'FLYFISHERS' ELBOW'
I read a letter in a trout fishing magazine today about 'Flyfishers' Elbow.' I scanned through with interest from a dual viewpoint of flyfisher and remedial massage therapist, my occupation for the last twenty-odd years. I have treated many people over the years with the symptoms that were described in the article including one or two fellow flyfishers.
Several factors appear to be at work, singly or in combination, in this condition of 'Flyfishers' Elbow' which produce the pain, stiffness and loss of movement experienced by the angler.
These factors include:
-
a change from a rod you have used frequently to a new rod and/or new handle shape
-
a different thickness of rod handle, for example between a 4 weight “wand” and a big reservoir rod
-
a different weight of both rod and line, again small light rods versus heavy ones and even the difference that a sinking line may make compared to habitual use of a light-ish floating line
-
too firm a grip on the rod handle when casting
-
suddenly fishing for unaccustomed longer hours, for example, upon taking retirement or even a fishing holiday when you may fish every day for a week as opposed to fishing once a week
-
a new angler or even a tense angler may grip the rod too tightly and, combined with a deterioration of casting technique because of the intensity of the grip, there is damage to the soft tissues of the arm and elbow. The result is 'Anglers' or Flyfishers' Elbow'
The onset of the condition is just like the very common Repetitive Strain Syndrome experienced by people who perform repetitive actions at work and the outcome is a tenosynovitis, a tendinitis or an epicondylitis in the affected arm. The part of the word “itis” signifies an inflammation that may develop in the tendons of the muscles, the tendon sheathing of the wrist muscles or at the attachments of the forearm muscles into the elbow.
The symptoms are pain even on small movements, stiffness in hand arm and elbow movement and, limitation in some of the movements because of the pain. In some cases there may be redness, swelling and heat in the affected areas but this is not always very obvious.
I have treated many people with this condition ranging from keyboard players to electricians, typists to archers, rock climbers to fisherman, even a darts player on one occasion. The key to recovery is to get treatment early and not grit one's teeth and fish through the pain. This will quickly make the condition worse.
Make an appointment to see your GP or another health professional. Get the condition examined by an expert and then follow their recommended treatment regime. There are several methods of treatment and strategies for rehabilitation. For self-help in the early stages I would recommend the use of a cold pack on the painful area for ten minutes three or four times a day. Do not place ice or a pack from a freezer directly onto the skin or you may do more harm than good. Wrap it up in a tea towel or something similar.
This condition can develop into a chronically painful affair that can quite easily put a full stop to all angling activities if it is not treated promptly. Get the appropriate treatment and also have a good think about what has caused the condition in the first place. Top of the list from the factors I mentioned earlier is gripping the rod handle too tightly when casting. If this applies to you make an appointment with a casting instructor who will quickly spot your faulty technique and show you (again) how to cast effortlessly, for that is how casting should be.
As with many things in life, prevention is better than cure and certainly better than having a painful condition re-occur.
Tight Lines!
Eddie Caldwell.
