What do you guys think about my injury situation and fishing?

[pauldconyers]

A little over a month ago I injured my arm and felt/heard a "pop" when it happened. As the day went on my arm and specifically the tendon on the top of my forearm really started to hurt and ache. Orthopedic thought it was a bicep tear but an MRI said it was only a partial tear. Good news in that I would be avoiding surgery with a recovery time of 4-6 months. Bad news is I will be going through physical therapy with a 6-9 month full recovery time...

 

Good news if I am smart and do not overdo things I can work but my mind now is on fishing concerns and I was hoping some of you guys have had a similar injury and could tell me what to expect and more importantly what I probably can and can't do. It is my right arm and I am right handed. When fishing 99% of the time I am using a right handed bait caster. When I do too much that area on my arm starts aching and all that. The only real lose of strength I have is when I do turning motions like if I were to turn a door knob.

 

I would think casts where I just give it all I have are out for a while. This year was supposed to me me learning how pitch a jig but with that being something you typically do with your strong/main arm that may be out. I may be able to kind of pitch it out with bad technique though. IDK, if my left arm is good that is what I would mostly be pulling a rod with. When I simulate turning a reel to myself in the air it does not seem to be causing me much discomfort. Of course, I do not have a big fish on the line when trying this in my living room LOL

 

I realize I could just wait until things warm up and find out what I can do but I wanted to kind of wrap my mind around what to expect. Plus I do not want to get a fish on the line, be fighting it only then to wrench my arm real bad!! Would like to avoid that if I can!

[jimmyjoe]

   I've gone through two surgeries, and I have a torn shoulder that I have to nurse. I can tell you two things for sure:

 

   1) Go to your rehab religiously. Do what they tell you, and don't do what they tell you to not do.

   2) Do not ... and I repeat DO NOT .... push it because you "feel ok."

 

   I learned those lessons the hard way. I'd rather you didn't learn them the same way.  ?    jj

[Glenn]

^^ This! ^^

 

I had a torn labrum (similar injury, but to the shoulder).  Your worst enemy: I feel good...it's felt good for several (days/weeks)....so I think I can "gradually" start working it again.

 

Nope!  You feel better long before it's healed up enough to use it again.  Hence the 6-9 month recovery period. 

 

If you do everything right, you'll feel better in 2-4 months, and then it becomes hard to keep going with the PT, and harder to not use it again.  It'll seem like you're going through the motions without any significant changes.  

 

Trust the process.  Trust it's working even though you don't feel different.  In the grand scheme of things, 6-9 months is a blip on the radar.  A temporary inconvenience. 

 

[Bluebasser86]

6-9 months to get all the way better, or much longer because you pushed it and really messed something up and had to have surgery? I get that it sucks, but given the 2 clear options, it's a pretty easy decision. Get that clear bill of health and okay from the Doc before you push it and really hurt it.

[Teal]

Follow the docs and the pt.  After a few months I dont see anything wrong with practicing pitching in the backyard.  Using your left would be a good idea.  But you gotta have the discipline to put your self on a pitch count.  But having said this, only do it if your docs and PTs say it's ok.  I wouldn't try to fish during the recovering time.  

[scbassin]

Remember this saying! Stupid is what stupid does!! think of that when you go against doctors orders.

[A-Jay]

We all get exactly one opportunity to rehab any injury correctly.   After that, doing anything else is damage control.   There's no time frame limit and speed is often your arch enemy.

The older we get the easier this lesson is to learn.  Problem is, everything take three times as long to heal. And we rarely get it all back.

Good luck

A-Jay

[Lead Head]

Wait... 4-6 months with surgery, and 6-9 months without? Unless the Dr. was strongly in favor of going without surgery, I would just have the surgery and get everything fixed up right the first time. I understand other things play a role here (insurance and bills and such) but if all things are equal, I would personally opt for surgery and a shorter recovery time. Everyone is different, but I learned long ago that I'm better off just getting things fixed and moving on. I had an achilles injury 12 years ago and opted to rehab without surgery. Now I have managed to get large calcium deposits (from scar tissue) inside my Achilles tendon. To surgically remove these calcium deposits now, will have the exact same recovery time I was avoiding 12 years ago. Sure wish I would have just had the surgery in the beginning and been done with it. 

[Koz]

I had a partially torn bicep and it took about 4 months to heal which was a pain since I coach baseball and could not throw. For most daily activities I was pain free, but certain twisting motions or raising of the arm motions left me in excruciating pain.

 

As for fishing, I was still able to fish with little or no pain. Tuck your elbow in front of your body or against your side and cast overhand using your forearm. hinging at the elbow. You're going to find out that with a baitcaster you don't need to muscle your casts to cast far. Play with the brakes and the tension instead of trying o muscle it out there.

 

Your first thought might be that decreasing or removing your brakes is going to cause a lot of bird's nests. But casting smooth in the method I described will result in long casts without fouling your line around the spool.

[NHBull]

I had my right shoulder rebuilt and while in the there found a torn pec and partially torn bicep tendon.

 

My Dr really knows me and said " pay now or pay later". It always cheaper to pay once and soon.....

 

I also found that you can still DS with your off hand if you need to calm your mind.....

[livin2fish]

36 minutes ago, Lead Head said:

Wait... 4-6 months with surgery, and 6-9 months without? Unless the Dr. was strongly in favor of going without surgery, I would just have the surgery and get everything fixed up right the first time.

^^^^^This is a suggesting worth considering.  Some injuries rehab well, some do not.  If this is considered an elective surgery it may not be available until Covid subsides. 

With regard to fishing, the learning to pitch left handed and cast left handed is probably doable, but what happens when you hook that really large fish and you have to get her into the boat or onto land, and unhook her.  You would probably need to use that right arm. 

[Bankbeater]

10 hours ago, pauldconyers said:

Good news in that I would be avoiding surgery with a recovery time of 4-6 months. Bad news is I will be going through physical therapy with a 6-9 month full recovery time...

If your Dr. is sure it will heal without surgery then go with the PT all the way.  Anytime you can avoid surgery, you should.

[GaryH]

Your getting great advice some from everyone. You should listen. If you must give up fishing for a few months to get better, well that's life. 

I had a 2 bad shoulders but wasn't willing to give up my archery season. Dumb move. Now I have 5 screws in left shoulder and 3 screws in my right. I sure wish I would have listen to the Dr.

[scaleface]

A few years back I ripped the bicep off the bone "Bowling injury" and had it repaired . I was out for six months . Luckily half of the six months was winter so I only missed three months of fishing . For three months I wasnt allowed to lift anything heavier than a coffee cup . Then 5 lbs , 20 lbs...  It sucks but it is what it is .

[DitchPanda]

Well I'm of the belief you should avoid surgery if possible so if your doc is confident it will fully heal without it I'd go that route. Anytime they don't have to cut into is a plus...no matter how careful they are there is always a risk of accidents or infection. I'm also in the mindset of I would not push it because that could cause way more pain and set you back even more. In a few months as your feeling better talk to your doctor about for its ok to do any fishing and make sure you follow his guidelines. Case in point my dad had an elbow injury several years ago and he pushed to hard. Ended up having to have Tommy John surgery and it took him 8-12 months to recover from it.

[Guitarfish]

You don't say how old you are but when I pull or tear one of my antique body parts it takes forever to heal.  I sprained an ankle Sept. 5th  this year and it hurt like heck last night because I was on a ladder all day painting.  That's almost 4 months ago I injured it.  I can press on the tendons and they feel like I'm pressing a bruise.

Avoid surgery and do the PT,  it's the only logical choice.

[NYWayfarer]

10 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

If your Dr. is sure it will heal without surgery then go with the PT all the way.  Anytime you can avoid surgery, you should.

I agree.
 

I follow a simple rule, no voluntary surgeries, ever.

[pauldconyers]

Thanks for all the replies. The question was not should I go through PT and avoid a surgery. I was asking if you guys thought fishing would be an issue or not. I imagined me asking my therapist about it and unless they were a fisherman they would just waive it off without giving it much thought or not realizing what motions I would be doing and know if it would be a problem or not.

[NYWayfarer]

Ask your therapist if he or she fishes if they say no then your assumption is correct. If they say they do fish then you can ask your question and trust the answer.

 

I would say you can fish while you are in PT. Not the same as before but some fishing is better than none.

[pauldconyers]

1 minute ago, NYWayfarer said:

Ask your therapist if he or she fishes if they say no then your assumption is correct. If they say they do fish then you can ask your question and trust the answer.

 

I would say you can fish while you are in PT. Not the same as before but some fishing is better than none.

That's what I was wondering and was hoping guys with similar injuries could say be smart and you're good or major warning to not even think about it. If I were to re-injure or undo a lot of my PT work with an injury it's likely it will be from a one time "incident" that once it happens it's too late and the damage has been done.

[throttleplate]

Get the operation, thats my opinion from me whom has had 9 surgeries in my lifetime to my body joints.

My elbow operation on inside tendon was a fast recovery. Dr operated as i told him i needed!!! to get back to work as quick as possible or lose my job as injury was iniatianally not work related.

 

Ended up missing only 3 weeks and i was a heavy equipment mechanic and slowly progressed gaining strength while working and limiting using my right arm for power and using my left untill i gained strength. I only had 2 therapy sessions as they showed me what to do and then was on my own.

 

Then my outside tendon tore a few years later and a different dr screwed around and shot me up with streoids and it didnt help and refused to operate and left me in pain for 2 solid years untill i couldnt stand it and we got into an argument and i got another dr and had operation 3 weeks later.

 

Again 2 rehab sessions showed me what to do and bye bye did it at home and going on 3 years now elbow is great.

The 2nd elbow surgery took 8 months to heal which was a lot better than constant pain for 2 years prior to operation

 

My choice is always to get the operation so i can move on in life as fast as possible.  The therapist always want me to push through the pain and i agree as some days after my own therapy my elbow was in flames and i wondered if i was getting better but i did.

 

[slonezp]

It's just fishing. The fish will still be there after you recover. I've had 3 shoulder surgeries and I'm legally disabled. I can't fish like I used to pre-injury so, I don't fish like I used to post injury. I stopped fishing competitively and have broadened my horizons to include other species besides bass.

[12poundbass]

I played hockey through my teens and suffered a separated shoulder (grade 3 tear of the AC joint) . I was 17. I was scheduled rehab and went one time. I knew all and was ten foot tall and bulletproof like all of us were. I’m 37 now and pay the price for it! Listen to the doctors and your PT people! Please listen. 

[mcipinkie]

I would generally be inclined to agree with you guys except for the current tort situation in this country.  Right or wrong, every doctor in this country is going to protect him/her self from law suits.  If you are in good condition, and can heal in a month, you will be prescribed at least 3 months PT.  Worse case, even longer.  You have to make the best decision for you, that you can make, HONESTLY, evaluating your self, and your capabilities, using what the medical professionals tell you to help you.

 

I'm 74 years old, and except for a couple heart attacks, in pretty darn good shape.  I know my body.  I know what I can do, and what I can't, and I know how important fishing is to me.  At the moment, I'm not faced with any of the decisions that some of you are, but I'll utilize what the doctors tell me as ONE of the factors in any decision that I may be forced to make.

 

 

[slonezp]

13 minutes ago, mcipinkie said:

I would generally be inclined to agree with you guys except for the current tort situation in this country.  Right or wrong, every doctor in this country is going to protect him/her self from law suits.  If you are in good condition, and can heal in a month, you will be prescribed at least 3 months PT.  Worse case, even longer.  You have to make the best decision for you, that you can make, HONESTLY, evaluating your self, and your capabilities, using what the medical professionals tell you to help you.

 

I'm 74 years old, and except for a couple heart attacks, in pretty darn good shape.  I know my body.  I know what I can do, and what I can't, and I know how important fishing is to me.  At the moment, I'm not faced with any of the decisions that some of you are, but I'll utilize what the doctors tell me as ONE of the factors in any decision that I may be forced to make.

 

 

I'll agree with you to a point. Doctors aren't worried about getting sued because someone wants to go fishing. If fishing turns into an opioid addiction to deal with the pain, well that's something he may need to worry about. I would have never even considered suing my doctor for additional injuries I may have received just going thru my daily activities including fishing.

 

There was a period of about 2-1/2 years, prior to my 3rd surgery, where I couldn't bass fish for more than 2-3 hours without being in excruciating pain and then take 2 days to recover from 3 hours of fishing.

 

Adapt and overcome.

 

I do the best I can with what I've got...and it's just fishing. It still takes me 2 or 3 days to recover from fishing hard but I can spend 8-12 hours on the water now rather than just 2.