Tying Stand for Bad Backs

[Broad_Top]

Egronomics are rarely discussed here, at least that I've noticed.

Definitely didn't do anything ground-breaking here, but I decided to put up a standing-height bench in an empty corner in our living room. I'm also gonna keep a stool there I can use intermittently to give the legs a rest now n then. The wife was cool with it since we just rent right now and didn't have anything there anyway. It's behind our living room couch.

Some thoracic back pain I've been dealing with for a few years after a benching injry really hampered my fly tying this winter, as I can't sit for very long without the pain flaring up (except that's what I do about 40 hrs a week).

[That's another issue that'd I'd love advice on, as I've had a negative MRI, spent 8 weeks at PT last fall, now passed 2 months of Chiropractor guidance/ treatment which hasn't turned a corner yet (if it ever will). Not sure what do to next if it doesn't improve (OT forum?...anyone?...hello?...) I'm 26 y.o...too young for this garbage.]

For now, I'm just happy to find a way to be more comfortable tying.

However, even if you don't have any back pain, this setup takes tying from a sedentary activity to a 'sorta active' one.

Plus, when I met Mike Heck a few weeks ago, he showed me his neck hump, so now I understand the benefits of tying at chest/neck height rather than desk height. (Mike if you read this sorry!)

Attached are some pictures with a few important affects on the new stand.

The last picture is the ancient swivel chair I used to sit in with a 4ft 1x10 across the armrests. It's still the least-aggravating chair I sit in though.

Anyone have a similar setup? How do you like yours?

 

[Fishidiot]

BT,
You've got an interesting set-up there. Let us know how it works out for you. Can't say I don't have some back pain, but I've always been most comfortable tying while seated. I'd guess many of our readers have back pain and tying issues - hopefully this thread gets some replies.
Hope you're feeling better soon.

 

[Lonewolve]

only one tier i knew of that ties standing up...Bob Miller author of "Tricos", I know what you mean by back problems was hit in a bad car accident about 13 years ago an recently was hit on two separate occasions a year apart my upper back/thoraxic area has been a pain, Hope this works for you.

 

[dc410]

BT,

I had part of a disc removed three years ago after I severly blew out one of my discs. IMO there is nothing more irritating than back pain. One thing I learned from my physical therapist was that your abs (core muscles) and hamstrings are the two groups you need to work to keep loose to reduce the stress on your lower back. I still spend about 20-30 minutes every morning doing my stretches.

I told my PT that my hamstrings always were tight even when I played football in high school. Her response to me was that is because I "am lazy". I kind of took that personally and as of today my hamstrings are as loose as they have ever been and for the most part I feel good.

As far as the fly tying I can do it either way but I have the perfect place to tie standing in my basement behind my bar. The bar is just a bit higher than my belt and I can clamp on my vise and tie at chest height. I find it very comfortable to tie while standing up. In fact I just finished tying a half dozed zebra midges standing there while watching Kentucky beat Loisville in the Final Four game.

Good luck BT, I hope you can find some relief for your back pain. Don't under estimate the value of a very stringent exercise program if you can find ones that work for you.

 

[troutbert]

For back and sciatic pain, I had good results with several sessions of massage therapy, followed by twice a week yoga classes.

As stated above, you have to get the hamstring muscles (and other muscles) loosend up.

These muscles pull the pelvis out of alignment, and the lower back with it.

You have to be dedicated and patient with the stretching exercises. If you've allowed those muscles to tighten & shorten for decades, getting them stretched out again is not easy and it doesn't happen very quickly.

But I began to feel some noticeable improvement in about 6 weeks. And things just kept getting gradually better after that. It was roughly 3 years before the symptoms completely went away.

 

[Crotalus]

I had an old drafting table for a few years. Couldnt find a comfy chair for it so I ended up putting it on 4" wood blocks and stood to tie, was pretty comfortable overall.

 

[Broad_Top]

Thanks for the advice guys.

The chiropractor has me working the heck outta my hamstrings, and I have gained a good bit of flexibility in 2 months of work, which is good. I definitely had issues with my pelvis being rotated forward.

My pain is higher, in the thoracic region, so it's been a lot harder to work out since that part of the back isn't made to move all that much. Doing side planks and 'superman moves', roman chair, pull downs, stuff like that.

I feel two components to my pain - a dull hurt to the middle left of my spine, and then burning around it when it is real bad. The exercises seem to be good at managing the burning part, but I can't seem to get rid of the dull hurt.

The pain took a step up this summer when I started running a lot more (on black top to boot) which is why I then sought treatment. I've been frustrated the past two days because I ran a half mile during my regular walk on Friday, for the first time since the beginning of the year, and it left me hurting pretty good the next day. I'm concerned I'll never be able to run without it flaring up. It won't take the impact without killing me after.

It's been a one step forward two steps back type of process so far. I need some sort of proof that the regimen I'm on is going to make it heal eventually. Two months in and I can't say for sure what I think. When I can go a few days at a time without thinking about my back, that's when I'll consider it as progress. But haven't gotten there.

On a positive note, tied up some grannom wets and pupas last night, and it was a pleasure to tie them on the new stand!

 

[outsider]

I would say that I am farther down the road in terms of back problems. I have 5 vertabrae bolted together T12 through L4, and my last lower disk (L5) is now bulging. In addition, my upper back has developed scoliosis.

Stretching and riding my bike help, including dips to stretch my hamstrings, walking helps, I also use lidoderm patches. I like to tie at an office swivel chair, sometimes backed by a small pillow situated at the lumbar, and sometimes I use a backbrace. I also do stomach cruntches to maintain core strength.

My right Knee is bowing from arthritis requiring a brace, and my left hand sometimes requres a brace to keep from dropping things.

Otherwise I am in good health. HA HA

 

[Broad_Top]

Sounds awfully brutal, man. Backs are funny - on the one hand, my dad had surgery on a ruptured disk last spring, ha he was reaching down to pull his wader boot over his foot and there it went - could hardly get him back in the car. He was in a whole world of hurt for about 3 days, but after his operation it was all over (for now) and he's fine now. I joke that he got the easy way out. Only thing is, I guess once you've had surgery you're more likely to have subsequent problems, and it sounds like you're a case in point?

 

[outsider]

Broad_Top wrote:

"Only thing is, I guess once you've had surgery you're more likely to have subsequent problems, and it sounds like you're a case in point?"

I'm a genetic cess pool. Every bad gene that my mother and father had was passed on to me, not my brothers. Among them is degenerative disc disease, not to be confused with the normal degeneration that occurs in most of us. So I was bound to have subsequent problems. But I'm still standing and I'm still fishing, although in pain. Won't go down without a fight.

 

[Chaz]

IT seems everyone I've watched tying flies hunches over there tying bench, which is bad for the back. Alot of times if you think about it you'l straighten your back up, but that does solve the issue. Someone needs to design a chair that you can sit comforably at a tying bench with. That would be an advance worth paying for.

 

[Broad_Top]

I admire your grit outsider. Sometimes I loathe just driving to the store, the car can aggravate me so much. I've noticed though that my pain seems to mysteriously disappear when I'm along a trout stream. Go figure?

Chaz - that'd probably be a million dollar answer if you had it.

 

[outsider]

"I admire your grit outsider. Sometimes I loathe just driving to the store, the car can aggravate me so much. I've noticed though that my pain seems to mysteriously disappear when I'm along a trout stream. Go figure?"

I am, and always will be a fly fishing junkie. BTW, check your pm mail box.

 

[beerbyrnes]

Try sitting on an exercise ball. Makes you sit straight and helps strengthen muscles.

 

[Broad_Top]

I've seen those chairs that are basically an exercise ball. I've seen studies that conclude both ways. But I feel like constant movement on an exercise ball would be good for my particular problem as it is the sitting still part that aggravates it. Love using them at the gym.

 

[caveman]

Broadtop,
I like your setup, one tip. Get a dust buster. If your area looks like mine when I am done tying there is quite a mess on the floor.


I have three vertebrae in my neck fused and it is true that once fusing occurs you can be prone to damaging the discs above and below. I have to keep my tying about face level. If I have to look up or down too much my neck will get sore. Lower back gets sore also and must make a conscious effort to keep my back strait.