has a particular interest in this topic. He works with the University of Montana sports medicine doctors and Tim McCue and others; they have put together a great clinic for casting related injuries. However, you probably don’t need to go to that extreme and fly there and register; the cost is high. But they offer some solid advice and you can probably contact them to see if they have any free information. Try his main contact http://www.jasonborger.com/ or see the attached links for a start http://www.flycastinginstitute.com/clinics.html http://www.umt.edu/urelations/rview/summer06/fishing.htm or http://www.billingsgazette.com/testdex.php?id=2&display=rednews/2004/02/29/build/sports/50-flyfish-doc.inc. You can also contact a local Physical Medicine Rehab doctor or an Orthopedic doctor for a thorough exam. Best advice I can give is to call ahead and see if they have either a)an interest in fly fishing personally, or b)have specifically treated fly fishing related injuries. Lefty Kreh’s book LEFTY KREH ON FLY CASTING has some good advice on casting techniques for avoiding injury.
I have been collecting research for an article on this topic that I intend to write in the future. The main injuries related to fly fishing are usually shoulders, hips, knees in that orders. If your shoulder is hurting it is probably a symptom of extended reaching during your cast. Try and keep your elbow in toward your body and that will help a great deal (the old book between your arm/body trick that was commonly taught in the old days). Also, a series of exercises with stretching are always good. Just FYI, Tylenol will only help dull the pain but does not treat inflammation. Asprin/Motrin/Aleve/Ibuprofen and Cox-II inhibiters are anti-inflammatory medicines that treat both pain and inflammation (take in moderation and as directed).
thanks everybody, I’ve spent the day isolating the arm & its some better. Also grabbed a massage. One of the docs is my fishing partner, but wrong specialty as I’m not pregnant. I’m taking Mobic (meloxicam) for other issues. Anyway I also was suprised that I couldn’t find much on fly casting injuries. I’ll email & check out the links. Other doc is a world class radiologist, but I’d rather avoid MRI etc. Again, wrong specialty. I’ve got a trip booked on Wednesday, so I’m gonna RICE it and cross my fingers, guess this could be an opportunity to work on the weak arm casting.
One other thing, I’m casting a new rod, & throwing a 6wt line with a 5wt rod.
Jason Borger and a Doctor McCue have been looking at this for some time. http://www.flycastinginstitute.com/ If you can’t find anything specific, e-mail Jason, He’ll be happy to answer. Rich
Appologies, but you’re in elite company to be able to say you have a casting injury. Livin’ the dream, Bro…
JL
I would recommend seeing a physical therapist and I would also looking into getting into Spey casting. I know quite a few guys who thought they would have to give up fly fishing due to injuries and learned how to Spey cast and it kept the love of fly fishing alive for them. Plus just think of the new gear you can buy! 😉
If that doesn’t work for ya take Dr. Nealpod’s advice. 🙂 But I would suggest coming to Montana to go to the clinic in person. Missoula is a great town and there is LOTS of great fishing in the area. Of course right now it is all ice but come March we will have some good fishing!
Joel
And here I thought labrati was starting off with a joke: “Drop your waders let’s check under the hood”
I don’t know about elite, but pain yes, gonna tape my cast as soon as I heal & look for form problems.
I too have had some shoulder problems. My doctor told me that before I fish I loosen up by doing rotation exercises.
Dr. Keith Berend, who used to write a medical column for me in American Angler, has a book called Fit to Fish: How to Tackle Angling Injuries.
http://www.amazon.com/Fit-Fish-Tackle-Angling-Injuries/dp/1571883541
He published the first ever peer reviewed study on fly-fishing injuries back in 2001, and he covers casting-related shoulder ailments in the book. Be careful of oversimplified diagnoses. Berend writes:
The most common causes of shoulder problems and shoulder pain are the Four Horsemen of shoulder ailments—bursitis, impingement, instability, and arthritis. Now, all these can also be intermingled or independent of each other. Add to that the complexity of the fly-casting motion, and we have an almost impenetrable combination of problems to discuss.
Hope this helps.
Phil
I’ll certainly be stretching now before casting… you can bet on that… although, how hard it’s going to be to take 10 minutes to stretch while I watch fish rising… will probably be equally as painful.. I suppose I can just take 10 minutes to scout fish… and stretch…
Mine is really bizzare…
I can lift anything, can rotate the arm/shoulder and touch the back of my neck.. no pain…
Zach, the wierd pinky and ring finger deal is something I experienced off and on while rehabing my right arm and shoulder after falling and pretty much shattering my elbow.
Did a 11:30-5 run wednesday with a lot less casting than normal… only time I noticed the arm was during opposite side roll casts (15mph – 20mph gusting wind)…and I tweaked it a couple of times when hiking in while rotating my rod and going down inclines.. wierd.. really wierd…
Other than that.. it seems to be healing… so thank goodness it doesn’t look like bursitus or rotator…
Just tweaked muscles and tendons due to over-use…
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