Old Dogs , Neck and Shoulder stiffness

[lowell holmes]

My neck, shoulders, and neck get stiff bending over the bench while working. It's really prevalent
when I'm concentrating on the tea task at hand.

If any of you have similar issues, how do you cope with it?

[Zach Dillinger]

My neck, shoulders, and neck get stiff bending over the bench while working. It's really prevalent
when I'm concentrating on the tea task at hand.

If any of you have similar issues, how do you cope with it?

I ain't old (29) but I used to have trouble. So now I just sit down for most of my non-planing work.

[David Weaver]

I also sit. I sit when I'm sawing a long rip, I sit at the end of the bench to cut DTs.

[Chris Griggs]

I ain't old (29) but I used to have trouble. So now I just sit down for most of my non-planing work.

Same here (well, except I'm 31 not 29). Chopping dovetails and similar things get my neck the worst. I sit on my saw bench or a couple of stacked milk crates and that helps a lot.

[Tom Vanzant]

Lowell, either raise the work (bench-on-bench) or lower yourself (take a seat...stool). Depending on the task, I use both. FWIW, I'm 75.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Like everyone else said.

Also, try and figure out what tasks are giving you trouble (sounds like you figured that part out) and change your approach pre-emptively. I'm getting to the point where being bent over for a long while bothers me - but often not until I try and *unbend*. Waiting to change my work until I notice I'm hurting is too late.

How you approach things from an ergonomic perspective helps too - I had a tendency to bend over when surfacing stock. Making the conscious effort to work with my back straight helped a lot. Same task, work at the same height, I'm standing on the same surface, but a lot less back pain. A lot less tired arms, as well, because I end up working with my core and not my arms.

[Jeff Wittrock]

My neck bothers me after some time as well. I usually just take a break every now and then to stretch a bit or work on something else for a while.

[Ray Bohn]

About 5 years ago (age 62) I found that I couldn't take the neck and shoulder pain that I had been experiencing after being active for an extended period of time. I had this pain for years foryears. After convincing my general practitioner that standard physical therapy wasn't working, he sent me to a Physiatrist. He used some pretty heavy duty equipment that isolated the muscles that were causing the pain. Basically, I did not have the strength to hold up my fat head and work with proper posture. The process eliminated the pain completely.

[george wilson]

I'm constantly in pain and have had 14 surgeries. Had my neck fused years ago,which is a constant source of pain. Have a titanium implant in my back from several years ago,and now need another as spinal stenosis has returned. Both elbows got torn tendons and had surgery. Both wrists had carpal tunnel surgery and the stupid doctor didn't do either correctly. Had the right hand re done,and need the left re done,too. A big pain is my right thumb joint is completely worn out from finger picking since about 1952. It really throbs,and I haven't played in years due to the pain. Fortunately,I'm left handed,but it is often difficult to do certain things that need both hands. My knees have no cartilage,and my left shoulder is worn out and hanging rather loose in the socket from many years of hand tool work,among other tasks.

So,you see,I am a wreck,and often get out of sorts due to the wear of pain on my nerves. Never the less,I still make things,but try to avoid using tools that bother my various worn out places.

[Patrick McCarthy]

But George, unlike most of the rest of us, you have a lenghty list of simply AMAZING things you have made over the years. You earned your pain; we are simply whiners with sawdust at our feet.

I am always "wowwed" by your craftsmanship when you post things you have made over the years.

Best regards, Patrick

[David Paulsen]

I feel your pain, literally speaking. My bench is great for rough planing. It's low so I can get my body into it. But my back and shoulders were killing me when having to do detail work. So, as was going to build a moxon vise for when I work on dovetails, I made it high enough so it could double as a moveable detail bench. It still needs some holes for holdfasts but it has already saved me alot of ache.
Moxon.jpg

Regards

[Tony Sade]

I have lower back problems and a moxon vise made a huge difference. I still can't stand for very long periods without aggravating my back, but when I do have to stand, the MV is a great antidote. I've been thinking of making a bench-on-bench, and setting up some type of connecting system (maybe as simple as threaded inserts and threaded knobs) when joining the two would make sense. HTH

[lowell holmes]

That is one healthy looking Moxon vise.

I like it. I may copy it. I've got some 8/4 white oak that would do quite well.

I like your approach.

[george wilson]

Thank you,Patrick. I wish I'd been much more into photography. I let over 90% get away with no pics.

Living a pioneering life in Alaska didn't help my joints when I was in my earlier years.

[John Lanciani]

Taller bench? I'm 6'2" and my bench top is at 38.5". It is perfect for me for hybrid woodworking. (I like the Schwarz well enough but this is one area where I believe that he blew it; I think that there are going to be lots of people who followed his guidance on bench height that will have riser blocks stuck under their bench legs in the years to come.)