Has anyone ever delt with tendon pain in the wrist from shooting handheld a large lens? I am in so much pain today and I think what it is from shooting two straight days flying eagles?
Posted by Dave Courtenay on February 18, 2010 at 4:05 PM
I had a similar thing in my elbow, The Doc said had i been carrying anything heavy for long periods of time and the only thing i could think of was my 600, It took a couple of months before it felt better
Between cameras and computer mice (mouses?) it plagues both me and my wife. Talk to a good physical therapist for limbering and strength building exercises. Priceless.
Watch your back too. Worst is a heavy over-the-shoulder camera bag, but mounting and dismounting heavy camera packs improperly is a risk, too. How's your chiropractic insurance?
Standard camera straps that hang your camera around your neck are bad, too. We've gone to the longest so we can stick our head and one arm through the strap, then let the camera hang at waist level on our side. It really deals with that issue when you're carrying cameras all day, every day.
My wife has switched to Nikon D300 bodies and relegated her D2X bodies to backup. The D300 weighs about a third as much, so when slinging two cameras at once as we often do, the weight savings on your neck are huge. Image size and quality are plenty big for her usual needs, and she only goes back to the D2X under duress.
Wow, Thanks guys. I have resorted to wearing a vest so no more shoulder bags but the camera is always in hand or on the tripod. I need to get back to the gym
Posted by Mia McPherson on February 18, 2010 at 5:53 PM
Cheryl,
You also use your hands a lot at work, hairdressers often have issues with carpal tunnel syndrome and carrying the big lens & camera could exacerbate that as well. Have you seen a doctor to be sure?
Posted by Buck Ward on February 18, 2010 at 6:00 PM
I had so-called "tennis elbow" a couple years ago that I assume was related to hand-holding a heavy lens. I avoided doing things that might aggravate it and bought a special wrap for it but I don't know how much good it did. Eventually, the pain subsided and has not recurred.
I''m actually surprised I dont have carpal tunnel bye now. I've used my hands for work all my life so I've been quite lucky and my symptoms don't match. It looks like my ulnar nerve is the culprit soo probably a combination of hair, computer mouse and camera all in one. Thanks for the responses.
Posted by Bill Speaks on February 19, 2010 at 8:30 AM
Cheryl,
I suggest you look at this site: www.mrtherapy.com. Michael Young teaches massage and stretching techniques for various forms of repetitive use syndrome.
During a trip to Canada, I was almost crippled by Plantar Fasciitis. When I got home (Denver) I had a couple of massage sessions, began doing the stretches, and now years later have not had any recurrence.
Michael has a referral list on his web site, so you may be able to find a therapist in your area. If not give him a call, as he is extremely helpful and may be able to provide some additional information.
Thankyou Bill, I have a massage theapist where I work and she worked on it alot yesterday. Feels better today and as nature would have it, the clouds were out this morning so no shooting for me today so I'll be resting it some more
Long as we're on the broad topic Cheryl, consider diet too. On advice of our chiro, we started a regiment of glucosamine along with extra calcium and C. It took a while, but I can definitely feel the difference in joints and connective tissue. Actually I feel more or less "normal" until I get busy on the road and forget the supplements for a few days. Pretty quick my body starts "reminding" me of the deficiency, and returning to the regular supplements resolves it. Supplements are a controversial approach, but they've proven themselves to my satisfaction as long term helpers.
Discussion
9 repliesDave
Watch your back too. Worst is a heavy over-the-shoulder camera bag, but mounting and dismounting heavy camera packs improperly is a risk, too. How's your chiropractic insurance?
Standard camera straps that hang your camera around your neck are bad, too. We've gone to the longest so we can stick our head and one arm through the strap, then let the camera hang at waist level on our side. It really deals with that issue when you're carrying cameras all day, every day.
My wife has switched to Nikon D300 bodies and relegated her D2X bodies to backup. The D300 weighs about a third as much, so when slinging two cameras at once as we often do, the weight savings on your neck are huge. Image size and quality are plenty big for her usual needs, and she only goes back to the D2X under duress.
You also use your hands a lot at work, hairdressers often have issues with carpal tunnel syndrome and carrying the big lens & camera could exacerbate that as well. Have you seen a doctor to be sure?
Good luck.
I suggest you look at this site: www.mrtherapy.com. Michael Young teaches massage and stretching techniques for various forms of repetitive use syndrome.
During a trip to Canada, I was almost crippled by Plantar Fasciitis. When I got home (Denver) I had a couple of massage sessions, began doing the stretches, and now years later have not had any recurrence.
Michael has a referral list on his web site, so you may be able to find a therapist in your area. If not give him a call, as he is extremely helpful and may be able to provide some additional information.
Bill Speaks
www.speaksimages.com