Dreaming of Paddling, Stuck in PT

A Carolina Paddler Article

By Angela Wiseman

-It was a beautiful sunny day and I couldn’t wait to get on the river. I shuttled with a group of people and pulled my orange kayak out of the back of a truck. We were going to paddle the Middle Haw and I couldn’t wait! I put my kayak in the water and anxiety hit. I’m not supposed to be paddling! My doctor said to rest and heal. Should I keep going down the river? Was there a place for me to take out?

I woke up, felt the braces on my wrists and upper arms, realizing this was a dream. But the dream reflected my thoughts and worry – will I be able to kayak again?

Last year, I was diagnosed with tendonitis in my forearms, tennis elbow (which is pain on the outside of my elbow) and golfer’s elbow (which is pain on the inside of my elbow). I just call it kayaker’s arm. Tendonitis is when the tendons are inflamed – the tendons are the cords that connect the muscle to your bones. Chances are, I developed tendonitis over time and didn’t really pay attention to the signals my body was sending me. In the spring, I know I was experiencing soreness and tingling when I paddled. It is interesting that I was also paddling much harder rivers than I had done before and trying to get out of my comfort zone more often – working on skills such as ferrying, catching eddies, and trying to be more assertive on the water.

I started with physical therapy while working with medical professionals to rule out other things. For instance, I had a nerve conduction study to rule out carpal tunnel. I’ve been prodded and poked to see if other muscle areas are affected, and sure enough, there is tightness in my neck and upper back. I know this didn’t happen from kayaking only. The tendons that are inflamed in my forearms were also sore years ago when I held my twin babies on each arm and curled my hands up to cradle their heads. The soreness from my neck and shoulders is exacerbated by computer use for my job.

In November, my doctor referred me to the Raleigh Hand to Shoulder Orthopedic Clinic (and I think it’s good for kayakers to know that there is a place that just focuses on hands to shoulders!). They have doctors that work collaboratively with physical therapists and I feel hopeful! Every day, I do exercises to strengthen my fingers, hands, and forearms. I have daily stretches for my neck, arms, hands, and chest that I will probably do for the rest of my life – they really make a difference! Just this week, I asked my physical therapist what she thought the prognosis would be for kayaking. She said I probably will be able to kayak, but it might be different. I might have to rest more instead of paddling consecutive days or I might do mostly Class 2 rivers.

The emotional aspect of stopping a sport is significant. I ramped up my paddling when Covid was just coming about and it was the foundation for connections to nature and people. I knew people who bought Peloton bikes when everything closed down — I bought a drysuit. There’s something about being on the river – for several hours my worries and stresses are suspended –  I don’t think about anything bothering me and I feel such joy. I had a routine for packing up my gear that was calming and meditative. I start by loading my kayak and my bag of supplies. I would brew a big thermos of tea for takeout and make sure I had dark chocolates and snacks in my bag. Once I was driving, I had a playlist that I would sing to while driving down to Highway 64. When I crossed the Haw River Bridge, I always looked to the left to see how the water was flowing. When I drive over that bridge now, I glance at the river and wonder when or if I will get to paddle again.

I looked forward to the camaraderie just as much as the wonderful feeling of being in the water. I am eternally grateful for the paddlers in the Triangle area who were the best at encouraging me and making me feel safe.

And I appreciate how being involved with the Carolina Canoe Club has given me the opportunity to meet people across the state and learn to be a better paddler with them!

This week, my physical therapist told me to try moving my kayak paddle at home, trying the different strokes, and see how it feels. There’s no way to bring in the connections to people and nature that I miss so much, but it doesn’t hurt my arms, shoulders, or wrists to hold the paddle and move it. So, I’ve been air paddling and thinking about friendships, sun, water, and kayaks. I hope to SYOTR when I’m stronger and healed!