Hi!! Newbie needing advice on continued elbow problems

[moonshine34]

Hi there!! I've been an on and off again lurker for several years, but never registered, so I figured now was as good a time as any.

Looong... story short, I started shooting last spring. I barely got started and shot maybe 5 or 10 times and I developed archers elbow in my draw arm. I stopped shooting for 3 months or so and it started to get better, so started shooting again. It was SO painful in the beginning, I couldn't even pick up a milk jug at chest length out of the fridge. At the time, I was shooting a 45lb bear grizzly. The guys at my local archery store said that was to heavy for a beginning female, but the very first day I was pulling it for several hours and even the shop owner admitted I was getting full draw and pulling it just fine. Was I over bowed??...probably. Did I over do it too much for a beginner...DEFINATELY.

Soo...from the middle of summer to late fall I barely shot at all. I bought some new (vintage) bows at lower weights, but the left arm wasn't getting any better. Was shooting a 37lb bear tamerlane and loved it, but the arm still hurt, so I ended up getting rid of it and saying I just CAN"T shoot archery anymore. By Christmas last year(after taking another several months of no shooting), I had dropped all the way to a 30lb target bow.) I hated the feel of the 30lb bow, it felt sloppy and WAY too easy to pull, put was trying to heal my arm so I dealt with it. The arm pain STILL didn't go away though.

Fast forward to a couple of days ago, and I just shot again for the first time in over 6 months. I'm definitely out of shape and haven't lifted weights in forever because of my elbow injury. My right arm has healed, for the most part, but my left arm now has it and I have been trying to heal that for several months now.

I went to PT for my left arm last year, but didn't stick with it and only went to a couple of sessions and didn't do the exercises.

If someone could be a straight shooter and just tell me what I'm doing wrong, I would appreciate it very much.

1. Assuming I need to go back to the doc and do a FULL round of PT.

2. NEED to build up my strength again.

3. Start off slow and don't over do it. Trying to learn the right technique, as that may have been part of the problem.

4. BIGGEST THING...I need to check my ego at the door and be OKAY with shooting a lower poundage bow if that is what is required. I currently have a 41 (lb) H-101 black widow that I picked up the other day cause the guy was selling it for a dirt cheap price on craigslst. I have shot it the last two days in a row. My right arm feels okay, but the left(which isn't healed yet) is hurting when I shoot it. I am getting to full draw and I have tried to only shoot 4-5 quivers at one time.

Any advice?? Someone tell me if I have no business pulling a 41(lb) bow, cause I want to shoot really bad and this ongoing injury is p*ss*ing me off.

Jennifer

[Gordon Jabben]

Hi Jennifer
Welcome to the group.  Wish I had some answers but I don't think I am much help.  Like many archers, I have had the elbow pain in the bow arm.  It was 30 plus years ago but I had to learn to shoot with a slightly bent elbow and still it took a little while for the pain to go away.  Never have had a problem since. The bent elbow does make my bow arm a little shaky.

[cbCrow]

I have a friend that was going thru the same scenario as you when he swithched from compound to longbow. He went to his family Doc that reccomended pt and did that for 6 weeks. When he stopped over he wanted to shoot the bow again on the third shot he screamed and grabed his left elbow. After this he took my advice and went to see a orthopaedic surgeon. After a few tests the Doc told him he had a bone spur that he thought was the culprit. He had surgery a week later and after 3 weeks of rehab started on a slow schedule of shooting the longbow. That was 8 months ago and I still get a free coffee whenever we get together to go stumpin'. You have it right do all 4steps above and maybe see an ortho guy to find the cause. Wish you luck!

[b.glass]

The bone spur thing sounds like a good lead. I hope you figure it out and can get back to shooting soon. It is obvious from your post how much you enjoy shooting. I think it's safe to say we all understand.

I am a lady archer also. I have shot 50# or nearly that most of the 16+ years that I have been shooting. I have always shot with a bent elbow and have never had left elbow pain.

The only elbow pain I have had was when I pulled arrows with my right arm only. I started pulling them with two hands while bracing my hip against the target (usually 3-D) and haven't had elbow pain again.

[moebow]

Jennifer,

As others have mentioned, IF your problem is physical (bone spur,injury, etc.)  That is the place for Doctors and PT folks.

I suspect, however that your problem is with your technique and how your "pull" the bow.  IF done correctly, you should have NO/VERY LITTLE tension in your string arm and especially, the elbow, should be relaxed!  If on the other hand all the "pull" you put into the bow is arm muscle, that severely strains the string elbow and can cause the pain you describe.

Where in MN are you??  I am up in Grand Rapids and would be very willing to help with technique.  I never charge for lessons, you just have to get to me.  If this is of interest, toss me a PM or email and let's see what we can work out.  [email protected]

In the meantime, if you haven't seen some videos I did a while back, they might help with your approach to learning form/technique. They are on You Tube, "TheMoebow1" and I'd especially suggest the one titled "rubber band" and another called "release tips."  

Arne

PS.  re-read your post and want to clarify.  Your sore elbow is on your string pulling arm or on your bow holding arm??  Sounds from your post that you are shooting left handed and pulling the string with your left hand.  A

[Richie]

Welcome  

[moonshine34]

Hi there everyone and thanks for all the great replies. I will do the PT and try to not shoot a lot right now, even though I am drooling to shoot this new bow I got.

I think you are right, moebow, my technique is probably really bad if I even have any technique at all and I think that is probably a HUGE reason why I got injured in the first place. I need to take some lessons. I had an old timer at my local archery range here in the Twin Cities watch me shoot and he showed me the proper way to shoot using my back muscles and I don't think I was doing it the right way because I realized shortly after that I was pulling mostly with my arm muscles. I will take everyone's advice and do the PT and what some video's on the proper way to draw.

Yes, my draw arm has healed sufficiently well, but several months ago my bow arm started hurting and now that arm is trying heal. I'm right handed, so pull with my right and that was the original arm that had the pain. That has finally healed somewhat sufficiently, but now the left arm needs some time to heal. Not sure what the left arm even started hurting, because it only started hurting months after I had already stopped shooting.

Jennifer

[iohkus]

Jennifer, above all make sure it's not a problem with a spur or tear/rupture, etc. If it's not, my suggestion is to exercise with a product that was invented for "tennis elbow" called Thera-Band flex bar. I suffered the same thing you're describing and the Thera-Band was suggested on a forum, so I gave it a try .............. WORKS!!
Simple daily exercise cured me in a couple of weeks. It's not expensive, and you may be skeptical on first examination (I was) but when you're in pain, you'll try most anything, and like I said, this works. (at least it did for me)
  I wouldn't endorse it if it didn't work.

  I don't have a website link, but it's available from Ama**** or e***. Give it a try...about $15.00

   They come in different resistant strengths ....I'd suggest a RED, or GREEN. The green is a little bigger in diameter than the red if you have a small hand. I bought the RED, and it worked fine.
                   Will

[McDave]

Archer's elbow is a problem of overuse. It doesn't sound like you've been shooting enough to have an overuse problem.  Or perhaps your elbow is more sensitive than normal to the types of stresses we get in archery. Either way, it sounds more like a problem where a doctor or physical therapist could help more than we could.

I think bow elbow problems are usually a result of hand shock. I had a rough bout with it several years ago. I switched to a bow with less hand shock, and did all the exercises you probably already know about, and it slowly went away over the next year, year and a half. I never quit shooting except for a few weeks at first, but I did switch to left-handed shooting for a while to give it a break, which the ortho dr thought was a great idea, and helped some, I'm sure.

[moonshine34]

Iokus..Ive read about that band and I will be ordering it as soon as I get home this evening, so thanks for the advice.

Mcdave....that makes sense that I probably havent over used my arm...I hadnt thought about that until U mentioned it. I never really did the exercises for more than a couple of days and only went to 2 PT appointments, so I guess that makes me the dummy. Been reading on here and everyone says do the PT and exercises faithfully, and I never did.

Sooo...make PT appt tomorrow, get that therapy band, and plan on gettin better so I can use my new bow. I got Black Widow H-101 in almost mint condition from this old timer off of craigslist for $250 the other day and I wanna just go crazy with her and shoot her till the cows come home, but I know I gotta be patient. I got rid off all my bows months ago and gave up on archery, when I had barely just begun. SO frusterating, cause I knew I had found a life long friend and didnt want to give it up. Seeing that widow on craigslist, I had to buy her and try again, cause I wanna shoot real bad and not being able to do it is driving me nuts!!

[moebow]

Jennifer,

Take a day off and come and see me.  Grand Rapids is a pretty easy one day round trip and I really think I can help you with your new (old) Black Widow.

Arne

[Hud]

Shooting is similar to any exercise, especially at the beginning. It is conditioning, and form and not over-doing it. Although, I have shot many years, the only elbow problem (bow arm) was when shooting competition. In short, it was over use and not enough rest.
Follow the doctor's advise, go thru the physical therapy if recommended, and when you start, try shooting with a relaxed low elbow, and not a locked or high elbow. Never shoot two days in a row and limit the amount of practice time at first. The muscles need 24 hrs to recover, and you will be happier and feel better. Good luck.