Elbow Pain!

[SlowShoe]

Hello,
I'm a farrier, and I've got some elbow pain... Well it hurts, not while Im working, but when Im sitting at home, or doing something. Its in my hammering arm, and I'm guessing its from working the steel, and not hammering the nails, or working under the horse.

My rounding hammer is a 2lb Nordic Forge, and I purchased a 1 1/2 lb Hammer to see how that works last week. I also brought the handles down to make them a bit thinner. They feel MUCH better to use (grip wise). I did this thursday, and only used them Fri, and Sat. I have also purchased a Tendon band, that I have been whering around my forearm. It has a pressure pad on it that is suposed to be put in a spot to relive that pain. I guess I dont really know where to place it though.

So I was wondering if anyone had any input on swinging technique, or exersizes I should do in order to correct and aleiviate this problem.. ?

Thank you!
Josh

[Daryl]

Learn how to strike. Correct the shape of your hammer handle. Last, put your anvil at a correct height for what you are working in. Check out the section on hammering technique. Pitch the sissy band, you won't need it after you learn to strike.

[HWooldridge]

Don't be too quick to pitch the elbow band. I hammered over 20 years with no elbow or arm pain until I suddenly blew some tendons a couple of years ago. I managed to accomplish this feat by going out to the anvil cold without warming up and attacking a big piece of steel with a 3 lb hammer. Thought I was a goner but I bought an arm wrap and used it religiously for about 2 months. This allowed me to continue working, my tendons healed with the regular exercise and the band kept everything together. I am now back to a nude arm... :shock:

Almost everyone recommends keeping your thumb off the handle so try a softer grip with thumb on the side. Unfortunately, thumb-on-top was how I was taught and I can't seem to "unlearn" it but apart from that one incident, I don't experience chronic pain. I'm also not a doc nor am I endorsing anything but Aleve really helps on those occasions where I have a twinge. It is an anti-inflammatory and helps to reduce swelling, which can cause pain even when you aren't working.

As Daryl said, thin the handle to where it's comfortable - most handles are too big in section. Farriers also seem to like very long handles - try a shorter one and see if you like it. Play with your anvil height. I'm six feet tall in my socks but prefer a lower anvil because I have monkey arms and can tolerate heights that would probably be comfortable for someone 5'6" or shorter. A high anvil makes me choke up and tighten my grip.

Don't be afraid to experiment - pain is no fun... :wink:

[Rich Hale]

You may have to get help from someone to watch you,,,let youir hammer arm hang down by your side,, then just raise your lower arm up until it is parellel to the ground. When you ar hammering do not let your arm out from your side any more than in what you just did above,,,,Forge something and have someone watch to see if your elbow is moving away from your side,,,If it is that may be the source of your pain and it is common,,,Another source is cold steel,,use heat for all shapeing,even tucking heels in,,,Your body can only take so much impact over a period of time.
Not sure if these items will fit your pain ,,hope so,,,

[Marc]

I also continue to use the elbow band. I have the same type, with the air-filled pad. I'm pretty sure the pad itself is a marketing device, at least the way it's sold. But I found that it gives the right amount of "give", compared with the other types of bands I could find around here. One type, made out of neoprene, was way too stretchy and would move all over the place, unless it was tourniquette-tight. The other was a totally non-stretch material and really constricted things while hammering. I put the pad right over the sore spot.

An exercise that seems to help is to place common rubber bands around the outside of your fingers, at the nails. Then open and close your hand. Keep adding rubber bands as the pain goes away and as you get stronger.

Lastly, is the hammering style. If you can get a copy of Uri Hofi's video, eBay is a good source, that helped me a lot. Basically it's a loose grip, as already mentioned, where you guide the hammer down to the work and let it bounce on the piece. Don't force the hammer into the piece once it's hit. The handle should kind of pivot between the thumb and first two fingers, with the last two fingers used only to return the handle into the palm. A picture's worth a thousand words, and a video is probably worth 743 pictures (give or take ):-)

Again, as already mentioned, keep the elbow in, use a shorter handle, and ibuprofen. My tendonitis flares up for the most stupid things, like carrying my dog's scooper on walks, but the hammering no longer aggravates it.

And if it gets really bad, take a long break (like a month or so), and see a real doc. I don't think my engineering degree certifies me for online medical consultation.

[Daryl]

While demonstrating once, I met a lady who is by profession, an ergonomic therapist (I think that's the term). We had a very candid conversation about shops and layout. The most important information she gave me was that most problems with the body and its relation to the working environment, are not normally realised by the person suffering from the condition. While some can be solved with a set of fresh eyes, neighbor, colleague, etc., there may be a time when a professional would be most suited. Analysis of such things: environment, technique, etc., can take as little as a few hours, some may take weeks. Remember, if this is a chronic problem as a result of years of repetition, it may take a year to remove it from your brain.

[SlowShoe]

Now that I think of it, I am probably 'winging' my hammer and elbow out a bit, like when I use the ball peen to draw stock out of the shoe for clips, and when I am doing trailers.. I guess I have to figure ou how to do these types of things wihtout bringing my arm out... At this point I cant imagine how. But I will work on it today. Well Im jsut doing resests, but I'll try to figure it out.

Thanks again!
-Josh

[Glenn]

Try this:
Point the hammer handle always to the fromt, and try swinging the hammer real slow with the knuckles just missing the outside of the pants pocket on the down stroke. Elbow should be tucked in. Don't twist or bend, but walk the body side to side to put the hammer on the anvil where you want it to hit. Your body may be in line with the hardie hole but the hammer is in line with the shoulder. Then take 1/4 step backward from the anvil. Once set up, adjust as needed for your body configuration, long/short arms, legs, etc.

[Quenchcrack]

My tendonitis is just now getting better after 8 months with no forging. Take care of yourself now or pay later! :cry: I also over did it with a 3# hammer at the end of a 2# arm. Learn your limits. I did the excercises, the arm band, and 3 ibuprofins three times a day for many months to get where it does not hurt all the time.