Fly fishing is an incredible sport.  Not only is it a wonderful past time to share with family, friends and co-workers, it’s a healthy activity as well.  Actually, the sport of fly fishing incorporates several components of fitness.  Core stability, balance , muscular strength, muscular endurance, motor skill development, hand eye coordination, stress reduction and caloric expenditure to name a few.  Your days on the water are more beneficial than you think!

With all the great benefits one can gain from this sport it is important to remember that it is a sport.  As with any sport proper nutrition, conditioning and hydration enhance the athlete.  In turn, poor nutriton, conditioning and de-hydration lead to poor recovery, muscular imbalances and over use injuries. 

For this specific blog I will simply discuss common injuries associated with the sport of fly fishing along with simple prevention techniques and what to do if you suffer from any of the ‘common’ injuries mentioned.

Let me define ‘injuries’ for this specific blog.  I will discuss over use injuries resulting from muscular imbalances.  It is important to note that the above ‘injury’ list is not the only type a person can have and the above listed have a ripple effect; one leads to the next.

I can explain and summarize both muscular imbalances and over use injuries, together.  As a personal trainer and now trigger point therapist, muscular imbalances constitute 85% of the ‘over use’ injuries I see.  A muscular imbalance in the human body, simply stated, means one muscle is stronger than the antagonistic muscle.  For every muscle in the human body that performs one action there is and equal and opposite (or should be) force applied by an antagonistic muscle.  This equal ‘pull’ is what keeps joints stable; secure and in place.  Some examples would be bicep vs tricep; quadriceps vs hamstrings.  The problem arises when you have one antagonist ’stronger’ or pulling a joint from one side than it’s opposite counterpart.  The result is a joint that gets ‘pulled’ out of it’s natural position.  This displacement of the joint causes a battery of different breakdowns to occur.

First, the joint is out of place.  So obviously the bone is removed from it’s nice cushy hollow.  Now every time you move your shoulder or knee the bone SCRAPES across another bone causing friction and breakdown of that particular surface.  The body’s natural reaction is to rush water to that area to put out the fire (decrease the friction).  As the water continues to flow between the area of bones rubbing together (over a long period of time), as in nature and water rushing over a stone, eventually a gully forms or divot in the bones.  Again the body responds, naturally, to fill this now huge (relatively speaking) divot in the bones and rushes calcium deposits to the area to fill the ‘holes’.  An VIOLA…we have arthritis. 

No, arthritis is not an old age condition…it is a wear and tear condition.  Although, as I mentioned before the body takes a normal amount of wear and tear even in a perfect world, the process can definietly be slowed by a joint being in place and not out of place.

Let’s continue…

Now the bone has been pulled out of place by a muscular imbalance.  Bone condition and adaption has been discussed now lets talk about the opposing muscles, tendons and ligaments.  When a muscle is stronger on one side of the joint the opposing muscle has to work double time to ‘try’ to pull the bone to which it is attached, back into proper position.  The problem is two fold.  First, whatever activity, job or body position a person is doing or performing to cause the muscles on one side of the joint to become ’stronger’, common sense would tell you that they are not applying an equal amount of attention to the muscles on the other side of the joint.  So the muscles in front become stronger; muscles in the back become weaker.  Next, the activity creating a ’stronger’ muscle in the front of the joint is actually causing a foreshortening of those particular muscle fibers used all the time.  They actually become less flexible.  So the muscles in the back must now fight against the STRENGTH of the muscles in the front and the INFLEXIBILITY/FORESHORTENING of the muscles in the front.  These poor weak, overstretched muscles in the back of the joint don’t have a fighting chance…they become exhausted and overtaxed resulting in huge ‘knots’ or trigger points from muscular spasms.

YES…most of the time the point of pain is NOT the source of pain…it’s referred from another area!

Probably the most common injury I see in fly fishing are shoulder injuries.  A clear example of the above information will help clarify what I’m talking about.  Most people have suffered tendinitis in the front of the shoulder.  For those of you who have not…consider your self LUCKY…and probably doing something right!  As for those who have…my sympathy but it is a great example of muscular imbalance and overuse injuries.

The shoulder capsule is fascinating.  It is made up of a ball and socket joint with several muscular attachments.  I’m not here to give an anatomy lesson…if you are interested…look it up on Grey’s website.  Anyway, we will refer to muscles in the front of the body (standing position with arms at the side; palms facing forward) and muscle in the back (all the other ones on the other side).  Basically, we work in a 2 x 2 square box, at chest level.  When I say this statement, I mean our Range of Motion (ROM) for our arm/shoulder joint movements, daily.  Most people work at a desk, at a computer, picking up the kids in and out of bed, tub etc, doctors, nurses, carpenter, construction workers…think of your job and daily duties.  How many times a day does your lifestyle require you to take your arms outside of that 2 x 2 box right in front of you?  When was the last time you took your arms over your head or behind your back? (DON’T DO IT NOW!)…you will probably get an injury!  Although the shoulder has tremendous ROM abilities…we very rarely use them.  We essentially get stuck in a box in the front of our body causing the muscles to strengthen and foreshorten in the front and the muscles in the back to become overstretched and weak!

So now a situation arises where you have to take your ROM out of the box…let’s say you have been sitting at your desk, working hard, saving your pennies for that grand fly fishing trip, with Spruce Creek Fly Co (hint, hint).  Working long hours bent over documents and typing away on the laptop.  Keeping the arms in that 2×2 square in front of your body.  The day has finally come to hit the stream.  You grab your grear and fly rod and head out with your guide.  Over the course of the day you cast thousands of times catching lots of trout.  By the end of the day you are gloriously tired and heading home.  The next morning you wake to some ’shoulder pain’.  Not uncommon considering you have casted repeatedly the day before, in one direction, so you chalk it up to ‘muscle soreness’.  Initially, probably so!  However, a few days pass and you realize that the soreness is not going away.  Over the next week, it’s becoming hard to sleep at night and you have a constant ache.  Now you’re annoyed.  Should we blame the day on the water?  Probably not. 

Did the day on the water cause the problem?  No, but it did take the shoulder out of the position it has been locked into for months…maybe years and by sitting hunched over at your desk…working dilenglty and not paying attention to the weaking back muscles, foreshortening chest and anterior deltoid muscles.  Or the AC joint that has calcified and lost elastisity from lack of movement or being locked into one position.  So no, the fly fishing didn’t CAUSE the injury but it certainly contributed to the injury when you started all that ‘moving around’ of the shoulder capsule. 

That tiny little ligament in the front of the shoulder (AC joint) that holds the humerous bone to the clavical hasn’t been stretched like that in forever…and it certainly wasn’t ready!  It essentially ‘cracks’ causing inflammation.  The anterior deltoid (muscle in the front of the shoulder) overstretches outside of it’s typical positon and the result…tendinitis.

Plus, the thousand casts you did on the stream that day further strengthened and foreshortened the muscles in front and overstretched the already weak muscles in the back. 

So a few things were going on in the shoulder to ’cause the pain’. 

From both scenerios…RESULT…knots in you ‘back’ muscles, stiff neck, tennis elbow and shoulder impingments…just to name a few more.

YES MOST IMPINGMENT CONDITIONS CAN BE FIXED WITHOUT SURGERY!!!!!! So can tennis elbow, stiff necks and all those ‘knots’ in your back!

Baring any direct physical trauma, most injuries I see are a result of long time muscular imbalances, rippling into joint displacement, tendonitis and arthritis. 

I dare to say muscular tears, ACL injuries and other sport related injuries are also a result of muscular imbalance/weakness. 

Another common injury I see in this sport is plantar fasciitis or ‘heel pain’.  So you go to the ‘foot doctor’ and they give you a shot and send you home.  Yes, you feel better…for a while.  The cortizone they injected into your foot took down the inflammation and sometimes they add a little something to ‘mask’ the pain.  Contrary to popular belief, pain is the body’s way of telling you something is wrong and saying STOP.  If something is administered that ‘masks’ the pain then you don’t know how injured you are and continue to do more than you should, exasperating the problem.

I’m not saying you should ‘live with the pain’ but taking the proper measures and fixing the problem at the SOURCE is a better solution.

Plantar fasciitis or heel pain source of trouble is not in your foot…it’s in your CALF.  Yes, your calf.  Small ‘trigger points’ have developed in the calf muscles which ‘gather’ the muscle fibers together and cause the bones they are attached to, to be pulled out of their natural place.  The result is yet again, rubbing, muscular imbalances and the result is pain or even worse, heel spurs.

I’ll bet if you press around on the back you your calf of the sore heel you will find several ‘tender’ spots. 

So many injuries…what to do?

Prevention is the best method.  First, during the ‘off’ season of fly fishing, condition for the on season.  Just like any other athlete.  Prepare your body for the sport.  Get a professional to develop a balanced work out program based on the components used in fly fishing and your medical history.  This program should include core stability protocols, balance protocols, muscular endurance and flexibility.

Second, proper Hydration. 

I preach on this topic a lot because nothing functions properly or heals properly with out it!  When people come to me with aches and pains, my first question is how much water do you drink a day?  Water is the medium for every single process in the body.  When you are dehydrated, your body will STRIP water from joints and muscles to supply vital organs.  The result is less elastic muscles, tendon and ligaments and then injury.  Not only do your muscles, tendons and ligaments have to be equally strong and flexible…but they also have to be pliable…

Caffinated and beverages contain alcohol are dierurtics and will further dehydrate you!  SO DRINK WATER!

Hydration is key for flexibility, muscular contraction/relaxation, growth, healing and recovery (both during and after a workout).  Again, I’m not going into the exact science of the process…but a little research on your part will go a long way.

Third, nutrition.  Eating unhealthy food or NOT eating will only break down the body’s ability to develop muscle tissue and recover from injuries.  A diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteing and healthy fats (omega 3) should be your basis.  Healthy nutriton should be practiced daily and ALSO during your day on the water.  Take time to EAT!  It will help with your energy as well.

Last, if you are suffering from an injury, a trigger point therapist can help with the soft tissue injury.  If the injury is there, your body will need time to recover.  Increase your water, get treatment for soft tissue (releasing the trigger points), proper nutrition and ice.  When the injury subsides it is time to embark on a well balance fitness and flexibility program. 

If you have questions or would like to speak with me regarding a properly designed program or any injury you may have please visit my website or call 814-932-5716.  I will be more than happy to design you a program (yes I can do this online for you) or if you like to schedule an appointment for trigger point therapy session at my office.  Trust me, it’s worth the drive!

The best power you have is educaiton.  Learn how to have the healthiest body for whatever sport or in your daily life.  When I say ‘Train Smart’ I’m not only referring to the conditioning in the muscular sense…but in the nutriton sense and education sense.  Proper fuel, technique, movement and attitude go a long way!

Be Well…and Happy Fishing!

Tracey L. Stroup

www.trainedbytracey.com