How do you guys avoid tendinitis?

[nhyrum]

Well, woke up this morning with my right elbow hurting, this is after decapping and sizing, in two different steps, 1000 40 and 1000 223. So essentially 4000 pieces

I just picked up one of those neoprene elbow braces and that helps a ton with the pain, but how can reorganize to eliminate whatever naughty angle or movement in doing? Right now my bench is standing height, I believe the top is around 42". And I use a Lee classic cast turret, usually without the auto index, so single stage basically

[colbad]

Never heard of it from reloading. However, I occasionally get it when I do a hard arm day in the gym doing curls. The neoprene cuff helps, but the key is to get the blood moving in the elbow via a warm up prior to the activity causing the pain.

Even if its only reloading, doing some warm up exercises that get blood into the elbow area will make a difference. Get some light hand weights, bring your forearms to a 90 degree angle and rotate at the wrist inward and outward. This will get the blood flowing to your elbow.

[TJB101]

I play competitive tennis and as such have suffered from tendinitis a few times. The sleeve is a great idea and I highly recommend Penetrex cream (search Amazon for it). Great stuff.


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[JeepHammer]

Poor posture, odd angles, yanking.
Take an anti-inflammatory day of, day after.

Raising my press helped a bunch.

[shootniron]

Do the same as I do for riding my bicycle. I put Aspercreme or generic equivalent on before and after my ride, regardless of miles or how hard I ride...just do it every time...it helps the tendons and ligaments around my 56yr old knees. It will do the same for your elbow.

[nhyrum]

Originally Posted by JeepHammer

Poor posture, odd angles, yanking.

I'm really betting that's it. I've never noticed me till I spent a week at the bench processing all this range brass I got, didn't want to run nasty gummy brass through my sizing dies.

What is the proper posture for reloading? I've learned how to type properly to avoid carpal tunnel, but never really hear about the correct posture to avoid tendinitis

[Total308]

May look at some of the aftermarket handles for your press. I got one for my LNL at it made resizing much easier!!!

[MarkGlazer]

Here is your answer... https://inlinefabrication.com/

I had similar issues because my body wasn't properly aligned with the press, sitting or standing. I have a Lee 3-hole turret press and have never had a single minute of discomfort since I purchased my In-Line Fabrication riser. It is by far the best investment I made as far as my loading equipment is concerned.

Good luck. Feel better.

[JeepHammer]

Figure out how you are doing things now, cause that ain't working.
You have to know where to start...

I have been shot twice, blown up twice, three aircraft crashes in the military, and broke a bunch of stuff racing, working, etc.
Believe me when I say, 'SUPPORTING, Comfortable Chair with feet flat on the floor',
And the press lifted up where you can see/reach the shell plate without stopping over...

The second thing is don't confuse bruised muscles/tendons from doing something new with outright tendinitis.
Sore, slightly inflamed tendons let you know about it, outright fully swollen tendons won't let you sleep or move your body.

So called 'Ergo' handles don't work for me very well or very often...
They cause 'Roller Wrist' or 'Limp Wrist' issues when sizing to start with,
They also are ALWAYS cut to to the wrong angle so follow through has my hand/wrist at an odd angle.

I like a 'Ball' handle, something I can put significant pressure on it at the TOP of the stroke, and the BOTTOM of the stroke,
Ergos are made to make the CENTER of the stroke more comfortable, which is a ONE finger operation for me since the case is free of dies.

With a ball I can adjust my position in the chair, adjust my shoulder to the press, etc and still apply pressure where it counts.

I don't use a 'Swivel' or 'Roller' chair.
You won't notice it, but you are expending MUCH more movement fighting the movement of the chair when you are working.
Nothing like fighting stiff brass, fighting the chair AND the press too low...
Leaning over to push down to size is direct pressure on shoulder/elbow with your body weight...

I like the Up stroke about an inch below my shoulder where I'm reaching straight out, without reaching up.
Keeps me from pranging on a bad rotator cuff and torquing on bad neck disks.

[FITASC]

Don't do 4000 repetitive motions at one time............

[FrankenMauser]

That ^^^^

[JT-AR-MG42]

In-line Fab. is the only way to go.
I especially like their roller handles.

Another tip that might help is concerning case lube.
.223 sizing is not noticeable on my 550 with proper lube and, while I do
not load for a .40, I lightly lube my 9mm and larger handgun brass
when carbide sizing.
Eliminates almost all the effort.

JT

[cecILL]

There are some simple exercises to cure tendonitis. Painkillers are your enemy.

[Road_Clam]

OP, you need to SLOW DOWN !! I was into the same bahavior when I first bought my LEE Classic turret. I was attempting to bang out 300 rounds of ammo weekly. Thousands of arm repititions weekly finally took it's toll and I too got tendinitis in my right elbow joint. I'm better now and the tendinitis has minimised over the past year. Here's my tips :

1) SLOW DOWN
2) If possible learn to load ambidextrous (allows you to use both arms, giving rest to stressed joints)
3) pay critical attention to your specific loading technique ergonomics. Access every step and try to minimise joint movement. Have your loose bullets as close to your press as possible, same with your final loaded bullet.
4) if possible minimise the ram stroke. I learned to spin my LEE Classic Turret die head by hand instead of cycling the ram to move the toolhead to the next station. This was a substantial step in lessening my arm repititions.
a) I was able to "choke up" on the length of my LEE CT's ram handle. You can loosen the clamping bolt and slide the handle so the handle is actually shorter in lenght which equals less of an arc stroke needed to cycle the press turret.

5) detailed prep of the primer pockets on crimped brass. I attribute most of my tendinitis not from resizing, but trying to seat stubborn primers. It requires a lot of unncecssary force to seat tight primers. I learned to do a nice forgiving chamfer and a quick ream using my Lyman case prep center. This keeps the primer insertion easy.

6) use Imperial Sizing Wax. It's awesome stuff and makes easier work of sizing casings.

7) Do what I did, get a Dillon 650 ! LOL

[g.willikers]

Reloading machines seem purposely designed for aggravating joints.
Youtube has plenty of exercises that can help.
Until then, use the elastic bands, they do work.
But they don't cure anything.
The exercises will strengthen the tendons and muscles around the joints.
Worked for me.

[T. O'Heir]

Kind of suspect it may have been present before you started. However, like FITASC says, not doing 4,000 cases at one time is your best bet. Most of us don't do that much "work" in a week.
JeepHammer, Mother Nature seems to be trying to tell you something. Or you PO'd her good. snicker.

[buck460XVR]

Don't do 4000 repetitive motions at one time............

Yep. Changing position and or the angle will help, as will giving yourself more leverage, but the main factor is the repetitive motion. Years ago I developed a bad case of "Tennis Elbow" because I was a carpenter swinging a hammer all day. The doctors solution was Ibuprofen regularly and a little band that put pressure on my arm in a specific spot. Both worked, but the real cure was a heavier hammer and learning to swing with my whole arm and not just my wrist. It may be the standing height that is adding to the irritation and inflammation. Could be other factors that contribute besides reloading and reloading just aggravates the condition. Try changing the angle of your arm to the press. One thing I do when using the press is to limit the amount of press movement to the minimal needed. IOWs I don't run the press handle all the way up on every stroke, only enough to do the step I'm doing and to remove/insert the case.

[nhyrum]

I like the Up stroke about an inch below my shoulder where I'm reaching straight out, without reaching up.
Keeps me from pranging on a bad rotator cuff and torquing on bad neck disks.

That's the kind of info I'm looking for!

By the Up stroke, do you mean with the ram all the way at the top, and the handle at the bottom?

Maybe this will be some leverage for a Dillon 650. And a reason to not buy thousands of range brass and expect to get loaded ammo in a week.

I do have imperial, but that in reserved for my br ammo. The rest I use home brew lanolin Lube

Edit: was on a short road trip and just got back and hit the press. I think a riser is needed. With the ram at the top of its stroke I have to lean to the side to push all the way to the top of the stroke. Doing that, even with the neoprene brace hurts the elbow.

[Chainsaw.]

Stop doing thousands of pulls in a sitting!
Take the time to do a few hundred a day rather than thousands a day. Spread it out over time, its a hobby man, not dire straights.

[nhyrum]

Oh wait... I think I know what the culprit is... The hundred or so rifle rounds I disassembled with my kinetic puller... Some took a good 10 whacks...

[sawdustdad]

I never do more than 500-600 press actuations at a session, often more like 300-400. With my SDB, that yields an equal number of rounds of loaded ammo, with the Rockchucker, it yields one step in the process for that number of cases.

I have a tall in-line fabrication press stand and work standing up. I find it gives me the most leverage.

Loading 1000 rounds of pistol on the SDB takes me three sessions, each a little over an hour. For .223, it's more like 6 hours spread over two weeks.

[Road_Clam]

I fabbed a 14" riser to get both my Dillon 650 and my Rock Chucker to position the handle about even with my shoulder while standing. I also have a nice thick foam mat on my floor to allow me to stand for longer periods of time while I reload.

[nhyrum]

Yeah I think a riser is indeed needed.

I just love reloading that it's hard for me to not when I have the ammo to reload

[BigJimP]

I find sitting - and reloading - at " a bar stool height " stool is way easier on my feet, knees and back...than standing.

I have also put the "roller handle" on my press vs the ball handle..../ and my bench height has adjustable steel legs to raise or lower the height of my bench over a 6" range ....and if I needed more I could put adjustable casters on the legs I suppose.

Not over gripping the press handle helps / i have arthritis in hands and wrists...and some orthopedic repairs in elbows and shoulder....so I think it's smart to limit a session to about 30 - 45 min ...and settle for 7 or 8 boxes ....vs sitting at bench to do 30 boxes at once...

[Road_Clam]

Over the years progressing from a single stage , up to a turret , and most recently a Dillon 650 ive come to realize that handloading needs to be a compramise of speed and minimal muscle strain. Handloading wont be of use to me if my joints are trashed 10 years from now. Im 51 and i want to enjoy retirement shooting and reloading pain free. As soon as i feel some joint discomfort i stop for the night. Tendinitis is a b!tch to get rid of it. Im ususlly good for about +/- 40 joint repititions every other night depending on the effort required by the task needed.