TargetTalk

I'm an older guy who is trying to accomplish some goals in shooting while I'm still healthy enough to do it. I suffer from osteoarthritis and get pretty sore from repetitive actions such as long drives, and a lot of other "everyday" kind of things that don't bother most people.

I've noticed that I get attacks right before major competitions and I'm wondering if some of this is in my head. What are your thoughts on this and does anybody know of a regime to correct this?

Exercise and remember it's just a game!

From one old fart to another.

Aleve and a good routine for muscle relief during matches. jmo ,OF also.

A super cool dude, shooting for the US National Team gave me an important reminder.

Our brains can only think of one thing at a time. If you're thinking about being nervous, you're not thinking about your shot process. If you're thinking about your shot process, you can't think about being nervous.

It worked well for me. Personally, I think the whole "3 page shot process" is a bit over-done... except that it DOES give you something to think about which I discovered is very important.

As for injury... if you can do it at home, it should be the same at a match. If you CAN'T do it at home, why would you try to do it at a match?

A slightly higher than normal dose of Ibuprofen 2 hours before I shoot helps take the edge off my elbow pain.

Oz

Hi:

I am another old fart who just received his 2 second replacement knee(matched pair) with other bad parts as well. Ibuprofen an hour before the match, again about half way through the match. Some days will be better than others.

Move in the car while driving, example flex your feet up an down or move your arms. Start taking a walk every day and move your arms while you walk. Moderate exercise help a bunch. and a little is much better than none.

As for the jitters, every shooter gets them. We all have to learn how to manage them. I would suggest Lanny Basham's book With Winning in Mind as a place to start.

The standard headache dose is 2 x 200mg tablets of Ibuprofen. The standard arthritis dose is 4 x 200 mg tablets of Ibuprofen for a total of 800 mg. Taken an hour before a 2 hour match should hold you beautifully. Choose the gel-cap versions as they go to work in half or 2/3 the time of the cheaper standard tabs. Helps me. A lot.

Don't use the same number of tablets from Aleve (naproxen sodium)!

--pz

Osteoarthritis has an inflammation component. That is, the degeneration of the joint is only part of the problem - the pain is a product of the inflammatory process subsequent to the damage. Inflammation can be aggravated by stress, which may be why you seem to have flare-ups in anticipation of a meet.

That is why NSAID's like ibuprofen help: they do nothing for the underlying osteoarthritis but reduce the inflammation and associated pain. But they also can be hard on your liver and if you are on other meds it may not be a good idea to take them for very long.

Perhaps reducing the stress before a match may help. It might also help your performance in the match itself, which is something that NSAID's can't do.

IMHO, YMMV, I'm not a doctor, I just play one on TV, etc. etc.

Roger

I've been taking supplements to help control joint pain. I've had luck with Devil's Claw and SamE. I also got rid of several acidic foods from my diet that made a big difference in a few days of non-use.
ben

It sounds like a mixture of nerves and some apsects of your disease. My arthritus primarily affects my knees so shooting is normally not painful.

What works for me is a mixture of exercise, walking, cycling, non-impact sports and when required anti-inflammatories. I'm on meloxicam which you can google, but there are loads out there - some work better than others and some can be tougher on your body. I also use ibruprofen gel to massage into aching joints or muscles in the case of more acute flare ups - although I sometimes wonder if the massage aspect works better than the drug component.

I also take cod liver oil which seems to help, glucosamine didn't for me, but I know others that swear by it.

Overall though I think the answer is getting a balance that works best for you. Certainly though if you can remain relaxed (it's only a game) for a match, that will help you in many ways.

Rob.

Rob has offered very good suggestions. Keep you joints moving through moderate low impact exercise. Walking and bicycle riding are excellent.

I will add Mobic (meloxicam) is one of the drugs that did not get a lot of attention during the Celibrex scare in the U.S.. It is also one of the anti-inflammatory drugs that most U.S. medical insurance companies will cover with out an argument. It's not too strong and is fairly easy on the stomach.

Glucosamine with chondroitin worked for me. It takes a while before it works, maybe a week or more. Best wishes on your health and shooting.