shoulder pain shooting recurve

[Mike Bolin]

I know this probably seems odd, but I have shoulder pain when shooting my recurve....but not my longbow!
A few years back, my right shoulder (bow arm shoulder, I'm a lefty) and the base of my neck became weak and I started having pain when I did most anything. Got to the point I could pick up a glass of iced tea.
My doctor told me I had an "impingement"(I thinks that's right) of the rotator cuff and pinched nerves from calcium build up from a broken neck. With therapy and weights my shoulder got to point where I could work and eventually start shooting again, albeit with lighter weight bows. The doc DOES NOT recommend surgery!
Excessive amount of overtime at work last year kept me from shooting/hunting much last season, but I did manage a nice doe last Halloween. I have had a bit more time to shoot this year and the pain came back...not so much the weakness, but the pain is there.
I spoke with Fred Asbell and he suggested trying to shoot a longbow. He had a similar problem a few years back and found that shooting a longbow was less painful. Early in the summer I picked up a MOAB via leftiesrus. It is 2# heavier than my recurve but the pain is gone!? Fred told me that he thought that the hand position (low wrist) rotates the shoulder joint. Don't know why it works, but it does work and I am shooting well, so I am good with it.
Anyone else experience this issue? I have heard of guys having shoulder issues with longbows and having to switch to a recurve, but other than me (and Fred) I haven't heard else with this problem.
Mike

[Cookus]

I had a heck of a time with "tennis" elbow shooting my recurve last season...I switched to a Hill longbow last January and I have not had a problem since!   The American longbow is a totally different animal and user friendly... Providing you do your part and use "heavy" arrows   .   Good luck in your quest.

[tukudu]

Another aspect that me be contributing to the shoulder pain is that you have to "turn over" the limb tips on a recurve. I have been wathching this for the last 5 years with the same outcome. Good luck. tom

[Hoyt]

The left side of my neck kills me after I'm through shooting. Right behind my ear down to the top of my shoulder. I can hardly turn my head. Only good thing is it doesn't hurt while shooting...yet.

I run hot water on it while in the shower and it eases the pain.

[cbCrow]

Mike, I have the same condition you have except my left shoulder is the culprit. I have been shooting Hill type bows along time and decided about a year ago to try a hybrid. The bow I purchased was a 62" Fedora Excellorator. When I gat it I got excellent results, faster arrow speed, smooth draw, better thump to the arrow, and shot it exclusively for about 3 months. At that time my left shoulder started to really bother me and I looked into the why of it. Their were a couple of reasons in my mind that was causing pain. The grip was like a recurve causing a different hold, it weighed more than my  longbows, it had a very pronounced thump at release I think due to length. I went back to my longbows and the pain left my shoulder, I traded the bow for a Hill and won't make that mistake again.

[Bow Bum]

My guess is the low wrist position of the LB helps keep the bow shoulder down while drawing and shooting. A higher wrist would lend itself more towards "shrugging" somewhat when shooting?

Brian

[Friend]

Possibly consider trying the following:

Start and finish the draw with the shoulder low and rotated inward. Note: Maintain the same grip and shoulder position(down and inward) other than the natural raise, lowering and/or rotation of the bow to anchor. Shoulder should maintain a relaxed naturally aligned position that requires minimul effort since being supported by the bone structure.

Additional shoulder movement during the draw cycle may be contributing to the irritation.

Hopefully when just leaning against a wall from an ~30 deg angle doesn't bother you. Try the low and inward shoulder position as you lean. Once proper alignment is achieved, then you will easily be able to discern that much less force is required and you are far more stable.

Pay particular attention to your bow arm. At anchor it should be stable. At release the bow arm should not explode half hazardly. The bow should move directly towards the target and then fall gradually to the rt for a left handed shooter. Listening to your bow arm can tell you much.

Best of luck!!!!!!!!

[swampthing]

When you shoot a recurve with a pistol grip, are you extending that arm pretty straight? Dipping your head so you can sight down the shaft? Basically scrunching/compressing your shoulders in toward your neck? Take a look in the mirror as you draw, dollars to donuts thats the problem, yeah an inch of draw length makes for a faster bow, but the 6-9fps worth it for you??
  Picture this: you have a rabbit at your feet, now pick it up by the ears, like a hammer handle, hold him out to your side, see the bend of the elbow, the shoulder is down. Good and solid posture, no exaggeration, no straining, no pinching.
The longbow "sustains" another hunter.

[Mike Bolin]

Thanks for the feedback fellars! Some things to try that I have not thought of. Thanks again>>>------->
Mike

[DeerSpotter]

Boswellia Extract (common name is Indian frankincense). The other ingredient is curcumin longa, which is the anti-inflammatory part of turmeric (does not cause stomach upset as the whole turmeric can).  Boswellia Extract It in the Health Food Stores

There are the reason I have this problem with frozen shoulder a second time ,Is because I went to the University of Minnesota two a Dr. That just didn't know what he was doing so he misdiagnosed it the first time . The Dr. I went to this time gave me a shot of cortisone first , And it were often about 2 1/2 months in the problem came back so he sent me to a specialist Who prescribe these things to me ,She is a medical Dr. But she is very open to try new things .

I suggested two are ,How about a shot of vitamin E it helps with scar tissue , She said to me "I'm going to turn that over to our research team you might be on to something there "  Vitamin E made my back surgeries scar just about totally disappear.

as far as glucosamine ,I can't take that. After about a week of taking it , my vision gets dizzy if I turn my head fast ,so I quit taking the glucosamine ,but in reality that's more for joints than it is for cartilage and tendons ,the glucosamine is more for "lubricating "the joint .

Watch it with the ibuprofen tablets, I had back surgery four times ,Was taking heavy dosages of motrin (ibuprofen tablets) , Now I'm paying the price because my kidney function is not as good .

it's disappointing knowing so much ,just because you have so much pain .

February of this year was the last time I shot a bow.

Glad to be some help, you guy's have helped me so much in traditional archery.


Carl