Suggestions to minimize shoulder pain when flying?

[Ghastly]

I've been trying to interest/teach someone to fly, and one of the stumbling blocks to date has been that she has a torn something that hasn't ever healed correctly in her right shoulder, and after just a few minutes of using the joystick she starts to experience discomfort, which increases the longer that she tries to fly.

She had asked if we couldn't put something somewhere that she could rest her elbow on so she doesn't have to hold her arm up the entire time she's flying, but I can't figure out how to make that work and not have it interfere with the forward and back stick movement.

I was wondering though if anyone here has any suggestions that might help?  I'm planning to move the controls from the desk to something lower (I used to have controls on a "dead pc" next to my chair, and am going to try that for her) so that she doesn't have to hold her arm up to fly, but thought maybe someone here might have already come up with something that works better.

[moneyguy]

grey goose and cranberry usually works for me. if not a drinker, try putting the keyboard on the desk and the stick on the keyboard tray.

[flakbait]

Lower the stick height if at all possible. I recall someone (may have been that pest Roscoroo ) strapped a 2x4 to the underside of the chair's arm and mounted the stick to it. A spacer may have been between the two, I'm not entirely sure. That lowered the wrist height to nearly the level of the chair's arm, and would most likely take strain off the shoulder. The only shoulder movement with that type of a mount would be pitching (fore-aft), roll and yaw wouldn't require any shoulder movements at all.

Barring that, she could fly with the stick in her lap. Granted, it isn't much of a Redneck Engineering® fix, but it would work.




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Flakbait [Delta6]

[Rollins]

If she's right handed, buy a lefty HOTAS from Homeboy and switch her around.

[Yknurd]

Don't flap your arms so hard.

[Emu]

I recall someone basically tying up a bunch of old books and some padding on them so that the elbows would be resting at the right level for the hand to reach the stick on the desk without the shoulder having to do the work for you.  Also, check this out:  http://www.simelations.com/flightsim4.htm  You can create something similar.

[mtnman]

Near the end of this thread  http://forums.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=223131  I posted my stick set-up.  Although it also helps keep me stick from sliding around, the #1 reason I made it was because of my shoulder problems.  I have a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder, and it was killing me to hold my arm up.  I used to have my stick on my desk, and when I played my arm was unsupported.  I actually had to go to the doctor becasue of the muscle aches and cramps I was getting.  This set-up allows me to sit in a neutral position with my elbows supported on the armrests.  I can play for hours with no pain.

Nothing fancy- very simple to make.

If you look at my monitor you'll also see where I built a pedestal for it to sit on so I wouldn't have to tilt my neck forward to play.  That was also causing me some problems.

I told the doctor I was using a computer a lot at work- I was too embarrased to tell him my game addiction was the cause.

[BiPoLaR]

i hold my stick in my lap now...that helps out alot...my neck and arms dont hurt anymore

[LePaul]

That's funny you mention that.  I find my desktop/stick setup aggravates my right pectoral muscle....that injury/strain is from work egronomics...all that time mousing, clicking, etc.

I have times I can play for a while and be ok....and sometimes, it practically pushes me into darn near anxiety, making it ache like crazy.

I'll try some of the tips (including the booze!)

[RTGorkle]

Bring up Google, switch to an "Images" search, type in "workstation ergonomics" and click "Search Images"

You'll see a bunch of pictures all showing you the same thing. The key things are:

Feet flat on floor
Upper legs parallel to ground
Upper arms hanging by sides
Lower arms parallel to ground
Back, neck, head straight up and down
Monitor height - top of screen level with eyes

The stuff about the arms arms and monitor height is VERY important for shoulder and neck comfort.

Of course existing injuries might need variations to this regime. Suck it and see. Play around and find what works and what doesn't. You have to be your own Doctor sometimes.

[ColKLink]

Something I know a little about. I gotta rebuilt right shoulder, (2wice) I use a lazyboy chair, (yeah neck and back has a lil titanium as well) stick is mounted (bolted) to sliding keyboard tray, and a pillow under my right arm to get  a "free pin fit"   no pressure on the joint. Theres been times when I have had to just not fly either becouse of neck, shoulder or back, but I wouldnt trade 25 yrs of motocross  racing for fresh body,....not yet at least

[Ghosth]

Lower the stick, put it in here lap, build up a elbow rest, in short, do whatever you have to do.

Personally I fly with my joystick between my legs, which is of course where I think it belongs.  

A friend of mine made a lap board to hold his stick with a T piece that comes down between the legs. Others have duck taped boards to chair arms, etc.

Anything to get that stick off the desk, and down where it is comfortable.

[Grits]

Stop playing and go outside!

[Ghastly]

Thanks guys for the great suggestions (the serious ones anyway).  The hardest part for me is envisioning what might and what won't work, because it's not my discomfort.  I'll build her something like mtnman's rig, and I'm glad you guys mentioned that putting the stick in front is an issue for the shoulder - that was my first thought.  

(and thanks again).

Guy

[Jackal1]

Be a champ and give her a large bottle of Glucosamine for a present.
Washed down with Jack #7 it works like a charm.