Shoulder Injuries

[Hardawaypoints]

Good Luck Tracy,let us know how it goes.

I was hit by a drunk driver @70 mph a little over a year ago and it messed up my left side.  I do exercises daily in an attempt to regain strength (which is working to a degree).  I also have my bows out to keep them where I can try to draw them. Every time I try, I realize there won't be any bowhunting for me any time soon. It looks like I will have to have some surgical re-construction before shooting a bow becomes a reality again.  My Grandfather started me shooting a bow at age 7 and this is the longest I have gone without shooting one since then (I'm now 47).

I mostly lurk here but I wanted to say that if you have to take a little time off to get do what you love, it only makes you want to do it that much better when you get the chance again.

I know Tracy will be making up for the Turkey season he missed this year...and the deer are in serious trouble.  Whenever I get the chance to fling arrows again, you better believe I'm going to.

Jim

[JockC]

AllenR, could you give web addresses of the neck stretches you like?  Likely there are quite a few of us here who spend too much time on the computer and suffer for it.  I know I do.

I do some rotator cuff exercises from Verstegen's Core Performance Essentials book(and like that whole routine a lot).  I do a lot of standard and reverse pushups slowly, concentrating on form.  I also bought a beautiful Sapphire Archery bow with lighter limbs (39 lbs) that is my main practice bow, then switch to a 57 lb go-to hunting bow.  Makes things a lot more fun.

[AllenR]

JockC,

Here are a few:

 http://www.des.umd.edu/os/erg/neck.html

To find more, just google "neck exercises" and you will find a lot more.

Good luck,
Allen

[Doc Nock]

FWIW... MRI won't always show a torn rotator...I had a terrible experience some 6 years ago and was sent for MRI..nothing... then PT and went downhill.

My PT (a friend who knows how hard I work) suggested I go back and demand a DYE MRI. I did...showed a 3 corner tear in rotator...

Impingement led to rotator tear...almost waited too long on left side..had it done in March. Ground out several areas, took off bone spurs, and it's doing pretty darned good. Torn one took a LONGer time to get right... do it now. Get Dye MRI..not just MRI.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Thanks everbody,    I hope i didn't high jack your thread cubs. there sure seems to be alot of shoulder injuries on here lately and I don't wish it on anybody.
The doctor said the bicep and rotator cuff tendons were both torn off the bone and he put 4 pins in to put me back togather.I should heal up fine and with all you fine folks helping us along I soon will be back to normal and chasing turkeys and deer this fall.
Walt, I had not heard about your surgery and I am glad you are doing better. Sorry to here you missed turkey and bear season but I am sure you will make up for it.    

Tracy

[chuck172]

K.S.TRAPPER-Glad to hear everything went well. Nice having something like that behind you right.?

JockC- Do you have a hard time  going back and forth  from 39 to 57 LBS? My hunting limbs are 60 and form limbs are 45. I'm thinking of shooting the 45 more but worried I'll loose the strength I worked so hard for the 60LB.

[Four2]

See if you can get a referral to a physical therapist that has experience with shoulders.  I've had shoulder pain that has been getting worse for the past year and a half.  Turns out I have arthritis in both shoulders.  Went to see a really good PT and now I'm a new man.
Good luck.

[longbowman]

I've managed to tear my bow arm rotator twice.  It is a lot of work to get back to normal but I wasn't about to quit.  Unlike some of the guys who have had problems I refused to drop weight as long as I was able to pull it.  I'mm 55 and I still shoot 70-80# bows.  I shoot at least some arrows 365 days a year but you have to work hard to keep the shoulders strong.

[JoeK]

Cubs, to really help we need to know your age, weight of bow ,your weight, and how and when your pain started. Physical therapy will not help if the diagnosis is wrong and the therapist less than expert. I went to an "expert" and he made matters much much worse.

[bowless]

MRI and physical therapy did it for me.  Pushups on a ball probably helped most.  Can't over emphasize stretching before shooting and if there's any soreness ice it.  
First thing though is the ortho, can't fix it if ya don't know what's wrong.