sb wrote:
Patient: "Doctor, I have never had this before".
Doctor: "You have never been 70 years old before".
I have this discussion several times weekly with my patients. Arthritis in the joints along the back part of the spine is like arthritis in any other joint - it is a result of wear and tear and probably personal factors such as genetic susceptibility. Wear and tear is a function of both age and past trauma. Your left knee may be just as old as your right knee but may have worse arthritis because of an injury suffered fifty years before and long forgotten. Arthritis in the spinal facet joints is most likely related to falls and jarring activities such as jumping, jogging, horseback riding, etc. Perhaps carrying heavy bags or camera gear contributed to it. Facet joint arthritis in the neck is most often associated with degenerative disc disease, in which the space between the vertebral bones gets smaller, putting more pressure on the joints.
Arthritis in the spine can be treated with injections or with a therapy called RFA - radio frequency ablation (often helps for a year or so).
Worse case situation (surgical treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease):
Patient: "Doctor, I have never had this befor... (
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Yes, my wife had that and sets off alarms now. Haha just kidding. It helped but there is still pain after 2 years. Thanks for the better explanation Doc.
It's just as likely to be due to other causes such as your general posture or how you sit when you're at your computer. If it does turn out to be your camera bags, lighter gear is the obvious solution, plus better carrying methods that balance the load on your back and neck.
Time to find a younger person to teach photography to and have them carry you stuff.
At about to turn 89 I just carry less and travel on foot less.
Consider a waist belt system such as the one offered by ThinkTank. When I was a photojournalist and travel photographer I used the ThinkTank system which allowed me to carry a full frame body with lens attached, two additional lenses, batteries, flash, filters, cleaning supplies and more. For outdoor assignments I even attached my travel tripod to the belt system, so I had no weight on my shoulders. BTW, in retirement I have switched to the Fuji X mirrorless system and use a small ProTactic BP250 backpack by Lowepro. No neck problems and evenly distributed weight on both shoulders. Good luck. At 76 I feel your pain.
magpix wrote:
Consider a waist belt system such as the one offered by ThinkTank. When I was a photojournalist and travel photographer I used the ThinkTank system which allowed me to carry a full frame body with lens attached, two additional lenses, batteries, flash, filters, cleaning supplies and more. For outdoor assignments I even attached my travel tripod to the belt system, so I had no weight on my shoulders. BTW, in retirement I have switched to the Fuji X mirrorless system and use a small ProTactic BP250 backpack by Lowepro. No neck problems and evenly distributed weight on both shoulders. Good luck. At 76 I feel your pain.
Consider a waist belt system such as the one offer... (
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Another waist belt system is the SpiderPro Single or Dual camera system, wide belt and very comfortable
https://spiderholster.com/product/dual-camera-system/
Lose weight: I traded my Canon full frame cameras and (most) lenses for Fujifilm X-T3s and it made a big difference. I seldom do large prints so or for 95% of my photography this APS-C mirrorless camera does the job and the results are virtually equal to the full frame Canons.
For transport I use a ThinkTank Streetwalker backpack to carry two bodies, three lenses, teleconverter and flash.
When shooting I typically have a 50-140 mm (ff equivalent: 70 -200mm)on once camera and 10-24 mm (ff equivalent: 15 - 35mm) on the other.
I had the same problem and so severe I couldn’t even safely drive as I could not move my head without severe pain. I had a spinal ablation done about 6 weeks ago and instantly solved my problem. The major pain was gone as I left the doctors office a few minutes later. I went to a pain and spine center for the procedure. Only about a 15 minute procedure.
[quote=Thomas902]"...I now go to physical therapy where I feel like my head is being pulled off my shoulders. Very painful..." This does not sound like you have a very compassionate therapist... Seek another maybe?
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I go to the Physical Terrorist twice a week. He wants me to do anything that hurts like hell. The worse it hurts, the longer he wants me to do it.
Have you ever tried putting a space between the 3rd and 4th letter in the word "Therapist"?
Check out camera/lens straps designed for use on the shoulder across your chest. I have some from Black Rapid (Sport model) and Peak Design. I use an old baby jogger with three 16 inch wheels as a cart when walking around with a lot of my gear. I bought it used for $5.00 as its seat was ripped, but my camera bag does not care about that.
viking22 wrote:
I carry my camera bag strap over my left shoulder and the bag sits on my right hip and I put my Canon DSLR over my right shoulder and sits on my right hip while walking looking for Kodak moments. Both have some weight to them. I've been doing this for over 30 years. Now I have been diagnosed with arthritis on the back of my neck where it's putting pressure on the nerves completely around the back of my neck, from cervical nerve to cervical nerve. I now go to physical therapy where I feel like my head is being pulled off my shoulders. Very painful. I'm trying to analyze how this happened and the only thing I can come up with are the straps around the back of my neck. Has anyone else experienced this neck pain?
I carry my camera bag strap over my left shoulder ... (
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It's called Old Age, and affects everyone differently.
I do hope you get better soon.
My Better Half has called me a "Pain in the neck" for over 50-years now. Of course I know I'm in trouble when it becomes a "Pain in the butt".
Manglesphoto wrote:
It's called Old Age, and affects everyone differently.
I do hope you get better soon.
I also worked as a mechanic and wrecker operator until I retired at age 78, now 81.
Think in terms of how folks backpack. The weight of the pack (camera bag, etc.) should never be concentrated on the shoulder or neck. The weight needs to be balanced with the shoulders, waist, and hips sharing the load.
At age 73, I long ago gave up on shoulder-only solutions. During my Boy Scout days, we built our own pack frames from wood and aluminum tubing, and added surplus military canteen belts to help distribute the load.
And I'm completely in agreement about the "wheel" solutions.
I have arthritis all throughout my spine. The worst pain is in the low back but there is a spot between my shoulder blades that can ruin my day when it decides to flare up. I have started using lidocaine patches. They are over the counter, non-addictive. It's the same thing the dentist uses to numb your mouth only this is topical. The lidocaine goes through to skin to the point of pain.
It doesn't work on my low back pain. The nerves are too deep for it to reach. But for the shallow nerves in my upper back it works like a charm. Give it a try.
Of course it's best to do what you're doing and see a physical therapist and listen to your doctor. But when it's giving you acute pain and you can't sleep the Lidocaine patches can be a lifesaver. At least they have for me. I use the gel patches made by Salon Pas. They are a little expensive but worth every penny.
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