Shoulder Pain

[ES13Raven]

I've started to get some pain in my upper shoulder ever since I started reloading.

My setup is this: Bench is 33 1/2" high, Dillon 550b with Strong Mount, standard ball handle. I load 9mm and use Hornady One-Shot case lube. I'm 5'10" and have been loading standing. No pain while reloading, but I feel it later - especially when moving heavy objects.

Are there any positions (seated, standing) or other things I can do to help alleviate the pain? Does the roller handle help with this?

Thanks.

Edited September 29, 2014 by ES13Raven

[Alan550]

Roller handle helps, but first try putting a sock over the ball handle to remove the friction between your hand and the ball. Another option could be to get a stool that lets you sit for reloading at a comfortable height.

Alan~^~

[ano]

I always load sitting down, to reduce effort, I also lube.

Edited September 29, 2014 by ano

[mcracco]

Check your ergonomics; Your shoulder should directly in front of the handle and level with it or slightly higher.

The other thing is what is your arm position when you prime (on upstroke)? I have a 1050 so I have no input on that.

[rjacobs]

I have a solution: its more expensive than a roller handle and proper height, but less expensive than shoulder surgery....

1050 with a Forcht auto drive and a Mr. Bullet Feeder!!!!!!!!

[jmorris]

Yep, auto drive takes the work out of it for sure.

On he machines that I run by hand I too sit and use case lube on all cases. If you don't, you might give it a try.

[Brassaholic13]

This helped with my shoulder pain... Stopped it altogether.

[ES13Raven]

I have a solution: its more expensive than a roller handle and proper height, but less expensive than shoulder surgery....

1050 with a Forcht auto drive and a Mr. Bullet Feeder!!!!!!!!

Thanks, but not going to happen. I need to find a way with my 550.

[ES13Raven]

Check your ergonomics; Your shoulder should directly in front of the handle and level with it or slightly higher.

When I stand in front of it, the handle is lower than my shoulder. I can complete the stroke standing without bending over, but my elbow is locked out at this point.

So for ergonomics, I should raise my press or try loading seated?

[jmorris]

Do you lube your cases?

[safeactionjackson]

Might want to speak to a doctor about the injury, I suffered a rotator cuff injury years ago while racing mountain bikes. Maybe six years after the accident it reared it's head, and I was in constant pain.

Six weeks of physical therapy allowed me to build enough strength that it was no longer an issue. Shoulder has a massive amount of muscles/ligaments, not very easy to self diagnose.

~g

[mikeinctown]

Check your ergonomics; Your shoulder should directly in front of the handle and level with it or slightly higher.

The other thing is what is your arm position when you prime (on upstroke)? I have a 1050 so I have no input on that.

if your shoulder is at handle height then you are just asking for pain and you are doing way more work than you need to.

if you place the handle all the way down, either set your chair at a height in which you do not have to move/bend to hold the handle or set the machine high enough when standing so that you don't have to bend or lean over with the handle all the way down. If you do this, you will find that the handle is about the height of just below your nipples when all the way up. At these heights you are using arm weight to help lower the handle and you are using body weight more than shoulder strength to push the handle back into position. ie, you aren't using 100% arm strength to work the lever

in line fabrication also makes a roller handle that they claim helps with ergonomics though I haven't seen it in action.

[ano]

This helped with my shoulder pain... Stopped it altogether.

is that deprime/sizeing .40 prass, and an alarm for 10mm?

[ES13Raven]

if your shoulder is at handle height then you are just asking for pain and you are doing way more work than you need to.

if you place the handle all the way down, either set your chair at a height in which you do not have to move/bend to hold the handle or set the machine high enough when standing so that you don't have to bend or lean over with the handle all the way down. If you do this, you will find that the handle is about the height of just below your nipples when all the way up.

The ball on the handle is about 1" lower than my nipple when all the way up.

[Clipper]

I have shoulder pain also, but a LOT less since I installed my 550B...Try loading all that stuff with a turret! I use a healing balm to ease the pain and take a couple of pain pills when I hurt.

[Brassaholic13]

This helped with my shoulder pain... Stopped it altogether.

is that deprime/sizeing .40 prass, and an alarm for 10mm?

Negative. That's doing .45 ACP, with a decapping pin error detector.

[Handloader109]

My 650xl handle knob sits about 2" below my shoulder. I'm 5'8" and can load standing, the handle ends up at elbow extended and maybe could be a half inch lower before I would have to bend. I load most of the time seated once I get things set up which works out ok for me. I WANT to make or buy a roller handle, as my palm hurts more than my shoulder ever does. My chair is a cheap one with hydraulic cylinder that I can move up and down to vary the height. In order to reduce your pain, you need to vary the height of your shoulder. Do loading both seated and standing in a session.

[ToneSurfer]

And here I thought I was the only one. I've only been reloading about 8 months. I'm just recently noticing pains in my right shoulder, all attributed to sessions on my press. It's the damn upstroke and seating the primers that's killing me (I've written a bible on my priming problems elsewhere on this site).

Ball handle, even with my shoulder, seated, using case lube. My brother is a hobby machinist. We've talked about him turning a longer handle for my press so I can get some more leverage. I'm thinking about getting him moving on this little project for me.

[ES13Raven]

Just wanted to give an update...

I purchased the ERGO roller handle from Inline Fabrication, and I haven't had any shoulder pain since.

I'm sure I would have had the same result from raising the press or bench, but this was the easier solution.

[Zzapp]

I have an adjustable drafting chair that gives me a wide area of adjustment and I can put it at whatever height I need.

[hiker88]

I do some upper body stretches before starting my reloading session. I find that I'm able to do longer sessions pain-free when I do my warm up stretches.