Need help on shoulder injury? any docs or PTs out there?

[Houska]

towards the beginning of January I hurt what I think is my deltoid muscle. I don't know if it was shooting in cold weather or wrestling with my sons. It didn't seem bad, but it made it hard to pull the bow back. I just thought I take a month off and everything would be fine. Now when I try to shoot I have trouble pulling my bow back the first shot. After that it doesn't hurt.

I can feel soreness when I abduct the arm straight and move it slightly back (especially if I am holding weight).

My question is, what should I do, should I give it more rest or try to exercise it more and strengthen it?

I don't want to screw it up more by shooting but at the same time I have got to shoot my bow.

[Bill Carlsen]

Go see a doc. It could be tendonitis, a neck problem, torn labrum, torn rotator cuff or a million other things. No one on here is good enough to do a diagnosis via the internet. X rays, MRI's along with a discussion with a good othro doc will determine what's wrong which will determine what needs to be done.

[DennyK]

The shoulder is way too complicated to guess at. Absolutely go see a doc or a good Orto Specialist. I've been through the surgery route, and my shoulder is back to 100%. Hopefully by seeing a doc now you will be able to avoid that route. Good Luck!

[kuch]

Houska, Dennyk is right .Shoulder is or can be complicated. I would reccomend see your PCP and get a PT referral.Get it evaluated and treated.I am a PT ,you can't diagnose on the computer or the phone ....see a professional.

[crotch horn]

I am a Respiratory therapist & worked for 20 plus yrs. All the advice is correct. IMHO see a sports ortho. I had shoulder reconstuction back in Dec 08. The regular doc misread the MRI & I wasted almost a year with bad pain getting worse. Dis PT which did not help, but that was because the doc gave them the wrong diagnosis. Saw the sports ortho, had surgery & 100% recovery in less than 8 weeks. Good luck & take care of it asap.

[Cherokee Scout]

I would also suggest you go to doctor. I have had pain in a bad shoulder for a few years. I will add that my doctor wants to cut on my shoulder, I have rotator cuff tear. But I have had several other surgeries in recent months so I am not going in for any more slice and dice right now. I reduced my bow weight about a year ago and my shoulder pain has been reduced to almost nothing. My shooting has improved too. You might consider reducing bow weight.

[wingnut]

A trad bowhunting site is not a place to get medical advise.  Heck some of us would operate with a obsidian scalpel.

Go to a good sports doc and get a true idea of whats happening.  Make an educated decision and then follow the Dr and therapists instructions.

It takes time to heal and recover.

I put off having my shoulder looked at for years.  Heck it turned out my problem was in my neck and required surgery.

Mike

[DeerSpotter]

I thought I had a rotator cuff problem ,Mine turned out to be arthritis,and it's more in one shoulder than it is in the other.

Go see a Dr. ,A specialist ,Get some test done .

The only thing Trad ganger's do is shoot stuff !

Carl

[Bow Bum]

I'm with Bill Carlsen. Make an apt with a good doc, and get it diagnosed right the first time.

I feel for ya...

Good Luck!

Brian

[Longbowshortarrows]

See a specalist, drop the poundage, 45-50lbs is enough for any thing within range.


A good string launches the arrow
Mike

[Winterhawk1960]

Having just had my shoulder "scoped" just two days ago, my recommendation is to see a good sports orthaopedic doctor and go through the x-ray......MRI regimen. That being said, the x-rays nor the MRI isn't any kind of substitute for the surgeon actually getting in there.

Those that have been following my thread on my right (string side) shoulder issues can attest to the multitude of things that I have tried over the past few years to "try" and remedy my ongoing issue. Even before my surgery, all the positional tests that PT's and Docs alike put you through, everything........including the MRI said that there was a partial tear to my supraspinatus tendon. I went into surgery expecting the worst and came out with a much better diagnosis after the surgeon could actually SEE what the problem was.

After the surgery, the Doc told my wife that I had an extreme amound of scar tissue and fluid in my shoulder. He removed the scar tissue and the fluid and told me to wear the sling through tomorrow morning. Then to take it easy on the shoulder and do no heavy lifting until I return to him on March 1st. I'm not gonna say that the past two days have been "pain free".....but the only difference that I noticed was that the pain has been continuous......instead of off and on.

I'm not going to go into what all that I tried over the past few years, and anyone that wants to know can easily find my thread. I am very happy with what the outcome turned out to be. I still have to heal up completely and will do the physical therapy to the very end. I will report later on how all that goes. It isn't a pain free thing yet but hopefully in the near future, it will be as good as it ever was. The Doc said that there was absolutely no reason that it wouldn't be........in time.

Again, get yourself to a Doc.....and preferably a sports Doctor. In the end you won't be sorry and perhaps, like me.....you will be able to stop something that in time would be a much worse problem to have fixed.

Winterhawk1960