On topic: back pain while wading?

OK, no soapbox this time.

I've noticed this season that I'm starting to get bad back pains when I wade
or fish deeper than mid-thigh. I sort of noticed it several times, but it
became very apparent when Charlie and I were fishing the Juan. If I'm
standing waist deep, after even 4 or 5 minutes it starts to feel like my
back is going to cramp up. After a half hour or so, it hurts even when I'm
just walking in knee-deep water. If I stumble a little, the sudden 'jolt' of
tightening up my muscles sends a small spasm up my back.

The weird thing is, although it always feels on the edge of spasms and
cramps while I am in water (standing or moving), the instant I get out of
the water, it all stops. I figure it has something to do with the buoyancy
and its effect on my back (or upper leg) muscles, but I'm not sure.

Any other bad-back-buddies out there have similar symptoms?

--riverman
(fishing from shore, a whole lot more...)

Any other bad-back-buddies out there have similar symptoms?

Three things: cold, support and hydration. I've noticed that when I'm
wading deep with breathable waders, I have the same problem. I've gone to
wearing fleece with longjohns (military weight) underneath. I noticed this
after switching over from neoprene. The extra warmth helps.
The second thing that helps is a wide wading belt. I use (and recommended
to you, but do you ever listen, no, I slave away, trying to get you a good
deal on waders, and recommend something for your back, but you just ignore
me, its okay, don't worry about me, I'll just go off and die) one that looks
like a ballistic nylon weight training belt. Wading on snot-covered bowling
balls gets you moving like a hula dancer. Unless you do that for a hobby
and practice it (try getting good with a hula hoop), its gonna cause stress
in muscles that aren't used to the action.
Finally, hydration. I use one of the hydration packs. I continually drink
all day. Yeh, I may have to get out more often than most and find a spare
tree, but when muscles get irritated, one of the problems is that they get
hot and dehydrate. The extra fluid (even on a cold day) can, at least
partially, ameliorate this problem.
With these three measures, the warmer underlayment, the wide belt, and the
extra hydration, I can stay on the water a lot longer than I used to.

--
Frank Reid
Reverse email to reply

Frank Reid wrote:
snip
I can stay on the water a lot longer than I used to.

You misspelled "under".
--
HTH,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

I can stay on the water a lot longer than I used to.

You misspelled "under".
--
THHHHTTT!

HTH,
Tim

"Frank Reid" moc.deepselbac@diersicnarf wrote in message
...
I use (and recommended to you, but do you ever listen, no, I slave away,
trying to get you a good deal on waders, and recommend something for your
back, but you just ignore me, its okay, don't worry about me, I'll just go
off and die) one that looks like a ballistic nylon weight training belt.

Frank, you incontinent cantaloupe! IYRC, you pointed me to the same wide
ballistic nylon weight-beltish wading belt as the one you have (without the
little ring to hang your wading staff on) when I got those waders. I still
use that belt, but I have to admit that, when I loosen it, it seems to
decrease my back pains.

--riverman