possible rotator cuff tear in drawing arm

[Clint B.]

If you have a rotator cuff injury on the shoulder of your drawing arm, exactly where do you feel the pain when you draw the bow? I have pain when I raise my arm high, or reach behind and across my back or draw my bow. I mentioned it to my family Doctor at my rotuine check-up last week. He said it's probably a slight tear of my rotator cuff because my symptoms are classic. He said to go on-line and find some rotator cuff stretching execises. Here's what I can't figure, though. The pain isn't near my shoulder joint where I would expect it to be. It always hurts bewteen the lower part of my deltoid and my triceps. I also didn't specifically injure my shoulder that I can recall. I've had what I thought was tendonitis in my elbow for a few months. I got it from an all day session on a log splitter in below freezing weather. Now my elbow pain has almost faded away and moved up higher for some reason.

[mahantango]

I think you need a different doc.

[Long Draw]

I don't know how old you are, but sometimes a tear can occur in more mature folks without experiencing a traumatic incident. Several years ago I was lifting boxes off of a shelf in the garage and injured my shoulder. In time it became functional, but 2 1/2 years ago I injured it badly because it was weak from the previous injury. The first surgeon had an MRI and xrays taken and told me it couldn't be repaired and that I would have to learn to get by. The rotator cuff was torn badly and the tendon to my bicep was detached (right arm of course). I found a surgeon who repaired it and I have no pain and am shooting again. The point is that the surgeon told me if a tear isn't repaired the muscle will delaminate and repairs at that point are dificult or impossible. I would have it checked out for sure. Especially before Obamacare considers you too old and cuts you out of the herd.

[Scott Barr]

I wish I could offer some advice based on my own experience.  I too have shoulder pain on drawing arm and have started seeing a physical therapist.  The exercised he assigned are working for the most part.  However, the location of my pain is not the same as yours.  So passing on information that works for me is probably not going to help you.  I wouldn't worry about the snide about Obamacare.  It has nothing to do age.  

Scott

[Jock Whisky]

Most men over 40 have some rotator cuff damage and don't know it. It is not necessarily caused by a specific action. We're all just wearing out mate!
Get a second opinion.

[Clint B.]

Thanks for the input so far. I'm 60 years old but I've never had a shoulder problem. I surfed around and see that a common test for torn rotator cuff is to hold your arm straight out and it will collapse easily when somebody pulls down on it. I'm still rock solid doing this test. I can also still do bent over rows with dumbbells,each weighing as much as the bows I pull without feeling pain. However, if I pull my chest cables apart with my palms facing outward I really feel the pain. I'm going to continue stretching and exercising and see how it goes for another few weeks. I just feel like the problem is in my arm rather than my shoulder or upper back.

[Doc Nock]

Sent you a PM brother... don't guess---KNOW!

[Clint B.]

Update - I still have some pain in my upper arm (not my shoulder), but it's now just aggravating rather than incapacitating when I draw my bow. I also finally recalled a "traumatic incident" that might account for my upper arm pain. In late April, I was hunting morels in steep terrain when I tripped and fell forward. I broke my fall by putting my bow drawing hand palm down to the ground with my arm straightened. My wrist bent back way more than I can bend it on my own. At the time, I checked to see if my wrist was broken or sprained. Everything seemed okay, so I quickly forgot about it. Thinking back, I probably put a big stretch on the muscles and tendons in my upper arm.

[Doc Nock]

Tendonitis in the elbow from such an impact/stretch injury can cause bicep/upper arm pain... Or so the Ortho doc told me this week...

Don't ask!

Shots of cortisone if so, can help...waited too long for mine... Word to the wise...

[amazonjim]

I had a pain in my drawing arm and went to a friends chiropractor which seems to be a good guy, and he said I had a muscle out of place. Pulled it back it, hurt like the dickens, gave me some exercises to do to help keep it in place.

Still,have some pain in that arm if I shoot  lot, sometimes I shoot  50 -150 arrows a day.

[Clint B.]

Update - well, I finally decided to visit my family docter about 3 weeks ago. I told him I'd like to find out if my shoulder needs any repair work while I still have conventional health insurance.   ) Anyway, he sent me for X-rays, an MRI and referred me to an orthopedic specialist. It turns out that no muscles are torn and my shoulder joint isn't worn out yet, other than some mild arthritis. The diagnosis is biceps and rotator cuff tendonitis. The doc gave me a shot of cortisone in my shoulder & a prescription for Meloxicam (an anti-inflammatory pill). After 2 weeks, I'm no better but no worse.  It's tendonitis like I suspected. I've had it once in my right biceps and twice in my right elbow/triceps, but never before in my rotator cuff. It's always taken a long time for me to get over tendonitis, even when I was younger. I got a lighter bow to get through this hunting season, but really it's not the draw weight that hurts. I only feel pain when my drawing arm moves into certain postitions. Unfortunately, once of those positions is drawing back a bow. It feels like a Charlie Horse when it kicks in. I'm glad I went to see the doc, though. I feel better knowing that it's just a mattter of time and stretching exercises and that no surgery is needed.

BTW, when I mentioned that my shoulder is interfering with my bowhunting, the doc offered to write me a medical "prescription" to use a crossbow during Missouri's archery season. I told him no thanks, that if I ever can't pull a traditional bow I'm going straight to a Hawken muzzleloader. Nothing against them, but I personally have no interest in hunting with a compound or a crossbow.

[Meathook 1]

Clint B,there are specific stretches and exercises with exercise bands,tubes,and very light weights that can help strenghten and stabilize the small muscles in the shoulder,also don't forget the core.I used to be a personal trainer and Im pushing 60 and Ive been thru arm injuries and its not fun.Ive been lucky enough to work with some good orthopedic doctors and have learned alot,especially preventive measures to hopefully keep anything from happening.And yes we do have some miles on us LOL.

               Good Luck Meathook

[khardrunner]

Tore my labrum (part of the rotator cuff) and had similar symptoms as you described. Got surgery and it was a waste of time. I now shoot lefty.

[Clint B.]

Here's an update for those of you who may have the same kind of shoulder injury. After 10 months, I still wasn't making much progress at all. It was painful to draw my bow, but I hunted last fall anyway & got a chip shot on pretty nice 8-pointer. Anyway, about 2 weeks ago, I had my 6 month follow-up with my orthopedic specialist. This time, he specifically diagnosed me with bicep tendinitis and shoulder impingement. I got another prescription for Meloxicam plus a new one for Etodolac, both anti-iflammatory pills. I think the Etodolac or the combo has worked better for me than the Meloxicam alone. He also prescribed physical therapy 2 days a week for a month. My first session was just doing the same old stretching excercises, so I was thinking it's going to take forever to heal my shoulder (almost 11 months now since my injury). Then, came session number two last Thursday. That nice little lady physical therapist actually stretched and bent my arm in several postions until my shoulder joint popped and made a noise. She said it was the sound from scar tissue build-up since my injury, but nothing that has to be removed through surgery. Suddenly, my shoulder felt like it was "back in place" and my range of motion felt much closer to normal. I'm hopeful that with more such therapy, stretching, strength building, ice packs and pills, I won't have to have surgery. I just wish they would've "popped my shoulder back into place" 6 months ago.

[Doc Nock]

Congrats! That is great news... best wishes for continued recovery.

Coming from a genetic background replete with arthritis of a great magnitude, my "impingement" was such the joint was full of arthritis. One got let go and tore the rotator cuff so the 2nd one I had "relieved" early and the recovery was minimal...full use next day... unlike rotator repair.

Whatever it takes... we tend to do things to your bodies in our youth that sometimes come back to haunt us as we age and "mature".     :eek:

Hang in there and keep the Son in your eyes!

[maddingo]

Sorry to hear about your injury and thanking God for your recovering and giving you your determination through the healing process.