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Thread: Dealing with Aging and Other Challenges

  1. #31
    I've been having a lot of pain in the arm that I use for sawing dovetails.

    Doctor called it 'tennis elbow'. He said to put a brace on it, but didn't have much else to suggest.

  2. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clifford McGuire View Post
    I've been having a lot of pain in the arm that I use for sawing dovetails.

    Doctor called it 'tennis elbow'. He said to put a brace on it, but didn't have much else to suggest.
    Cross friction massage can work very well, best done by an experienced Physical Therapist (also known as a Physiotherapist, depending on where you’re located). It won’t feel comfortable, but it will help you recover much more quickly.

  3. #33
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    Can't remember where I heard or read it, but something to the effect that woodworkers should keep a box of baking soda always handy. Supposed to stop bleeding from minor cuts as well as draw splinters out (this works, though it takes a day).
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

  4. #34
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    Better dust collection.
    It’s come home to roost that all my years of construction, then doing woodwork in enclosed spaces without a suitable dust collection system has permanently damaged my lungs. Bah!
    Yes, better lighting too.
    I'm still struggling with the putting tools away. Between my handyman/construction stuff I can’t bear to sell off, amd my woodworking tools, I don’t have any more shelf space.
    Young enough to remember doing it;
    Old enough to wish I could do it again.

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clifford McGuire View Post
    I've been having a lot of pain in the arm that I use for sawing dovetails.

    Doctor called it 'tennis elbow'. He said to put a brace on it, but didn't have much else to suggest.
    It may help to study how your arm moves when you cut. If it is out of line or causes you to grip too hard that may be the problem.

    One thing that has helped me is to saw with my other hand. This may require some practice before trying serious work.

    I'm still struggling with the putting tools away. Between my handyman/construction stuff I can’t bear to sell off, amd my woodworking tools, I don’t have any more shelf space.
    It seems every time a tool has been sold there was remorse later. Fortunately my financial situation is currently doing okay. Maybe if there is a need to raise some cash a few tools could be sold. My preference would be to give them to grandkids or even my nephews if they will use them.

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 01-04-2021 at 1:49 AM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  6. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clifford McGuire View Post
    I've been having a lot of pain in the arm that I use for sawing dovetails.

    Doctor called it 'tennis elbow'. He said to put a brace on it, but didn't have much else to suggest.
    Ask your doc about VOltaren Gel - it is an NSAID and has been reasonably effective for joint arthritis, for me at least.

  7. #37
    Quote Originally Posted by Curt Putnam View Post
    Ask your doc about VOltaren Gel - it is an NSAID and has been reasonably effective for joint arthritis, for me at least.
    Thanks for the recommendation. I saw that in the store and was wondering if it was worth a try.

  8. #38
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    I would try it! I did, and pain was relieved, however I started noticing a marked stiffness in my hands, and suspended itself. I may try it again, however.
    If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.

  9. #39
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    Save your money. No good treatment for tennis elbow, in time it will pass. Treated hundreds over the years. In a couple of months, or a year, your neck or back or knee or shoulder or foot will hurt, and you won't even remember the elbow.

  10. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rainey View Post
    ............................ . In a couple of months, or a year, your neck or back or knee or shoulder or foot will hurt, and you won't even remember the elbow.
    Thanks Mark - now I have something to look forward to. LOL.

    All great ideas folks. I would add adjustable saw horses so your assembly can be at the right height.

    Those adjustable arm desk lamps are great, and they get better if you take a 2 foot piece of scrap, drill an !/2" hole in one end and glue a 3/4" dowel in the other. Then the light can be moved to any dog hole, and it raises it up out of the way. And the magnetic base battery lights are great - just glue fender washers where ever you need concentrated lighting.

    My grand daughter is a paramedic and she turned me on to professional splinter removal kits. Wonderful tool. And bandaids. I don't have a lot of feeling in my hands so I get cut and don't realize it until I see blood spots on the (of course) finished surface. But I feel the arthritis just fine in my hands. Strange.

    Bench top sawhorses that drop into dog holes. Raises the work up 6", allows clearance for clamping, and is great for panel glue ups.

    A small tracking device for my cigar so I can find where I put it down. And of course a fire extinguisher or 2.

    And here's my final tip: surfacing and flattening slabs of walnut with hand planes is not a sport to be taken up when you're 73. Did that last weekend and had to spend some quality time in the steam room.
    Last edited by Bill Carey; 01-05-2021 at 11:38 AM.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  11. #41
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    I have arthritis in the first (CMC) joint of my right thumb. Any time I use a plane, a saw, or a hammer for an extended period of time it hurts like hell. I've become proactive about taking Ibuprofen if I'm going to chop mortises or cut dovetails.
    Last edited by Rob Luter; 01-08-2021 at 9:20 AM.
    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  12. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Clifford McGuire View Post
    I've been having a lot of pain in the arm that I use for sawing dovetails.

    Doctor called it 'tennis elbow'. He said to put a brace on it, but didn't have much else to suggest.
    Clifford, he is correct. The pain comes from an inflamed extensor tendon. Lifting you arm (to saw) stretches the tendon.

    The fix is to immobilise the tendon by putting pressure on the area. Pressure comes from a brace. Something like this ...



    A physio can also supply exercises to strengthen the area. It will go away with rest and strengthening exercises.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  13. #43
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    Mark, that made me laugh. I’m feeling better already. Thank you.

    Peter

  14. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Mich View Post
    Mark, that made me laugh. I’m feeling better already. Thank you.

    Peter
    You are welcome Peter.

  15. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    Clifford, he is correct. The pain comes from an inflamed extensor tendon. Lifting you arm (to saw) stretches the tendon.

    The fix is to immobilise the tendon by putting pressure on the area. Pressure comes from a brace. Something like this ...



    A physio can also supply exercises to strengthen the area. It will go away with rest and strengthening exercises.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

    Derek, your theory of the etiology of lateral epicondylitis and treatment is very interesting and shared by many. Unfortunately the science does not support the inflammation theory - where is the redness and swelling? Oh, it must be on the inside? Oh, OK, maybe, maybe not. The braces are impressive, what are they doing - how do they take pressure off? Maybe, maybe not. Physical therapy for something perhaps caused by too much physical activity? No pain no gain? Counterintuitive. For thirty years I have tried these interventions and more. Maybe they worked, maybe not. Some of us have come to the conclusion that as we age, we will face more and more of these musculoskeletal challenges. For the majority, the best approach is coping skills - this will pass. They will challenge our coping skills and push us to seek out unproven remedies. Save your money and avoid medications with harmful side effects. Soldier on.

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