Wear-and-Tear on the Body

[AnneRiceBowl]

No, not the camera body, but the human body.

I've worked in a studio for almost 2 years, and I've been having shoulder problems with my camera arm (right side). I've never had issues with joints before, and I've noticed an all-over problem with my joints, especially with my right shoulder which has been severely painful for about a month.

Do any of you do anything special to take care of yourselves?

I really love my job and am hoping to do so much more, but I don't want to fall apart before I venture on my own.

 

[Derrel]

Your problem is not uncommon among photographers. Shoulder injuries are pretty common, with a locked shoulder type of injury being the worst, as well as painful cases of bursitis. There can be a lot of repetitive motion issues, and or weight issues. Prevention is a good way to approach it...when I shot with heavy lenses 2 to 3 times a week, I had to work out with dumbbells and free weights and a medicine ball. The medicine ball was very helpful at strengthening my arms and shoulders, and I started taking the joint health medicine glucosamine with MSM and chondroitin. When you've gotten to the point of a severely sore shoulder lasting a month, you've probably got severe inflammation, and you need an anti-inflammatory to help that go down. You might already have a case of bursitis.

 

[AnneRiceBowl]

The shoulder feels like it's jammed or something is pinched. It's stiff in the morning and will sometimes loosen as the day goes on. I've also been stretching it as much as I can.

The camera setup I use at work is a Nikon D2X fitted with a battery grip, transceiver, a Tamron macro lens (I can't recall what exactly it is right now), and a small steel tripod fitted on the bottom (sorry, I have no idea what it's called). With the battery, it must weigh about 7 pounds. Slinging that sucker around during a 4- to 14-hour shift is tiring, plus heavy props, and everything else.

 

[IgsEMT]

It is unfortunately part of the job.
Best care - compresses, hot/cold packs, and rest the area as much as possible. Once pain becomes too much, see a physician if possible; if not look into NSAIDs, such as ibuprofin, naproxen, aspirin. I'm not a big fan of aspirin or ibuprofin for pain but naproxen is my GO TO Rx when pain is severe enough.
Good Luck Buddy