Casting injuries 7

Walter & Group...

[GH] From Gary Eaton. I added, *. His piece is attached :

Gordy,

Here is the first in a set of 2 or 3 conditioning pieces intended solely for the Master Study Group. You have my permission to use them for this purpose. This one deals with my strengthening experiences.

Some may not realize that I pursued FFF Certification as a focus for rehabilitation after a particularly severe shoulder injury incurred when doing some biomechanically foolish activities associated with remodeling a building. The primary injury occurred in 2000 or 2001. I functioned largely one-armed for several weeks and exacerbated the problems three times before finally taking therapeutic immobilization and progressive therapeutic recovery more seriously over about seven months. I used no prescription pain medications, but plenty of ice and relied on OTC NSAID's at prescription doses. *

Gary

[GH] * OTC = Over the counter. NSAID = Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[GH] Gary added,

Gordy,

Here is part two on "Endurance Conditioning" using the same format. I have in my head a "general fitness guidelines" installment that may not be on paper for a couple of days - Gary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[GH] Gary, many thanks. The fact that this combines your education, years of practice experience AND your own physical experience makes it even more valuable.

Gordy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[GH] From Mark Sedotti (I added info about his reference * ):

Hi Gordy,

I've been weight training for my entire body since 1974. At one time in the 70's I was seriously thinking about going into competition power lifting, I was getting so strong for my size.

I think that all this strength training really helped my casting, especially my distance casting, and it certainly helped me to avoid injuries along the way.

Even so, I have had 'bouts here and there with tendonitis. Once, in the early 90's, it was debilitating. I thought I'd never cast well again. But I went to a great physical therapist, and he helped me out wonderfully. Part of my therapy was exercising certain muscles (with resistance exercises) that needed to be stronger to help avoid the exact same injury. I've kept doing these since, and have had far fewer tendonitis problems.

For the last few years now, I've done very little weight training, but I think that everything I did for years before has helped me stay at a certain level of strength that I wouldn't have attained without all the lifting. I want to start lifting regularly again, by the way. It will help me avoid injury, and besides, I really miss it.

My physical therapist told me that my tendonitis was caused by repetitive motion. Story. Everybody who knows me (related to casting) knows I practice a lot. A couple of years ago after reading a book Talent is Overrated ( I think it was) I decided I wanted to get much better.* So I practiced every day for six months straight. I did improve, but I also developed some painful tendonitis (around the elbow). The cure? I simply practiced less. I went back to my usual four days a week and the tendonitis disappeared.

I've recommended total body strength training to casting students who are really serious about their casting. I think it REALLY helps. Certainly I think it's helped me tremendously.

For reference, I'm not a big guy. I'm five eight and I'm thin. Never built huge muscles, but I was always "toned" as they say.

Hope you're well.

Best Regards,

Mark

* TALENT IS OVERRATED, by Geoff Colvin, 2008, ISBN 978 1591 842248.

http://franklincovey.com/blog/consultants/toddwangsgard/2009/05/12/book-summary-talent-overrated-geoff-colvin/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[GH] From Walter Simbirski:

If my Master casting certification doesn't give me the right to practice medicine then what the heck is it good for?

Humor (sort of). I've been waiting for someone to say that medical practice is best left to the experts. It seems that a lot of people want to be doctors (probably because they like the status or the idea of helping others I guess) but very few are willing to take the time and effort required to actually become one. Given the number of people who have taken the time and effort to become lawyers these days I'm quite happy not being a doctor (amateur or otherwise).

Walter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[GH] Doctors are taught this, early in their training:

"Primum non nocere" (First, do no harm)

http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/greekmedicine/f/HippocraticOath.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~