anyone injure their shoulders?

[Boom Stick]

Recently, a small tornado wreaked havoc 5 miles away from my house....trees all over. I had to hustle and brought home like 20 truck loads of wood, only 3 of which that were not Black Locust. I really worked myself bucking, loading, and unloading up to 6 loads per day. None of this wood was easy to get. Well, Now my shoulder hurts really bad and I got xrays and orthopedist said I did no damage but damn it hurts to button my pants every morning. I was worried I did my rotator cuff but Dr said no after he put me through the motions. What do you guys do for sore shoulders? I now have 20 loads of wood stacked in my driveway that I have to split and stack. I am nervous about using the fiskars and wondering if I need to use the spiltter instead but still have to lift every piece to process.

 

[thewoodlands]

Recently, a small tornado wreaked havoc 5 miles away from my house....trees all over. I had to hustle and brought home like 20 truck loads of wood, only 3 of which that were not Black Locust. I really worked myself bucking, loading, and unloading up to 6 loads per day. None of this wood was easy to get. Well, Now my shoulder hurts really bad and I got xrays and orthopedist said I did no damage but damn it hurts to button my pants every morning. I was worried I did my rotator cuff but Dr said no after he put me through the motions. What do you guys do for sore shoulders? I now have 20 loads of wood stacked in my driveway that I have to split and stack. I am nervous about using the fiskars and wondering if I need to use the spiltter instead but still have to lift every piece to process.

The body is telling you it needs a break, take three weeks off you'll see a big difference, if you don't you'll be hurting worse.

I pushed it, the body pretty much said take some time off or I'll shut it down 4 you, that's where the 3 weeks come from. I'll never push it like that again.

 

[WellSeasoned]

Heat for pain, cold for swelling. If you have swelling, get it down asap. Swelling did more damage to my arm than the initial injury. Like zap said, listen to your body. REST IT! Any repetitive movemont involving weight can cause injury. Good luck, heal fast.

 

[Locust Post]

Zap hit it right on the head. Take some time off from that wood. I worked firewood this year later than ever and I always get a little in my shoulders but this year it was in my elbows too. Stayed away from the wood for the most part now for about a month /6 weeks and I can tell a huge difference. Just split some today for awhile and feel pretty good. Also what seems to help is lay flat in the mornings on the back, extend the arms straight up and stretch.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

About 3 years ago I started to get pain in the front of my right shoulder and also thought "it must be my rotator cuff"-it wasn't, it was just muscle imbalance. Some of the muscles were very strong while some were weak which can happen over time. I went to a chiropractor who put me through all the strength tests etc. and he showed me over a short course of time stretches to do and exercises using an elastic band; it didn't take long before I felt relief. I would also suggest that you Google Gary Crowley and look on his website "joint pain relief"; on the left side of his homepage you will see shoulder pain relief-click on it and watch the videos and try what he suggests. He uses stretches and releasing tight muscles with tennis or softballs, and I have used his techniques for other areas and they really do help!

Get well soon and I hope these things help!

 

[DanCorcoran]

Aspirin works great for me to reduce swelling, which in turn relieves the pain. I personally would never split that much wood by hand if I could avoid it, just to avoid permanent damage to joints/muscles/etc. You need to rig up a lift of some sort for your splitter. Lifting heavy rounds while bending over will ruin your back.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I have chronic pain near my elbow, I thought it was from all my splitting, i called it axe arm, so I took a break, it hasn't gone away, I think it's on the bone, near the end of the muscle, I massage it, it helps, but it doesn't go away, and it does not hurt when I split wood these days, but other times it does....Any dr,s out there?

 

[Jacktheknife]

I have chronic pain near my elbow, I thought it was from all my splitting, i called it axe arm, so I took a break, it hasn't gone away, I think it's on the bone, near the end of the muscle, I massage it, it helps, but it doesn't go away, and it does not hurt when I split wood these days, but other times it does....Any dr,s out there?

Not a doctor, but I do PT for a living. Sound like you've got a nice case of tennis elbow, an inflammation in the common extensor tendon. Take some NSAIDs, get a support brace, and let it heal. Can take 2 years or more.

 

[Jacktheknife]

Recently, a small tornado wreaked havoc 5 miles away from my house....trees all over. I had to hustle and brought home like 20 truck loads of wood, only 3 of which that were not Black Locust. I really worked myself bucking, loading, and unloading up to 6 loads per day. None of this wood was easy to get. Well, Now my shoulder hurts really bad and I got xrays and orthopedist said I did no damage but damn it hurts to button my pants every morning. I was worried I did my rotator cuff but Dr said no after he put me through the motions. What do you guys do for sore shoulders? I now have 20 loads of wood stacked in my driveway that I have to split and stack. I am nervous about using the fiskars and wondering if I need to use the spiltter instead but still have to lift every piece to process.

How long have you been suffering? Well Seasoned is dead on with the heat/ice regimen. Find an NSAID that helps with the swelling and add Tylenol or alcohol for pain, but never combine Tylenol with alcohol. The exercises you would do for a torn rotator cuff are the same you would do for a stiff and sore shoulder, so give these a shot, just don't overdo it--pain is your body's way of getting you to chill out.

orthoinfo.org/PDFs/Rehab_Shoulder_5.pdf

 

[weatherguy]

When I split by hand my shoulder and/or elbow would flare up, the best thing for it was rest along with the other suggestions, I ended up getting a hydraulic splitter because it would always flare up when I split by hand. Now I do a little by hand because I like it but before it has a chance to flare I switch to the hydraulics.

 

[TimJ]

I tore my rotator cuff twelve weeks ago believe it or not pulling the string on a lawn mower. It only hurts in certain positions fortunately, so I can still use the saw and splitter.
I use a theraband and stretch out every day to keep my full range of motion.

 

[maple1]

I hurt mine 4 days ago - while buckling up the pants I had just pulled on. Felt like a tear in the back of my right shoulder blade. Couldn't believe it. Seems by bad hurts are always from stupid stuff - threw my back out once picking up a piece of paper that had fallen onto the kitchen floor.

It was still sore yesterday when I got up, but I headed to the woods anyway for a couple hours of cutting. Feels a bit better now - sometimes working through it works for me. Either way pain sucks.

 

[Ram 1500 with an axe...]

I would hate to give up splitting by hand, I have lost 15 # since I've started my splitting, it is great exercise, especially when you have to pull out 2 wedges and a maul just to split some maple in half, that definitely burns the calories...

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I've been told both shoulders need surgery. It is not happening yet.

One of the best things I've done in life was break down and go to a massage therapist. I sort of went to this lady on a lark and not sure of what to expect. I had and have multiple problems. In fact, I see her again tomorrow. I tell her she has magic fingers! It takes very little work on the shoulders and I'm good to go there.

But the very best thing she has done is got rid of most of my headaches. I was plagued for years with them and had them daily and sometimes many times per day. Most times I had to shut out all light and all that other crap. After I saw her about 3 times I suddenly had a day without a headache. I could not remember the last time that had happened. Then some time later I went 2 days headache free. I never used to be without medicine in my pocket so that I could get through the day. Now I no longer have that need and I thank both her and my Lord as it is just such a relief.

Even last fall after the bad fall I had when I went backwards off the side of the trailer and landed flat on my back. She did more for me than any doctor could. So one could say I am sold on massage therapy now. I hope you give it a try.

 

[ChadD]

Glucosamine helps me with my bad knee after to much "exercise"

 

[Jacktheknife]

Glucosamine helps me with my bad knee after to much "exercise"

For a minute there I thought you were my brother, but your house and dog look nothing like his.

 

[Soundchasm]

I can vouch for Etodolac (Lodine). Also got one of those Teeter Hang-up inversion tables. It's the thing I love to hate. But it works for decompression. For entertainment I read the news chirons upside down. The TV remote works correctly even when inverted.

I don't hang completely inverted often or for very long, but getting a 20 degree negative slope actually gets quite a bit accomplished. Ten minutes a few times a week has made a BIG difference, along with situps, general conditioning, etc.