Bryce Masuk Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 I strained my arm at work over 2 months ago and it got better just over a 2 weeks ago. now its starting to hurt only when I hammer I know I am an idiot for trying (now) but I figured that if it was still injured it would hurt it hasnt gotten as bad as it was but this means no blacksmithing for awhile clearly I just bought a new anvil last weekend. which of course makes it way worse I was right handed welding and grinding for a month and a half somehow I get along it just slows me down I can hammer pretty good with my right hand I just dont have the same power and control in it looks like I will have to be content drawing for awhile again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted March 7, 2010 Share Posted March 7, 2010 Hmmmmm, I do all my forging, grinding, drawing, etc. with my right hand and I'm slow too. Have you looked into home therapy? Using a strained muscle is good for it if you're not overdoing it so maybe just doing light forging will be okay. If it's sore after working it apply an ice pack for no more than 20 mins, then moist heat for up to half an hour or a little more but NOT a whole hour. The ice pack will reduce swelling and inflamation immediately and the heat pack will increase circulation. I like dry rice in a plastic bag wrapped in a hand towel, 1 minute in the microwave and it's ready to go. Depending on your microwave of course, it should feel bath hot, no hotter! If your arm doesn't heal talk to the doc! Frosty the Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Roy Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 A while back I had "tennis elbow" in my hammering arm. It lasted a long time, like 8 months. I had to stop work altogether in the forge. It helped a lot to put a strap on my arm below the elbow. I'm not sure it was related to the hammer, I seem to be sensitive to the vibrations from handheld grinders and other power tools, including chainsaws. There are excercise you can do to strengthen the muscles and tendons involved which helped me a lot. Talk to your doc. I did the cortisone shot route because the pain was so intense. I wouldn't do it again, the relief lasted less than a week and there can be side effects long term. I just got a treadle hammer for the heavy stuff, let my leg do the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unkle spike Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 You might try to go to a lighter hammer for a bit, and pace yourself at 'smithing so you don't do permanant damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakedanvil - Grant Sarver Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Well, if we're gonna talk about our health............ I bought one of those inverting tables that you hook into and you can rotate upside down. Man, I love it! Used to do chin ups to pull my back in tension, but this allows you to relax. You don't have to upendicular, just 45 degrees pulls you out too. Pretty cool, your head keeps moving down the table as you stretch out. Good deal at Costco. Half what they get on the TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 I strained my arm at work over 2 months ago and it got better just over a 2 weeks ago. now its starting to hurt only when I hammer I know I am an idiot for trying (now) but I figured that if it was still injured it would hurt it hasnt gotten as bad as it was but this means no blacksmithing for awhile clearly I just bought a new anvil last weekend. which of course makes it way worse I was right handed welding and grinding for a month and a half somehow I get along it just slows me down I can hammer pretty good with my right hand I just dont have the same power and control in it looks like I will have to be content drawing for awhile again. Two problems with injuries: The first is that the damage must heal; the second is that the muscles get out of shape rapidly so are not at peak efficiency, making it that much easier to injure again. The recommendation for a lighter hammer is a good one - so is limited exercise on the weak arm such as light weight lifting. The other thing you need to work on is suppleness and range of motion. Case in point, my wife had a bone spur form in her shoulder over several years time, which made it impossible to lift her arm over her head. She finally had the bone spur removed but found she still could not lift her arm because the muscles had atrophied. It took a good 4 months of painful therapy to get back that movement. In any event, be careful and don't hurt yourself again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 Strained Muscles you can "work with". Tendonitis it just makes things worse! So be sure what it is first before you do yourself a permanent injury! When I had a bad case of blacksmith's elbow I went with the strap and used a very tiny hammer to do very small work such that the arm was never stressed---forged a lot of Ti during that time! (CP 1&2 are softer than steel at forging temp!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian C. Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 You need to be careful and see a good orthopedic Dr.. I went to my Doc with what I thought was tendonitis, he gave me a shot & it did no good. Went to my orthopedic surgeon a month or so later and he gave me another shot in a slightly different spot & it did no good. Finally had an MRI and it showed that the tendon was torn over 50%. Had to have it surgically reattatched & wait another 3 months before I could use a hammer again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 You need to be careful and see a good orthopedic Dr.. I went to my Doc with what I thought was tendonitis, he gave me a shot & it did no good. Went to my orthopedic surgeon a month or so later and he gave me another shot in a slightly different spot & it did no good. Finally had an MRI and it showed that the tendon was torn over 50%. Had to have it surgically reattatched & wait another 3 months before I could use a hammer again. I probley should go see the doctor, its about time It really really hurt at one point it seemed completely healed recently Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 I probley should go see the doctor, its about time It really really hurt at one point it seemed completely healed recently See the Man, get the opinions, scans, and tests. Pray for the best. Discuss your hobbies too, and ask to see an occupational or sports therapist for repetitive motion concerns as part of your treatment. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 See the Man, get the opinions, scans, and tests. Pray for the best. Discuss your hobbies too, and ask to see an occupational or sports therapist for repetitive motion concerns as part of your treatment. Phil I am prety sure grinding and polishing is the culprit plus the regular 300lb lifts arent helping installing railings and such it doesnt hurt like before but i wont be able to grind with my left hand or hammer for awhile looks like another month of no blacksmithing but i cant take any risks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 Sounds like some kind of mechanical lift may be needed too... Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted March 9, 2010 Author Share Posted March 9, 2010 Sounds like some kind of mechanical lift may be needed too... Phil yeah we use an engine hoist or the side boom on the forklift is pretty handy we have made some 65ft gates in the shop I work in now we use the cantileaver setups on these babys and they dont come light or cheap some of them would turn a semi truck into a pancake my buddy at work make some huge spikes for the gate so when the two interlock when closed the spikes go though the frames which were all 4" square tubing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mainely,Bob Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 I will tell you from experience that this is not something you want to ignore or try to push through. Working as a union shipfitter for a LARGE company(General Dynamics)I started to have swelling in my hands and arms whenever using vibratory tools(grinding,sanding,chipping,etc).Their answer was therapy at the yard facility 3 times a week. After 6 months of getting worse they sent me to a DR who shot me up and sent me back to work.Max steriod shots every 4 months for a year and still getting worse but working every day at diminished capacity.Now I can`t lift or raise my arm above shoulder level so I`m out of work and seeing a specialist supplied by the yard who has no idea what to do. Almost 3 years after the initial problem surfaced I finally make it to Boston and someone who REALLY knows what`s going on only to be told my days of making a living with my hands are over.I was floored! He also said if I have come to him within the first 6 months and hadn`t had the steriod injections that masked the pain then he could have fixed me to near new,now he`d see what he could salvage. Long story short after 5 surgeries in Boston by one of the best Ortho guys in the US I have 60% use of my right(formerly dominant)hand and arm.After 5+ years of heavy narcotics use(morphine and Oxycontin)I went cold turkey and gave the drugs the boot so I could go on a new drug that`s supplied free by the pharmaceutical company(no way could I afford it)and allows me to think and work part time. I am self employed now because I can only work so many hours a day before the pain and swelling brings things to a halt.I`ve learned to pace myself and work around my disability,it will be life long I`m told.I swing a hammer left handed now and have most of what I need to build a power hammer.The settlement and annuity allowed me to buy enough gear to start my own shop and work at my own pace while keeping our heads above water. Poor substitute and bad trade for my arm and hand. My problem started with nerve and tendon damage.Here`s the progression as it was explained to me.Chronic inflamation causes the body to produce certain chemicals in response.Some of these chemicals cause the bone to deteriorate and become porous.That porosity acts like a grater on connective tissue like ligaments and tendons that don`t heal without intervention(surgery) and grinding back the porous bone to smooth again.Steroids make the pain go away but the damage continues till the connective tissue fails enough that the limb stops working.In my case the damage was too extensive to repair.My arm now hangs when I walk instead of swinging from the shoulder like it should. Learn from my mistakes and listen to what your body is telling you!Go see a specialist who knows what he`s about,do it now not later. Believe me when I tell you that is what Workman`s comp is supposed to be for,getting the problem properly diagnosed and fixed as soon as possible.Wait too long and both your job and your former life(complete with most activities and hobbies)will go away. Find out what the problem REALLY is and get it fixed or end up like me or worse.Those are the real world choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 My Ortho Dr will only do *1* cortisone shot. If that doesn't fix it then it's time for more invasive intervention. Multiple steroid shots tend to make a mess of things according to him. I have bone spurs in both shoulders. one calmed down with the shot and has been good for years after. The other did not and he removed the bone spur laproscopically and both shoulders are doing OK. I started up yoga as I noticed that 8 out of 10 exercises I was doing at the expensive PT were the same as they did at the free yoga class and then they did a lot more stretching as well. It's helped a lot with my back too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtWerkz Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 I will tell you from experience that this is not something you want to ignore or try to push through. Working as a union shipfitter for a LARGE company(General Dynamics)I started to have swelling in my hands and arms whenever using vibratory tools(grinding,sanding,chipping,etc).Their answer was therapy at the yard facility 3 times a week. After 6 months of getting worse they sent me to a DR who shot me up and sent me back to work.Max steriod shots every 4 months for a year and still getting worse but working every day at diminished capacity.Now I can`t lift or raise my arm above shoulder level so I`m out of work and seeing a specialist supplied by the yard who has no idea what to do. Almost 3 years after the initial problem surfaced I finally make it to Boston and someone who REALLY knows what`s going on only to be told my days of making a living with my hands are over.I was floored! He also said if I have come to him within the first 6 months and hadn`t had the steriod injections that masked the pain then he could have fixed me to near new,now he`d see what he could salvage. Long story short after 5 surgeries in Boston by one of the best Ortho guys in the US I have 60% use of my right(formerly dominant)hand and arm.After 5+ years of heavy narcotics use(morphine and Oxycontin)I went cold turkey and gave the drugs the boot so I could go on a new drug that`s supplied free by the pharmaceutical company(no way could I afford it)and allows me to think and work part time. I am self employed now because I can only work so many hours a day before the pain and swelling brings things to a halt.I`ve learned to pace myself and work around my disability,it will be life long I`m told.I swing a hammer left handed now and have most of what I need to build a power hammer.The settlement and annuity allowed me to buy enough gear to start my own shop and work at my own pace while keeping our heads above water. Poor substitute and bad trade for my arm and hand. My problem started with nerve and tendon damage.Here`s the progression as it was explained to me.Chronic inflamation causes the body to produce certain chemicals in response.Some of these chemicals cause the bone to deteriorate and become porous.That porosity acts like a grater on connective tissue like ligaments and tendons that don`t heal without intervention(surgery) and grinding back the porous bone to smooth again.Steroids make the pain go away but the damage continues till the connective tissue fails enough that the limb stops working.In my case the damage was too extensive to repair.My arm now hangs when I walk instead of swinging from the shoulder like it should. Learn from my mistakes and listen to what your body is telling you!Go see a specialist who knows what he`s about,do it now not later. Believe me when I tell you that is what Workman`s comp is supposed to be for,getting the problem properly diagnosed and fixed as soon as possible.Wait too long and both your job and your former life(complete with most activities and hobbies)will go away. Find out what the problem REALLY is and get it fixed or end up like me or worse.Those are the real world choices. Wow Bob, that really makes a guy think, my hands/fore arms are doing the same stuff, thanks for the post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 On the vibrations, my dad was a mechanic for 45 years, his doc told him that if he retired now, he would regain use of his right arm, and if he retired in 6 months he wouldn't regain use of his arm. He was having bone loss from using impact tools. He was planning to retire in about 4-5 years, and this is about 10 years ago now. He has fair use of his arm, can't lift it over his head unaided though, but not in pain anymore. If he needs to lift his arm, then he finger walks it up a wall, or lifts the arm with the other hand till he can support it partially with what he is doing. I may get him to strike for me this weekend, euro style with the hammer handle in his armpit. He hasn't before, and it should be fun for both of us. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecelticforge Posted March 9, 2010 Share Posted March 9, 2010 I strained my arm at work over 2 months ago and it got better just over a 2 weeks ago. now its starting to hurt only when I hammer I know I am an idiot for trying (now) but I figured that if it was still injured it would hurt it hasnt gotten as bad as it was but this means no blacksmithing for awhile clearly I just bought a new anvil last weekend. which of course makes it way worse I was right handed welding and grinding for a month and a half somehow I get along it just slows me down I can hammer pretty good with my right hand I just dont have the same power and control in it looks like I will have to be content drawing for awhile again. I feel your pain bro. I have a torn tendon in my right forearm, right at the upper condyle. Any radial movement at all makes me want to scream. I am really focusing on using my back muscles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce Masuk Posted March 10, 2010 Author Share Posted March 10, 2010 I feel your pain bro. I have a torn tendon in my right forearm, right at the upper condyle. Any radial movement at all makes me want to scream. I am really focusing on using my back muscles. yeah well I have heeded the advice after the pain went away and came back slightly I realized it time for the doctor I have taken tomorrow off work to see the doctor I know that this means waiting to see a specialist and so forth I have had fear from this screwing me over on the long term from the beginning the pain isnt horrible like before but I know it needs to heal because something must be wrong even if it means being replaced at work my health must come first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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