What shoulder

[T Sunstone]

I always assumed when I heard of a guy messing his shoulder up that it was his pulling shoulder.   Which is it, or could it be both? Mine has been killing me for 5 weeks.  I didn't shoot for a week and I've been putting ice and heat on it.  I'm trying to close the season out with an extra deer.

[Bjorn]

It could be either but for me it was always the bow arm. I dropped 8#, down to 50, and now it is fine.

[Pat B]

I'd say take care of both shoulders. Your body's health is more important than an extra deer. IMO     Pat

[drewsbow]

bow arm for me also

[bacon]

Bow arm for me also is the first one to go.

[T Sunstone]

How long well it take to heal and what should I do to help it? Thanks

[bacon]

Its hard to say how long not knowing just what is going on with you. But on my shoulder I stop as soon as I feel it going out. I can just tell its like a burning pain deep inside. If I stop and just lay off a week or so it all good. In my case its catching it early then just taking it easy for a while.

[rybohunter]

I've just recently started getting a little bit of pain in my bow arm, kind of right at the front deltoid point of my shoulder. I don't know if it's from shooting, but figure it has to be. Doeasn't hurt while I am shooting, just feels a little twinge when i am raining my arm up. Odd thing is that it flared up at a time where I am hsooting my bow much less than I had been.

[T Sunstone]

I might have injured it climbing up into an attic, even though I don't remember it at the time.  That afternoon I went hunting and when I got into my stand, I pulled the bow back like I was Drawing on a deer.  That's when the pain hit me.  Now when I lift my arm to the side up and down, I hear all kinds of popping and cracking.

[MWhitehair]

T, I believe, from your description, thats your rotator cuff. I had the same issue about a month ago,
I laid off mine for three weeks, with aspirin doses daily (Per my doctors instructions) and my shoulder is peachy now. Better than ever actually, as I picked up another inch in draw length.

Dont push it for that extra deer (Okay, fine,   try not to push it). Its not worth not being able to shoot at all in twenty years...

Best of Luck
Take Care

[T Sunstone]

Matt, Thanks for the advice, it's been 1 month and I've been shooting off and on except for 1 week.  I hope I haven't messed it up more.  Was it aspirin or  ibufenfin the doctor said to take?  I have a Texas hog hunt at the end of Feb, so I hope it only takes 3 weeks.  I see you trap, I make my living nuisance animal trapping.  

Terry

[BTH]

String arm for me. But it's from an old injury prior to me taking up archery. I'm looking into a new set of limbs for my morrison to take me from 57# down to 49-50#. I just ice, heat, massage and occasionally drug it. The injury is actually the muscle around the scapula, not in the deltoid area. Next time I get to my doctor I'll have him check it out.

[Shawn Leonard]

It is both for me, but like above it is from a fall. I dislocated both shoulders when I had a tree step breakk when I was 23ft. in the air. I had surgery on the right one and it is pretty good now. I have to have the left one done soon. I had 12 spurs and my bursa removed and everything cleaned out of my right, the left feels about the same but I am waiting for an MRI. I have gone form shooting 60-70#s before my fall to shooting 52-55#s now. Shawn

[Jeff Roberts]

Terry, My bow arm hurt bad for a couple of years before I stopped it from hurting. I shoot heavy bows and thought that was the problem till one day last summer I picked up my old Brackenberry and after a couple of weeks my pain disappeared. I couldn't figure it out till I shot my Jefferies one day and it started back to hurting. I noticed the handles were no where near the same in the grip area so I filed the Jeffery to make it the same as the Brack and now I can shoot it without any pain in my shoulder. I guess the way it made me align my shoulder caused the problem. I have modified a longbow handle and it no longer hurts to shoot it either.

[T Sunstone]

Jeff, I don't think it could be the handle, but I did change my grip this year.  I'm shooting with more heal down and into the bow. But it hurts pulling the bow, not shooting.  I do have a friend that had to quit shooting a long bow and go back to a recurve because it hurt his elbow.