Shoulder pain shooting a longbow vs. a recurve

[DeerSpotter]

I've heard that shooting a longbow with a straight limbs causes more shoulder pain and elbow problems But How much truth is there to that .

I've noticed more shoulder pain in shooting my longbow and when I was shooting recurves I never had that problem . Do some of you find the same thing or is one better than the other ,Or is it just mental ?

I am seeing an orthopedic Dr. ,And doing physical therapy for my shoulder troubles .

But I'd like to hear from some of you more experienced with shoulder troubles which bow is better for you.

thanks in advance to all those that are so helpful

Carl

[BRITTMAN]

Yes I have more shoulder pain on my drawing arm shoulder with a longbow but I dont really know why . My bows # are all the same but my longbows bother my shoulder more  

[BobCo 1965]

I developed a wrist problem and to a point tennis elbow with a certain longbow (not all longbows are the same).

But other then that most of my injuries happen from over use. Last March I had a rotator cuff tear that put me out for two months. Lots of ice, ibuprofin, and messages help in recovery. But, I was shooting around 600 arrows/week before things let go. I don't think it would have mattered if it was longbow or recurve though.

[Jeff Strubberg]

More movement on the shot definitely aggravates things.  If you have any kind of shoulder problem, a straight limbed bow will definitely point it out.  There are form changes you can make to mitigate the problem somewhat.  My elbows forced me to just plain say no to straight limbs.

[BowZen]

I have more issues with my elbow when I shoot a recurve. I suppose for me, its because I push against the recurve handle more so than than the longbow hangle.

[LimBender]

Like on a lot of these discussions, I don't think it will be one size fits all or purely longbow v. recurve.  

From my limited experience, I jumped from a newer R/D longbow to a 67 Bear Kodiak Hunter (which was accurate), but I was shocked at how badly my shoulder started hurting at less weight and reps with the Bear.  Then I got the new bow in my signature (which is more #) and have had no shoulder pain.  Just to check, I picked up that old bow and could feel a twinge after some shooting.  It may just be the very high deep wrist grip in the Bear doesn't sit well with my shoulder.  

All that to say, it may be more of a bow-by-bow thing dependent on things like grip, length, etc., and not necessarily recurve v. longbow.

Good luck finding a comfortable shooter!

[DennyK]

Carl, I had major shoulder surgery 3 years ago. The damage to my shoulder was not archery related. The side it affeted was the bracing arm and in discussing my bow shooting with my Ortho surgeon he told me the problem isn't with the drawing or bracing of the bow , it has to do with the amount of shock generated by the releasing of the string. With my recurves it is not an issue at all. If you have not already, this is something you should talk to your doc about. Hope everything works out good for you.

[The Night Stalker]

I do not think it is longbow vs recurve but rather individual bow related. I know certain bows are not equal when related to shoulder pain rather it be smoothness of limb design when drawing.
One thing that has help me is check your form. Look at the shooting forum and see a post on rotational drawing. Has done wonders for my constant anterior shoulder pain. Recovery after shooting has really shortened. Now, I look forward to shooting and enjoying it more than ever.

[Shakes.602]

If you so choose to Sell Your LongBow, can I get Dibs?? Is it a Straight Limbed D-Bow, or an R/D Longbow??  D-BOWS  are  THE  Bomb for Me!! Sorry to hear you are having Pain and Discomfort from the LongBow.   :(  
   How Heavy does it Pull?? Some Folks just dont like LongBows, because if You Hold it Wrong, and your Arrows arent Matched, they  WILL  Kick like a Mule!! Hope You Heal up Fast!!  

[Mike Bolin]

My shoulder pain (bow arm) intensifies when I shoot a recurve. It is partly the physical weight but I think it is mainly hand/wrist position. I switched from my recurve to my longbow and the pain for all intents and purposes went away. My MOAB is 3# heavier than my 'curve. Just depends on the nature of the injury I guess. Next recurve I get will be a low wrist grip. Mike

[DeerSpotter]

I panicked ,  Bill

I sold my griffin ,And my two Chad Holm bows, BUT The good news is I'm still on the list for griffin, And the shrew .  But I'm worried that if I get one of these bows ,That it may not work out ,And I will just make somebody else happy !

I really do miss shooting, I've shot traditional archery from the age of 10.

Here's what I've done to help the pain ,And it works,Along with going to therapy now  

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 reason I have this problem with frozen shoulder a second time ,Is is because I went to the University of Minnesota to 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 lasted about 2 1/2 months and 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 to her ,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) , 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

[cedar]

When I bought my first longbow, I ordered it at the same weight as my recurve, which I had no trouble shooting all day.  After about 3 months, I could not lift my bow-arm shoulder higher than parallel.  I called  the bowyer, sent the bow back, and he took off 5 lbs.  Now I shoot the longbow all day with no pain.

[tradshooter]

I broke my bow arm shoulder many years ago rodeoing (got hung up on a bull) and it took months to heal and allow me to shoot a bow again. I had to start off on a lighter bow and work my way back up. A few years ago I broke 3 ribs and it was several months before I could pull a lighter weight bow and work back up to my hunting bow.  Then 2 years ago I fell off of a roof helping a buddy add on to his house. I landed on my opposite side and messed up my shoulder there. I am retired (poor insurance, so no Doc on this one) so I had to wait about 4 months before I could even pull a lighter bow back and have been unable to get back to my heavier bows. I ended up selling my 83# and 70# bows but have now worked back up to 60# and am comfortable with that and will probably stay there. I had a lot of parachute jumps during my military service and had several injuries there, but I always healed up and could in time shoot my bow again. The point is, that given time and slowly working up to a comfortable bow weight you can do it. The straight limbed bows can kick a bit because of their inherent design, but if you hold them right and don't overbow yourself they are a pleasure to shoot. Handle/grip design is also a factor. The R/D longbows don't really feel any different to me than most recurves. You may need to give yourself a rest for awhile, then start with a lighter bow and check your form. I still will pick up my lighter bow just to check my form. You may need to make some corrections to your form and that will even things out for you. Maybe a bit of several things could be adjusted to getting you shooting healthy again. I am not accident prone I just have been 100% in all I do all of my life but I give myself time to heal and start off a bit slower when recovering from an injury. I am finding as I get older I am slowing up some, but know your limits and do what works for you. I found this Fall while elk hunting in the back country that the mountains are getting harder to climb here in Idaho and getting knocked around by a younger horse sored me up for a few days but I just move a little slower and take more rests. I let my buddies hunt higher and farther and hunt where I feel I can go comfortably and safely and we always know generally where each other will be hunting and we carry 2 way radios for commo if need be and have selected times when we communicate and locations to meet up at. Try a lighter bow, adjust your form (if needed) and see a doc or Physical Therapist, then get back after it. Listen to what your body is cluing you in on when things start to unravel and adjust accordingly. You have to be your own best advocate so don't get to frustrated and quit trying. Best to you! Bob

[manfromthepast]

I had recurring tendonitis in my shoulders and elbows after 15 or 20 years with heavy Hill style longbows and selfbows using the hunched over "swing draw" method that Asbell used to promote.  I switched to a heavier risered recurve and more of a set arm "olympic" style of shooting and have not had a recurrence of the tendonitis in 5 or 6 years.  I think it was the combination of bow and shooting style that did it for me.  Also embarked on a program of shoulder exercises that I think helped also.

[SteveL]

Pretty much the same as manfromthepast for me. I love my staight end longbow(you can insert any really light mass weight bow here) but if I shoot them as much as I would want, then the bow arm elbow just screams for mercy. I don't think it's the design of the D-bows per se. I think it's more of a mass/weight issue for me. Heck my Big 5 probably weighs around 24 oz if that and my takedown recurves are at least 3 times that. Obviously the heavier bow isn't going to wiggle around as much, plus it will disipate the energy of the limbs much more efficiently. Less movement in the bow, the less movement in my elbow which translates into much more shooting comfort.

Now there are things like shooting heavy arrows and adding a bow quiver that can lesson the wiggly energy transfer to you elbow.

As far as the therapy that worked best on me, I found frequent use of ice and tylenol to be my friend and whenever I get just a twinge , off to the freezer I go.

Do I still shoot my longbows? You betcha. I just don't let them be my go to bows anymore. I guess I devolved into a recurve shooter  

[DeerSpotter]

I'm hoping the therapy will work ,I may have to give the recurve bow a try again. I was told to stay away from the bow until the 6 or 8 week of therapy.

Thanks

Carl

[TDHunter]

Hey Carl, i used to shoot D style longbows for many years and shoot them lots and very well.  Not my shoulder but my elbow began giving major grief. I had to stop shooting for a few months and take a bunch of anti inflametories. I switched back to a 3 pc Recurve With a solid riser and problem went away. I do now shoot both again but I now shoot R/D longbows (Griffin, MOAB, Centaur) no issues.
Allan