Fishing Forearm?

[Red]

I am wondering if anyone here has pain in the top side of their forearm, which they think is due to fishing?  Mine has been getting worse and worse.  It isn't terrible, unbearable pain, but it has got increasingly worse and is now pretty constant.  I did a bit of research and it seems the two big muscles in that area of the arm are responsible for moving the wrist.  Anyway, anyone have any advice on how to deal with it?  I am certainly NOT going to stop fishing like some websites recommended!

Cliff

[bocabasser]

i get that pain when i flip a weight that is an ounce or heavier. that is one of the reasons i don't flip as much as i should.

[webertime]

ICE ICE ICE.

Stretch BOTH arms like this...  arms out in front, palms up.  Walk up to a wall and palms against the wall.  Keep your elbow locked and change the angle (rotation) of your palms on the wall. Hold each angle for 15-30 seconds.  Those are muscles that move your wrist from neutral to cocked back (thumb towards elbow, but you knew that). Stretch and ice repeatedly.  If it gets bad you could start to get some serious tendinitis and nerve issues (ulnar nerve).  I have issues with it due years of Lacrosse (hyper extended elbows), Weight lifting and fishing. 

When you are out there flinging a 1/2oz bait a few hundred times it is working your muscles a lot, just a small amounts of stress over hundreds of reps., it adds up...  You should stretch your arms/shoulders/back just to keep things loose and to prevent this sort of injury. 

If it gets bad try going lefty (or righty) for a bit.

ICE ICE ICE...

Wishing you good luck and stay on top of it. I didn't and it turned into bicep tendinitis, the worst pain/discomfort I've ever had.

[rowyourboat]

get some light weights and work them out. i started doing this a few years ago and it really helps my stamina. also remember to stretch before and after fishing. i know it sounds stupid, but it als helps.... and like it was mentioned, use ice. also, use a baseball to rub out the soreness by rolling it over your buscles

[Red]

i get that pain when i flip a weight that is an ounce or heavier. that is one of the reasons i don't flip as much as i should.

That is why I am getting concerned a bit.  I do ALOT of flippin and pichin, but recently I was on a hot crank bite.  But it has died so now I will be hittin the timber with a jig.  Thanks for all the tips, gonna ice it down right now.

[SoFlaBassAddict]

One thing a lot of people don't realize is that you really should stretch your muscles before fishing.  Especially when you're doing different techniques than you're used to doing.  Fishing can be really rough on the body at times.

[aceman387]

Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

[fishfordollars]

Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

That numbness in your fingers and fore arm could be Carpel tunnel syndrome. I had it and had to have both hands operated on back in the mid 90s. It's coming back now so i may be looking at a do over.

[Casca]

do you cast using just one hand/arm? if you do try using a two handed cast. i have small hands and basically need to cast this way and have never had a problem with my arms or shoulder. i don't stretch for fishing but i should, it can only help. i know you'll keep fishing 'till your arm falls off,hopefully it won't. best of luck.

         regards,

         Casca

[webertime]

Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

That's the Ulnar nerve.  This is the same nerve that give you writer's cramp/carpel tunnel, it's also your "funny bone" it's also the nerve that runs up the back of your shoulder into your neck.

I have custom wrapped my rods to alliviate any strange pressure points on my hand and ever so slightly change the angle the rod comes out of my hand.  I have Carrot Stick casting rods and the grip is tiny and the winding check hits right in the middle of my palm and made my ring and pinkie fingers go numb all the time earlier this year.  Since I wrapped it I've been golden.  I'll post pix of it when I get home...

[00 mod]

When I fish alot, my elbows hurt......maybe i keep my forearms in shape other ways..... ;D

[Shane J]

I know what you're talking about. Sometimes I get that after fishing all day, especially if I make sweet love to my wife the night before, then fish all day, I come home feeling like an old man!

[I.rar]

why do you think popeye looks the way he does?  ;D

i rarely ever throw anything over 3/4 oz (bait , weight , and hook total) , but when i do , i immediately feel pain in my arm as well. im too old for my age.   :-/

[J Francho]

For you guys pitching heavy jigs and punch rigs, consider having a rodsmith balance your rod with the bait on it.  I added a bit of weight to my flipping stick, and while it feels a little funny throwing frogs, its perrrrrrrfect for pitching 1 to 1.5 oz. baits.

[flyboy]

It is basically tennis elbow.  Google tennis elbow and you will find a number of techniques to stretch and work the muscles to eliminate it.  While it is bothering you be sure to use ice religiously.

[BobP]

If you stroke jigs hard for very long, it can definitely make the ligaments in the top of your forearm hurt.  I don't think it's just muscle because it can last months, not days.

"Doc, it hurts when I do this..."

"Well, stop doing that."

Change your technique.  Try casting crankbaits with the reel rotated counter-clockwise 90 degrees.  It helps a lot.

[Red]

Thanks for all the info guys.  I iced last night for 20 minutes and again tonight.  After each icing I used the "baseball" technique someone mentioned.  This process so far has eliminated the pain.  However, this morning at work as soon as I grabbed my hammer the pain was back and lasted all day until I just iced again tonight.  I plan to be flippin and pitchin a jig all day friday so I will report back after that trip.

[NorcalBassin]

Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

Ace... that's coming from your neck. A given joint traditionally refers up or down one level, if it is an entire extremity it is almost always coming from the spine (arms = neck, legs = low back).

[NorcalBassin]

It is basically tennis elbow. Google tennis elbow and you will find a number of techniques to stretch and work the muscles to eliminate it. While it is bothering you be sure to use ice religiously.

Ding, ding, ding... you are the winner for getting the diagnosis right.

8-)

[slonezp]

First of all, what a depressing thread.

Secondly

Its funny this topic came up because the past 3-4 weeks i have been having a pain in my shoulder and left arm and numb finger tips on my left hand which i believe is a pinched nerve. Could this be from fishing to much? i do fish before work and after work . I don't plan on taking a break to recover because we have 4-5 months of old man winter bearing down on us.

I too have numbness in my pinky and ring fingers that wakes me up every night, happens while driving, and worst of all I get numbness when senko or fluke fishing on a spinning combo. A guy I work with had surgery last year to relocate a pinched nerve. Same symptoms. I would like to prolong the inevitable as long as I can. I just got back to work after having rotator cuff surgery and can't afford more time off.

:'( :'( :'(   

[NorcalBassin]

I too have numbness in my pinky and ring fingers that wakes me up every night, happens while driving, and worst of all I get numbness when senko or fluke fishing on a spinning combo. A guy I work with had surgery last year to relocate a pinched nerve. Same symptoms. I would like to prolong the inevitable as long as I can. I just got back to work after having rotator cuff surgery and can't afford more time off.

:'( :'( :'(

If it's your pinky and ring finger then it very well may be the ulnar nerve. Your buddy had a SMUNT (Submuscular ulnar nerve transposition), and the outcomes unfortunately vary greatly with that procedure. That being said, you are far from surgery if your symptoms are intermittent. Whatever you do, do not put any direct pressure over the inside of your elbow (nerve is most superficial there and susceptible to chronic irritation)... so make sure you rest the meat of your forearm on the console while driving or any other time you would otherwise be resting on your elbows. Hopefully this isn't the case, but if the cuff repair you had was on the same side as your hand symptoms, your neck could be the culprit (C5 refers to the shoulder and can decrease your cuff strength to the point of leading to partial/complete tears). Your ortho doc should be able to do a pretty quick differential diagnosis to figure out what's going on with you. Good luck!

[slonezp]

I too have numbness in my pinky and ring fingers that wakes me up every night, happens while driving, and worst of all I get numbness when senko or fluke fishing on a spinning combo. A guy I work with had surgery last year to relocate a pinched nerve. Same symptoms. I would like to prolong the inevitable as long as I can. I just got back to work after having rotator cuff surgery and can't afford more time off.

:'( :'( :'(

If it's your pinky and ring finger then it very well may be the ulnar nerve. Your buddy had a SMUNT (Submuscular ulnar nerve transposition), and the outcomes unfortunately vary greatly with that procedure. That being said, you are far from surgery if your symptoms are intermittent. Whatever you do, do not put any direct pressure over the inside of your elbow (nerve is most superficial there and susceptible to chronic irritation)... so make sure you rest the meat of your forearm on the console while driving or any other time you would otherwise be resting on your elbows. Hopefully this isn't the case, but if the cuff repair you had was on the same side as your hand symptoms, your neck could be the culprit (C5 refers to the shoulder and can decrease your cuff strength to the point of leading to partial/complete tears). Your ortho doc should be able to do a pretty quick differential diagnosis to figure out what's going on with you. Good luck!

Rotator cuff surgery was on the opposite side and a work related injury.

[aceman387]

Maybe Glenn could come out with a fishing strength training video for this site, complete with weight training, stretching, and of course plenty of girls in skimpy bikinis to fill in the background.

[Shane J]

I like it, ace. "Fishing Fitness with Glenn". It's got potential.

[Catt]

Wait until y'all get older, it hurts even more