After putting in a hard and stressful week on the job, heading out on the ocean for a little fishing sounds like a good plan. Fighting powerful quarry such as tuna, sailfish, or even sharks definitely helps an adventurous person relax. Unfortunately, the physical toll of fighting big and strong fish may lead to paying a price in the form of hurting joints and tendons. Those who love battling it out with creature of the deep may wish to see a chiropractor to care for work- and play-oriented carpal-tunnel syndrome and other woes.
The Strain of Fishing
Fishing is a physical activity, which means the body's joints, tendons, and muscles are required to handle the sportive tasks. Pulling in hard-fighting and heavy fish definitely puts a lot of stress on the wrists and the fingers. This is obvious because the hands are gripping the rod and forcibly turning the reel. Granted, hand strength alone does not pull in a powerful fish. The arms and shoulders deliver the supporting strength, which means the elbow joints, deltoid muscles, and rotator cuff are stressed. The hands, however, may suffer the brunt of the damage due to the relative weakness of the wrist.
Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome from Fishing
Years of fishing could lead to the onset of carpal-tunnel syndrome, an ailment that leads the body to consistently experience pain in the wrist and hands. Ignoring the signs of this condition is absolutely not recommended since the conditions could worsen and greatly weaken one's life activities. In particular, the nerve problems caused by carpal-tunnel syndrome could make earning a living difficult.
Compounded Injuries from Work
A person who works in physical labor is already stressing the wrists, elbows, and other part of the body. When you take a nice holiday deep-sea fishing after a week of hard work and then returning to the hard work after the fishing trip, the body does not exactly get much time to rest and recuperate. Any additional stress—even when the stress comes from leisure activities—is going to worsen the condition if it already exists.
A Visit to a Chiropractor
Carpal-tunnel syndrome can be treated by a skilled chiropractor. Interestingly, a chiropractor may work on the bony joints of the upper neck to relieve the pain being experienced in the hands. Also, rolfing massages have been shown to alleviate carpal-tunnel syndrome through lengthening and releasing fascia tissue. A full assessment and a proper adjustment by the chiropractor may be able to reduce a lot of pain and restore a sense of normalcy to movement. Make an appointment with an organization such as The Healing Center to explore this option.