After tossing a $300 rod/reel combo into the lake yesterday, finally have to admit that I am having issues with repetitive stress injuries to my right hand and left forearm from fishing.

Surely others have experienced similar issues...what did you do to alleviate the pain?

1. rest, ice, antiinflammatories
2. stretching/range of motion exercises
3. alternate between spinning and baitcasting gear so you aren't doing the same motions over and over
4. lighter rod/reel---sounds like with at $300 set up, your setups are light to begin with
5. overall fitness (diet/exercise)

I had really bad tennis/fisherman's elbow for months, so bad I almost had to stop fishing to try to heal up. After nagging me for a long time, my wife finally talked me into seeing her chiropractor to get help. I went, he felt of the muscles in my forearms and to me they felt like steel cables in there. He hooked up a device that shot mild electrical pulses through my elbows for about 15 minutes. I felt immediate improvement. I saw him twice a week for 4 weeks for treatments and I was completely over it. That was 4 years ago and I have had no problems since. Might be worth looking into.

Year before last, I had to have surgery for nerve tunnel issue in my elbow and hand. The hand aint a big deal, the elbow is much more complicated. The good part is, it fixed the problem. Took a while to get over it but other than loosing some use in 3 and 4 finger I am good. Much better than not being able to hold a glass of water without droping it.

Tendinitis is more than likely the culprit

Last year, I tore a rotator cuff in my left shoulder. Had to order left handed reels to use and 3 months of therapy. ...now it's arthritis in both hands...middle and ring fingers. Hurts like hell every morning and evening. My dr said I should take a break from fishing for a while. Fat chance there. It's two Alieve and two Tylenol every day.

And yes....I have almost lost a few rods and fish on hooksets. The pain is excruciating sometimes.

I had very similar issues , started when I was about age 48 . Went to chiropractors ,physical therapy , ART stimulation etc... nothing helped . Decided to investigate real root cause issues ( instead of taking ibuprofen , Tylenol 6-8 times a day etc..) Went to health food /diet people , attended seminars on what the typical diet is doing to our bodies . Now , 7 years later and complete change in diet , not a single bit of joint pain in any part of my body , no need for any pain killers AND my energy levels are significantly higher .
At 55 , I feel better than when I was in my thirties ---all due to diet change . It took the thought of not being able bass fish ever again to get me to wake up and make the required changes .
Also , beware of taking Aleve , I had a close family member taking way to much for way to long and eventually causing kidney failure .

Well...it's age 48 here and now for me. Lol. Maybe I should seek a dietitian.

What type of dietary changes did you make?

mudman , steez ,
Everybody is different , here's what worked for me and why . The standard American diet is loaded with high fructose corn syrup ( people think it's sugar ) and chemicals . Both significantly effect inflammation . Most joint pain is most likely caused by these two factors (unless it's an old injury). I totally eliminated HFCS and any residual chemicals from my food sources ( standard chicken and beef have huge amounts of steroids and chemicals in them , organic based meats , and grass feed beef are best ). I drink at least 60-100ounces water daily to help flush my body. No soda's and very little milk based products . I also don't eat what I call
" white" foods ( white bread , white rice etc...) . I eventually went to a more "raw" type of diet whenever I can and I make my own cold pressed juices . It's not easy to make these changes because Americans are addicted to "sugary " foods and our brains are wired for them .
The basic goal is to increase "nutrients " , reduce all sugars , eliminate all HFCS and artificial sweetners , no more chemicals in foods and lots of water to flush your system . As I mentioned before , I no longer take any pain pills and I haven't had a "cold" for over 4 years . If you would like more detailed info , send me a PM and I would be happy to give more info . I spent many years researching how to fix my health and food is the way to fix it . I only wish I had made these changes earlier in life .
tight lines ,
Robb

This is probly just a band aide fix till I have to pull the trigger and really have it taken care of. But I cortisone shot 4 months ago and it fells gret some far .

I had same problem in my right hand, my middle and ring finger would kill me, especially during and after a round of golf. Got X-rays and mri, which revealed nothing. It was weird. My doctor gave me a steroid shot in the finger that hurt worst. Fixed it immediately, that was 3 years ago, have not had to return. I raced motocross from 13-40 years old. My hands (among many other body parts) kill me now at 50. I fear they will be useless by 65. ) :
Just thought I would pass on something that helped me. Sux getting old.

Had shoulder/elbow pain in several tournaments this year to the extent that it cost me money..
Finally reached a breaking point and went to a chiropractor for x-rays and a look see.
Come to find out, I had 4 slipped discs in my neck which was causing some nerves to be pinched. Been going 3 times a week for several months and it has helped immensely.

This

I've had it twice in my lifetime, once when I was young, once when I was much older. Had pain in elbow and shoulder the first time, chiropractor said it was my tendons in wrist that were causing the pain. He had me wear a wrist support band and give it some rest... good as new soon after. He said it was like turning on a light switch in one place and the light going on somewhere else. Made sense to me.

The second time was much worse, wrist and hand pain, definitely from too much casting at weird angles and paddling hundreds of miles a year. I remember leaving the water one day and I didn't have the strength in right hand to turn the key in my ignition or get car out of park. The pain was terrible. I didn't fish the first week but was back at it the second. Still in pain but learned to take it real easy on the water... never extending my elbow completely, fewer and shorter casts, much less paddling. It took several months to get right but completely healed eventually.