working up in weight

[artelkhunter]

I've been shooting for several weeks now switching back and forth between 40# to 52#trying to working up slow. I'm left handed and have tennis elbow in my left arm. After shooting the 52# bow I'm in pain and stiff the next morning. anybody dealt with this?                                                                                                                                               schafer silvertip 52#   Curry maddog 41# Big horn custom 56#

[cbCrow]

Yes I have been dealing with it for the last couple of years. I saw a sports Doc and was told to take it easy for 4 weeks and rest the arm then try shooting a lighter weight bow( he is an archer). I now shoot a 38# Excellerator which does not bother my elbow. I also support the elbow with a wrap. Be careful with this as the Doc said it could leave bad damage to arm.

[artelkhunter]

cb thanks for the info,I've been told the same infomation. I don't know of any real cure out there. Again thanks for the info.

[champ38]

Walmart sells a velcro strap  that u place just below the elbow and pull snug. Its for golfers/tennis elbow. Used them myself and they worked well.

However, I would lay off the shooting for a while and then use strap when u resume.

[artelkhunter]

thanks champ

[briandean]

Here's a really arb and strange phenomenon. I have sruggled with a slightly sore right shoulder for many years after overdoing distance swimming in the 1990's. When I started archery 2 years ago, it got very sore to the point where I had to lay off, take anti-inflamatories etc. A few months ago, I started preparing for a hunt where I had to jump from 45 to 58 pounds. I delayed the switch as long as possible as I knew I was going to to suffer. I made the switch and lo and behold - no shoulder pain!! I have a theory. With the switch to the heavier bow, I was forced to pull with my back. I did this consciously as I knew what was going to happen to my shoulder. Now, I shoot primarily with the 58 pounder as it really causes less pain. When I picked up the 45 pounder, I fell back into the habit of pulling with my shoulder and it takes a conscious effort to not do that - then it's fine. These are just my observations that may help someone. But if it doesn't work for you, I remember seeing a post here with exercises to strengthen the muscular around the problem shoulder. Ultimately, switching hands may be the only answer.

[jcp161]

I've had this problem and dealt with an elbow injury very similar to yours for close to a year. While there was some improvement with rest and anti-inflammatories, it never would go away. The velcro band helped with the pain and weakness but didn't really solve anything. I finally tried icing it at night for 20 minutes every hour. Did it while watching TV. A bag of frozen peas works very well for this purpose. After a week, there was significant improvement and it's now completely gone. Hope this helps.

Most drugs only block the pain signal, they are not a cure.  The sports medicine mantra, rice, - rest ice compression, and elevation.  If you are squeezing your bow hard, it can aggravate the tendons. This is in your drawing arm, try to keep your elbow lower and try to draw straight back no more than a few inches.  Pick up most of the draw when you are bringing up your bow. I have had the tendon problems in both arms numerous times.  The worst was with a light weight target bow, another time it was from putting up ceiling sheet rock, another was from weight training, and once in the right arm from practicing a straight draw with a 96 pound bow in a tree wedge, trying to keep warm.  I was freezing, under dressed and the only way I could shoot from the perch was to poke the bow out flat and then draw it straight back.  I shot an arrow through a deer that year with a 35 pound bow on the ground, while I was making my morning tea over a stick fire.  Careful, this can last a long time. If your joint is twisted it will reoccur more often.  A chiropractor can help if that is the case, but the "rice" will still be needed.

[Ravenhood]

Days off with no! shooting helps my elbow. Easy to say hard to do.

[Larry m]

Tennis elbow is caused by the tendon lifting off the bone through aggressive use and is slow to heal especially when aggravated. The velcro strap recommended by Champ 38 could be a quick solution.

[AllenR]

You can go see a doctor now and follow his advice which will likely include not shooting and get over this in a few months or less.

Or you can do it like I did, keep shooting until the pain was so bad that I couldn't shoot, then go see a doctor, follow his advice, which included not shooting and get over it in about 18 months.

The advantage of doing it my way is that the physical therapist that I visited twice a week for 6 months was really cute.     Other than that, it was no fun not being able to shoot my bow.

Three years later, I still have to use the strap around my elbow and ice.

My advice is to see a doctor and take care of it now.

[mrjsl]

I shoot a 59 pound bow, and I have had a sore elbow for about a week. I suspect it's mild tendonitis. The cure for it is r.i.c.e. as someone suggested above. Emphasis on R.

I used to compete in rodeos, so when it comes to sports related injuries, I am probably more well versed than a young sports doc, since I have been experimenting on myself for years. My draw elbow has been hyperextended half a dozen times in my life, mostly when I was younger and almost super-human, but it probably contributes to problems today.

The only benefit of going to the doctor (to me) is sometimes they will give you vicodin. I will say that if you happen to tear your ACL it really is a good idea to go to the doctor and get it fixed.

[BobCo 1965]

I would seriously consider seeing a Sports Doctor instead of a regular one.

Fortunately, at this time, I only suffer from muscle strains from time to time. I do encorporate a full stretching, strength training, and endurance routine that is geared to archery though. My point though is that a lot of Doctors will just say don't shoot while a sports Doctor may go a lot deeper and get you back on track ASAP.

[arrow flynn]

indian clubs have helped me

[NJWoodsman]

From 40# to 52# is a big jump. Stick to the 40# and work out your form problem, maybe just do 1/2 dozen shots from the higher weight towards the end of a session (if you must).

I say form problem, because I had a similar problem with a 47# bow, had some tendonitis. The root cause was too much tension in the fingers and arm, not using enough back muscles.

[AKtraildog]

I started shooting again last fall after not shooting for 30 plus years.  A Bow Trainer is a good investment and I think it really helped me.
I started with a 35# bow and worked up to 60#.  I still drop back to a 54# some days when I am sore.  I like to shoot 80 to 100 arrows and try to stop before I lose muscle control for the follow through.
And an occasional off day is not a bad idea to rest the muscles.

[crotch horn]

The other thing you can add is accupuncture. If you have a legit practitioner near you they can do wonders to get rid of the pain & get the blood flow normalized which helps the healing. Do need to rest it as well, but not as long if properly cared for. Good luck.

[cjgregory]

I've experienced this before.  I saw a chiropractor and he would put my elbow back in for me.  Now I can put it back in myself when it goes out.  No more pain.
I agree with the poster earlier with pulling straight back.  If your elbow goes up it can pull your aligment in the joint out.

[cjgregory]

Oh, make sure it's the bow ctualy causing it.  I was using a particular kind of mouse at work that was the actual cause and shooting just kept it agrivated.

[PaddyMac]

I have this pretty bad in both elbows and my bow shoulder and have struggled with it for years. It really gets me down.

I just ran across this article by Dave Cole in "Bowhunting eMagazine at  http://www.bowhunting.net/eMagazine/Articles/2003/DaveCole-MusclePower01.html.  Cole is a physical therapist who invented one of the tube-type bow trainers on the market.

There is one weight training exercise called "scaption" that is really helping my shoulder. It's in the article.

I'm looking for resistance tubes now and I think Wal-Mart has them pretty inexpensively. And then I'll take them apart and reconfigure my own torture dungeon.

I'm convinced the only thing that can help is excellent form and strength building of the affected muscles around the tendons. And not doing things like flicking firewood fingers up and thumb under...

Good luck.