TargetTalk

Hi All.

I just wanted to let you all know about a condition I have had which has been getting progressively worse and definitely affecting my shooting (10M Pistol). I began getting sharp pain in my elbow, especially when gripping and lifting. I self diagnosed "Tennis Elbow" and bought an arm brace from a local Chemist (Drugstore). It helped but after doing some heavy work with a sledgehammer last weekend, the pain went off the scale. I went to a Pysiotherapist yesterday and all I can say is WOW! Firstly, the main problem was in my neck! The elbow pain was a symptom. The Pysiotherapist manipulated my neck and performed some other stretching work and the pain level dropped at least 3/4 of what I had been suffering. I'm looking forward to practise on Monday to see how much better I can hold my gun. The point of telling you guys/gals all of this is that if you have a problem like mine, go see a professional. Men, especially need this prompt. We tend to let things go totally pear shaped before we seek help.
I have made another appointment on Monday so that I can head off to my shooting session freshly tweaked.

Ben

It's good to hear that you got comfort from your physiotherapy. I wish I did. I've been fighting this for over a year now, and it just plain sucks. I've done everything short of surgery. I'm about ready to kill a chicken. I do know that surgery does work for some people, because my wife had success with it, but it is a drastic measure.
I will caution you to be careful. Do your stretches before shooting, and don't overdo it. If it still hurts, see a doctor and listen to what you're being told. This is serious stuff here if you want to continue shooting.

The Voice of Experience
R.M.

I suffered for 2 years, then discovered accupuncture, 15 sessions later, all clear.
HTH

Another caution.

Pain is a warning mechanism.

If you do something to get rid of the pain w/o fixing the problem (like pain killers), you still have the problem. Only w/o the pain warning mechanism, you make the problem/injury worse.

Soft tissue injury can take a long time to recover, so don't go rushing into shooting again. Let the tissue heal, then ramp up slowly. Listen to the doctors.

gud luk
Gary