C'mon guys, am I misunderstanding something? Prospective photogs should think twice because of the health related hazards of carrying camera equipment? If your body can't hold up to the rigors of an extra body, then it's probably also unfit for 95% of the professions out there....kind of makes me wonder how construction workers get past age 25 without claiming disability.
As the old adage goes....If you don't have a sharp mind, you'd better have broad shoulders.
John Korduner wrote:
...kind of makes me wonder how construction workers get past age 25 without claiming disability.
Some people smoke cigarettes and live to be 91 (to quote "Madmen")
I was a semi-professional athlete for a while. I worked out 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. Bike or XC ski 4-5 hours. Lift weights 1 hour. Swim 1 hour, plus a run for 6 miles to warm up in the morning sometimes. You need to be nearly perfect biomechanically to train full time.
I used to run with boxes when helping friends move to get extra exercise. Now I *might* be able to wash clothes with my pain meds.
Shit happens. On the job or off, it impacts your ability to make a living! Photography in the end can be quite physical, depending on your field (fashion location work, architecture, documentary, winter sports, etc.)
Most construction workers I know are quite messed up by the time they are 50. Same for factory workers. Disability is quiter another thing, mostly because of politics and the fact that people lie. But the pain is real for a majority.
What do you love to do? Don't put yourself at jepoardy of being able to do it for life. That includes a number of good quality years past 25. (Best part of my life without question has been since my son was born - I was 40.)
My best inspiration is a friend who quit smoking at 50, started running and XC Skiing, and skied Masters World Cup in Norway, etc. after he retired - until he was 72.
Back pain costs Americans around $15 billion per year, for medical care and disability payments. Mechanical low back pain is one of the most common complaints expressed to emergency physicians in the United States, and accounts for more than 6 million cases annually. As a health problem, back pain is the 3rd most expensive disorder, after heart disease and cancer.
Occupational injury is a big contributor to the country's back pain woes. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in private industry alone, there were approximately 123,000 work related back injuries in 2004. This is roughly around 10% of all on the job injuries reported by private industry.
Seventy to 85 percent of all people have back pain at some time in their life.
Back pain is the most frequent cause of activity limitation in people younger than 45 years old.
A study of 295 Finnish concrete workers aged 15-64 years revealed that 42% of men, and as many as 60% of those aged 45 years or older, reported having sciatica. When interviewed approximately 5 years later, the lifetime prevalence had increased from 42% to 59%.
mmurph wrote:
I was a semi-professional athlete for a while. ...
I used to ...
"Used to ..." : but what DID you do in the period of *maturity* when working?
--e.g., one hears of "weekend warriors", and I recall my more regular routine of
exercise becoming less routine, on weekends mostly, as "life" interfered w/sport.
When you're young (& foolish :o), you can do things w/o trouble and wonder
"What's the big deal?" Man, when the back goes out, the whole show stops!!
(Unlike having a bum knee or ankle, say.)
Sitting is bad for the back. Walking is better.
I do back exercises regularly (and cycling (when it's not 15^F out!)).
And I try to be careful.
I've broken my right arm SIX times and had surgery on it twice. I've broken the right collar bone twice. Shooting with a 70-200 or bigger lens really puts pressure on my wrist, and I can feel where it has been broken. Shooting in the cold usually locks up my right hand to where I can hardly push the shutter button, and switching lenses takes me a while. Sometimes it seems like it is easier to miss the shot than to switch lenses.
What do you do - motorcycle racing? Cyclists commonly break collar bones.
Make sure you have good physical therapy, etc. now. Then hope for medical miracles like wrist replacement surgery.
Seriously, take care of youirself as best you can now. It only gets worse as you age.
Best,
Michael
I broke my collar bone twice when I was 4 and 7 years old, just falling off of swings. The 6 wrist breaks were all from skateboarding and extreme BMX riding, stuff like that.
I'm coming home every night from shooting soccer with back pains, even when I use a padded chair and a monopod.
Parker_Dawson> I'm coming home every night from shooting soccer with back pains, even when I use a padded chair and a monopod.
I was going to suggest a monopod, but you're already using one. It really helps me during long shooting sessions, especially outdoors. Otherwise my hands/wrists are sore when bedtime rolls around.
I'll second the recommendation for good physical therapy. If you are having problems like this in your teens, it may likely get worse as you get older. I visited a physical therapist in my mid-30's for some back issues and it was the best thing that ever happened for my back! Within two weeks I had less pain that I had in the past year. Now as I approach age 50 I do a few minutes of simple stretching exercises daily and try to do at least an hour of vigorous walking each week (more is better).
I do hope you can find some relief so you can enjoy photography. The old geezer in me just has to urge you to give up skateboarding and extreme BMX riding. Motorcycling gave me several nice scars until I gave it up in my late 20's.
Best,
Andy
I'm fortunate that i realized how psychical photography becomes when you start taking into account the weight of a decent location kit. I now have a daily routine of stretches/weight work and other stuff which keeps me fairly fit and working ok. Touch wood this will help me avoid any injury. This is one of the few times though that i am thankful for living in the UK. While the health care isn't great, it sure is cheap when you hurt yourself.
AndyKellett wrote:
The old geezer in me just has to urge you to give up skateboarding and extreme BMX riding.
But I just bought new parts for my bike today! That's no fun...
I totally see where you're coming from, though. My dad drove tractors all day as a teenager, and now he's having to get hearing aids. I'm turning down my activity level on everything, but there's still those 60-mile hikes I enjoy going on that don't help my back too much.
It's ironic to see this post. I have never seen this type of post listed and never really thought about it as I am only 37 but this past year I was shooting a Christening which is very basic and a fairly short event. Ironically it was the grandson of my chiropractor who I visit regularly for routine back health.
In the middle of the event WHAMMO! I got a pain in my neck that nearly dropped me. I hernated a disc in my cervical area. I always shoot with my 1dIIn on a stroboframe with my flash and 24-70mm lens around my neck and my 5d with a 70-200f2.8 over my right shoulder.
Needless to say, not anymore. Fortunately for me I went against the advise of my doctor, two chiropractors and three leading neurosurgeons and did not have surgery. I went on drug therapy to give me enough relief to be able to stand up for 15 minutes at a time, then back to bed. After 3 months of slowly pushing my activity and limits I was able to return to the office for 8 hours at a time.
It took another 2 months but now I am able to shoot weddings again. I had to change my style and go with a canon hand strap, no more neck straps. I am now looking into a belt system so i can holster one camera while I shoot with the other like I used to.
I still feel some discomfort occasionally but did a lot of research and worked in conjunction with my body's own mechanism for healing what it can on its own.
I will say after reading this I might try the inversion table.
I'm 20 and already have medium to severe back pain on a regular basis stemming from playing waay too much golf in my younger days and having a followthrough that many regard as absolutely detrimental to your back. Now that I've scaled my golf back (because of classes) it is better than it has been, but sitting on a baseline at basketball games once or twice a week for 4 months doesn't exactly make it any better.
I go to a back specialist every time I'm home and it just never seems to get better. I can't wait until I'm 50....
