Prone, and back pain

[AZ.noob]

I won't go into a long story, but I have severe spinal issues. I've done the vast majority of my precision work from a bench, but would very much like to improve my skills in the prone.
What do y'all (with similar issues) do to help manage back pain? Not from recoil, but posture-specific; I'm thinking something along the lines of shooting pads with some support?

Or should I be just be happy being able to do what I can?

 

[sand rat]

I'm in the same boat as you. What I have found that helps is, I get on the floor and stretch with the wife's help. This helps very little but it dose some.

What helps the most is I made up some 10in long bean bags that I use to help support my chest, this takes a lot of pain in my low back away. I usually us two, on angles to each other. But this does nothing for my fused neck. It takes a few minutes for my neck to relax even remotely enough to raise it up to the comb of the stock. Then I fight to much head pressure on the stock. But I do shoot ok on some days.

If I'm going to a local match. I start about two weeks before hand on the hard wood floor at home dry firing to try to get some relief. It does help along with my two chest bags it helps with low back and mid back pain. Nothing I have found will help my neck though.

 

[AZ.noob]

Thanks sand rat. I've had multiple surgeries, and have been doing everything I can to avoid fusion. That's my last option, I may be forced to do it eventually. If I had to chose between bench shooting and fusion, I'll just stick with the bench.

The beanbag supports sound like a great idea; I'll give that a try. Thanks again

 

[M40_A1]

Man, we're getting old!

 

[KelsonAK]

Yoga! Did 'something' to my back on a snowmachine a long time ago and what helped was doing some yoga every day. Ok, that and loosing 45 lbs.... but the yoga was the bigger part of it actually. Nothing crazy - used the AM/PM Yoga DVD with Rodney Yee.

 

[proneshooter]

Chiropractic care has helped me when no traditional medical treatment has helped. I have had a couple of nasty falls from horses over the years where my lower back/pelvis has taken all of the impact. The only way that I am walking and living today pain free is due to my awesome chiropractic doctors.

 

[Night Eagle]

i have some probs also in prone and i have found that if i support my chest with something that really helps...i would love to invent something that supported my chin during cheek weld. even a sand bag might help support the weight of your head if it was resting against the butt stock and under your chin...

night eagle

 

[melloyello]

i have some probs also in prone and i have found that if i support my chest with something that really helps...i would love to invent something that supported my chin during cheek weld. even a sand bag might help support the weight of your head if it was resting against the butt stock and under your chin...

night eagle

Are you feeling tension in your neck while shooting? If so, you may need to adjust your cheek weld position or your rest/stock. I was getting a lot of neck tension because I was holding my head up slightly to align my eye with the scope. I couldn't go any lower with the scope so I got a stock pack and used some foam to raise it higher. Now, I don't have neck tension. My cheek bone sits nicely on the rest and no more neck tension.

 

[kraigWY]

Find a good coach, one who knows positions.

In '99 my wife broke her back when she came off a colt. In '03 she was activated and sent to the Golf. Like most everyone else at the time she was run through the Benning School for boys for work up.

She has problems with prone. Couldn't find a position that worked and she needed to qualify. I went to Benning with her but couldn't go to the range. I dropped by the AMU and told them of my (her) problem. No biggy. They sent a guy to the range and he worked with her a bit and she fired expert. No back problems what so ever with her new position.

 

[Cuckler]

Hey guys- im 35, had three surgeries on l5/s1 the last of which was a fusion. Im actually doing great with the fusion. i just sucked up the eceryday pain for about ten years decided enough was enough and went the fusion route. now im pissed i didnt do the fusion earlier. i still do get stiff if i prone out for a while though...im convinced that a stretching routine that focuses on your hips, hamstrings and core contribute the most to a pain freen back. Yoga does help. Strength and flexibility will go a long way....and you dont have to do it everyday. Three times a week is plenty.
Regardless...just hang in there. Back problems suck, and for those who havent had a long term problem they dont understand what you are going through.

 

[Joe L]

All I can add is to get the sight down as low as you can and adjust the check pad until you are resting your cheek on the pad and not trying to hold your head up. I just got back from the range after changing the scope rings and I had much less problem today than usual. I also try to make sure that I am on a slope if the target is high so that I don't make the angle worse. Here is from a few hours ago.

Joe

 

[FALex]

setting your rifle up correctly is paramount to reducing fatigue, and subsequently, stress on your muscles. I believe there is a video here on the Hide where one of the guys is showing the correct way to set it up. Unfortunately, I have a bad lower back. Also, strengthening your core muscle groups would help significantly. If not, a Doan's milkshake for breakfast!! J/K.