Injuries or chronic problems related to wood harvesting/splitting

[whitemountain]

Recovery is a process

This is an area where I have considerable experience, not necessarily from the pain end, but from the treatment side of things.

When the daily amount of damage exceeds the daily amount of repair injury results

What this means is be smart, maybe slow down a little. Repetitive motions are one of the worst. If you can space your cutting/splitting efforts out over several days instead of doing it all in one day you'll be better off. Some may need to have a days rest in there, or maybe two. You have to give your body a chance to recover/heal. Listening to your body is becoming a lost art. If you listen it will tell you where you stand.

Diet is also important. Many of us eat a primarily pro-inflammatory diety. This means that as we ingest and digest foods that come from a box, bag or can and our body reacts with inflammation. This doesn't help the inflammation that occurs in our joints and muscles with activity and actually slows the recovery process. We often compound this problem with a lack of fresh fruit and vegetable intake. These fruits and vegetables, among many other beneficial nutrients, contain naturally occuring anti-oxidants that help in the recovery process.

Smoking is a killer! If there's anyway for anyone out there to quit, do it! All of the above and much else is compounded by the effects of smoking. I even try to get upwind from the saw while cutting to avoid exhaust gasses.

Last but not least is age. The recovery process slows with age. We can retain much of what we had as young men in terms of aerobic capacity, recovery and healing, etc. if we stay with it. Most of us really struggle with that, being the weekend warrior type, but it is an endeavor well worth the effort.

OK I'm off my soap box now!

 

[wigglesworth]

I got a spot in my neck that after a couple cord's of swingin a maul, im done for a week or better. Other than that, im as healthy as an ox.

Edit: My wife reminds me I need to loose 20lbs though.

 

[hoyt38]

I was wondering what you are referring to as firewood elbow? The reason I ask is because about a month ago I had a knot pop up on my elbow. it is a little sore when using it but it is really bad if I apply any pressure to it, hit it. etc.
I have not went to the doctor yet mainly because it is not affecting my wood cutting and I need to get one more year ahead before some one tells me I have to stop.

 

[Ol' Brian]

I gave myself a good case of tendonitis in my left forearm from splitting wood on the splitter last year. I was doing something that my arm didn't like. That took almost 9 months to go away.

I've been splitting quite a bit here lately, and no problems so far, knock on wood

 

[LarryTheCableGuy]

...I was unloading a load of red oak rounds this weekend and starting getting signals from my lower back that the twist and heave was a bad idea...

Hey, I was just at physical therapy last night and the guy was telling me that "twist and heave" IS evil, as is "bend & twist".

BTW, I'm 48 and have two herniated discs, but they have probably been that way for a long time, just gradually getting worse.

This is the first time that I have ever had constant pain (for 2 to 3 months now) and I was pretty depressed for quite a while. I'm not ready to feel all crippled up and was pretty freaked out until I completely changed my perspective the other day. I was reading about someone with problems way more severe than what I'm dealing with and suddenly it didn't seem like such a big deal.

It doesn't seem to hurt nearly as much with a different frame of reference either. Kinda weirds me out.

.

 

[headleyj]

I'm 31, in good shape, lifted weights and exercised for past 11 years pretty regularly. After 2 solid days of dragging, cutting, culitting and stacking...a disc or 2 in my back have been hurting pretty bad - I can trace it directly to the "twist and heave" motion of loading/ unloading rounds/ stacking the wood.

In Physical Therapy now for atleast a month. Pain Killers/ muscle relaxers, stretching, posture change, etc. Loading the stove is a challenge now. It flat sucks. Listen to your body. I know I'll listen more and watch my form very closely. It sucks to be down like this.

 

[tibikedad]

Well, I'm 61, 5'6" & about 160 lbs. Two months ago I was bucking 4' diameter (& a little more at the butt) oak logs. Noodled down into thirds to try & make them little more manageable. HA! Didn't notice until next day how sore my knee was. Doctor said I have a minor tear in the meniscus cartilage. I kept cutting on the oak logs until they were all cut up. Since I only have a 6401 with a 20" bar, it took awhile. Knee was still sore but improving.

A few weeks ago when it was 15 degrees out, I was splitting the oak. In the course of working I let my seat work off to the side a little instead of keeping it to the front of the splitter. (vertical mode) One of the oak chunks exploded with each piece going sideways. Each piece was at least 60 lbs. The left one ended up about 10' away. The right piece flew on a beeline right into the sore spot on my knee.

I've been wearing a brace since then. It is improving again, but I would definitely say I won't be back on skis this winter.
Al

---------------

Next time wear knee pads

 

[tibikedad]

I'm 55, and have had a bad back since I was 33. I started to go to a chiropractor right after I injured my back the first time, and have been able to strengthen it and keep it functional ever since. I'm really careful to keep my back straight and lift from the knees, never twist when lifting anything, and not exceed my weight limit of 150 lbs / log. I cut/split 10 chords of wood a year for my indoor boiler, and hope to do this until I'm at least 85.

As I get older, I have more aches and pains (arms, shoulders, hands, legs), but that just reminds me that I am still alive (you don't feel any pain if you're dead).

 

[beerman6]

I was wondering what you are referring to as firewood elbow? The reason I ask is because about a month ago I had a knot pop up on my elbow. it is a little sore when using it but it is really bad if I apply any pressure to it, hit it. etc.
I have not went to the doctor yet mainly because it is not affecting my wood cutting and I need to get one more year ahead before some one tells me I have to stop.

google "tennis elbow" it's the same as firewood elbow...

BTW Welcome!

 

[hoyt38]

Thank's beerman. Thats what I was thinking it was but wanted to make sure.

 

[SINGLE-JACK]

37 years old...Just starting to figure out I can still jump as high as I used to just can't stay up there as long.

LOL - laughin' with ya!!!
37? That's younger than my youngest ... something has always hurt, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot ... still hard at it, though ...

"Well, I don't know, but I've been told. You never slow down, you never grow old."
--- Mary Jane's Last Dance by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

I have found though, I can't jump as high but I stay up longer, LOL!!! Make mine whiskey, straight up.

... lunch is over, back to work.

 

[boda65]

You could just sit on the couch and run the oil burner, though I suspect your body would be a lot worse off becoming a couch potato.

Two popular sayings come to mind, "It's best to do everything in moderation" and "A man has to understand his limitations".Continue to cut, but be aware when your body pushes back.

Good advice. :agree2: At 44, 6'3", and 240lbs, your post pretty much matches my experience. It seems my body started going to Hades in a handbasket around age 40.

My grandpa heated exclusively with wood. He cut all his wood with a massive old Homelite gear drive bow saw. He split it with a maul (that I now posess ) until age 88. In his last couple of years, he would set the really tough ones aside and have my dad bring the splitter over. I'm sure he had pains, but never heard him mention any.

I think the key as others have mentioned is moderation. Stop heaving 2 foot oak rounds out of the back of the truck. Get help with them, or better yet noodle them into smaller chunks before loading. I split with a maul, but do it for an hour or so a day, don't get any aches that way.

Listen to your body and take care of it, it's the only one you'll get.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Oh yeah, dealing with shoulder pain right now that the chiro said is the Supraspinatus muscle and possibly some tendonitis. It came from years of physical work such as firewood and all that it entails, lifting a TON over and over and over right before Christmas because work was nuts, and also not having the level of my computer keyboard and mouse lined up properly-it was too low. Plus being 49 doesn't help.

My problem is, I REFUSE to give into it and accept like people say "these things happen with age" and "you're getting older" which are true, but it bothers me and even kind of depresses me when I'm not up to snuff. I use my head, and give into it to a point, but I want to be as good as I can be for as long as I can be. I take a lot of vitamin supplements, try to rest enough, and try to do proper stretching/strengthening exercises for whatever body part hurts. And a good massage therapist does wonders.

Like John Kay of Steppenwolf once said in concert "if you stop movin' they start throwin' dirt on ya". Very true....

"KEEP FIGHTIN' BOYS-KEEP CUTTIN"!!!:greenchainsaw:

 

[stihlaficionado]

52 in Feb and back problems for the last 20 years: 2 serious bouts that took over 4 months to heal completely. Twisting with weight is a no-no. Also try to keep the weight as close to your body as possible when lifting. Try to keep the shoulder to hip axis straight...ie., let the legs to the lifting.

Stretching is a must Every day...lower back, torso, hips, legs especially.

I try to sit in the jacuzzi as much as possible 20-30 minutes per session

Drink lots of water to clear out the toxins in your muscles...Beer is NOT like water

 

[beerman6]

Beer is NOT like water

:monkey:

 

[Curlycherry1]

For years every once in a while I would stress out my back and then I would do something to throw it out and it would shut me down for 4-6 days. I would miss work, could not function, and it would take 2-3 weeks before I was back to "normal."

Out of desperation I went to a Chiropractor and he got me going faster than it usually took. My back went out 2x more over the next 2 years and since then it has not gone out for 4+years. I think it is voo-doo medicine, but it seems to work. Now I can stress things bad doing something and then go to him and it does not go all the way to a full blown problem.

 

[sbhooper]

I am 55 and basically am still going strong. I injured my shoulder last year and it still fights me a little, but hasn't changed things much. I injured it throwing branches when a springy one pulled my arm the wrong way. I have always stayed in shape, so overall, I have not had many injuries. Any time that you are doing very physical work, you are subject to various types of injuries.

The main thing is to try not to overdo it, or take unnecessary chances.

 

[Austin1]

I am 55 and basically am still going strong. I injured my shoulder last year and it still fights me a little, but hasn't changed things much. I injured it throwing branches when a springy one pulled my arm the wrong way. I have always stayed in shape, so overall, I have not had many injuries. Any time that you are doing very physical work, you are subject to various types of injuries.

The main thing is to try not to overdo it, or take unnecessary chances.

Yep I am 41 but after a few hours of pond hockey I am sore the next day, never happened when I was young.I never thought it could happen to me. I always over do thing GO HARD OR GO HOME bring home a load of wood split it that day. Ah I don't need a jack to lift that transmission in?
I got married late in life listen to your wife my wife's favorite saying is your going to bust a nut!

 

[JFerg65]

Well.... Just turned 44 in December. Been running a chain saw since I was 12 and never had a scratch/injury until August 3 of 2009.

View attachment 121595

I was trimming some big azzz branches off of an oak in the back yard with my STIHL power Trimmer extended all the way out. Saw pinched, branch was hanging. Got the ladder out climbed up it took hold of the saw pushed the branch to the side, saw comes out, milli second later branch comes straight down hits the only digit planted firmly on the top of the ladder and crushes my thumb.

Had gloves on. I thought it had taken my thumb clean off. So with the saw still running and in my hand I climb down the ladder, turn the saw off and with my hand wedged under my arm and squeezing it like there is no tomorrow I hustle to the house..... yep you guessed it I was alone except for my lab. I contemplated driving the 30 minutes to the hospital but then started feeling the pain and saw how the blood had squirted out the back of my glove from the impact.

So a call to 911 and went and sat in the middle of my driveway for them to find me in case I passed out.

The picture is from a week after the accident. I am very lucky to still have my thumb and I don't think it will ever be the same.

Just remember that those two thumbs are the only thing that keeps us at the top of the evolutionary ladder.

 

[slinger]

Be smart with your back. Use your knees.

You will get hurt sooner or later in the woods or while handling the wood.

The bennies far out-weigh the negs.

Forget gettin that big gnarly chunk loaded. There will be another day LOL!

Take ibuprofen before you head to the woods...

I'm 44 goin on 19. I feel like a teenager (with something wrong!)