Hangin' it up?

[Two Arrows]

Anybody ever have thoughts about throwin in the towel on the trad end of things? I hate the thought of it, but with my run of bad luck over the last couple of years, it's a consideration for me at this point. Problem is, is that my bow elbow has been giving me fits for the last couple of years. Under normal circumstances, you look at both elbows and my left one looks to be a different shape than my right one. This year I had to kiss my turkey season goodbye when I couldn't even raise my left arm above my head. All the muscles under my arm from my elbow to my shoulder are very tender. No fluid buid up, doc didn't have any advise to help me out either. Seems like there has been one problem after another for the last couple of years, anybody else in the same boat?

[RightTrailWrongTime]

Doug, now you know that we are both way too young to have a mid life crisis( well not too far off but) and I know all about pain and doctors etc.. but your/our passion for flingin arrows has to outweigh the suffering and lack of success which we are not in this for the record books so get yourself to a different doc that can give you the help you need in order for you to continue! Seriously, some docs just aren't willing to give the service that we pay for dearly with wvery paycheck so try a different one and get it fixed, in the meantime take some naproxin sodium(alleve) and a week off and see how you feel. I've been takin 2 in the morning and 2 at night just so I can walk on my ankle even after a cortizone shot and I'll have to go in fer surgery at some point but I had to go to several docs before I got the help I needed. I'd hate to see ya give it up, hell you got the sickness for it worse than me I think(in denial hehe) Shootin the stickbow is therapy for me, not sure what I would do without it, seeing my son shoot and shooting with him has gotten me through all of the crap I've been through in the past years so anyway have ya tried droppin down in weight a little even a lot if it allows you to keep at it. Let me know how it works out and take care.
Todd

[Soilarch]

As an absolute last ditch effort look up "ATLATL". You can make a complete system out of a stick and 3 aluminum arrows.  Don't know about hunting regs. Does Nebraska have a "primitive" season?

You'd be amazed at the amount of "thump" those things produce.  There's a clip on youtube of a little kid putting a dart through a doe.  Even the kid got the broadhead all the through and I believe It even when through the shoulder muscles.

As for the medical advice, I second getting another docs opinion and would suggest finding a physical therapist in your arrow and picking their brains. Maybe even try a sports-related doctor, you don't have to explain to them that "stop doing what I'm doing" means you "stop being who I'm being".  They're used to that type of dedications and passion and they're used to dealing with problems from repetitive movements/motions.

[TNstickn]

You need to see a sports orthopedic specialist. A regular doc isnt very much help for sports injuries. Ive torn tendons and ligaments in both arms. I shoot absolutely pain free (after 2 surgeries, and six months worth of rehab visits three times a week) and enjoy everything I do now. Has made a huge quality of life difference. You have alot of livin to do, It does'nt sound like quitting archery is a long term solution to rid you of pain. You never know, you could get some splecialized excercise routine and strengthen something here and there and be fine.

[Arwin]

It must be hard to think about that, especially when it's something you love.
 I would take a break for a few months and get yourself a very,very low poundage bow, like 25-30# or less if needed. You'll be surprised how well the right arrows will shoot from those bows. I would hunt squirrels with a bow that low if you use broadheads.
 This way you can still shoot and not damage yourself more. When you recover, go to a hunting weight of low to mid 40's. It's amazing how low weight bows perform these days with modern designs and materials.
 I haven't damaged anything yet thank God. I could use a 60# bow if I wanted, but fear long term damage and not being able to shoot anymore. I'll stick with less and let the critters get a little closer.  

[elkken]

you look like a young man in your bio photo.... do not throw in the towel! Take a rest, shoot with the other hand, get a new doc, try accupuncture, but don't give up the stick bow ... I would not give up shooting my stick bows unless my heart gave up first.

[just_a_hunter]

Do what you need to do to have fun......

Good luck,

Todd

[twotimer]

doug.i feel for you brother,i'm at the same place in my archery life.i had a shoulder reconstructed in 86,was out of work for two years because of it,just mentioning that so you could understand how serious the shoulder thing was.i shoot a lot,almost everday,a couple hundred arrows,plus 2 or 3 competetion shoots a week,anyways,i started have problems about a year ago.been from 30 to 50# bows,longbow,recurve,orthopedic dr.pain pills,changed shooting styles,anyways,my body says quit,but my mind won't let my body rest,thats me,you my friend are the only one who can make the call,listen to your body,it knows best.good luck,best regards,robert          

[Bill Tell]

These are the things that have helped me with my shoulder.

First off you have to know what you are dealing with.  So go back to your Dr and ask to be sent to a specialist.  I had to go three times before I was sent.

Ortho Dr.

Naproxcin  Over the counter it is Alleve.  It is a very effective anti inflammatory drug.

Ice Pacs   I will say it again ice your arm for 20 min twice a day.  So ice your arm.  Did I mention Ice?

Physical therapy.  There is a web site called Livepersons were you can get online therapy.

It sounds to me that you have "Tennis Elbow".  You get it by shocking the elbow joint.  Stick bows do just that.

Good luck.

[Bill Carlsen]

My Ortho doc has a newsletter he sends out monthly. Last month he sent one about a new treatement called Platlet-rich plasma therapy or PRP Therapy. It uses your own blood instead of cortisone or other chemicals to reduce inflamation. It has been used by Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburg Steelers  as well and the LA Dodger's pitcher Saito. Here is a link to the NY Times that discusses the procedure....ask your doc about it or find a specialist and check it out...http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/sports/17blood.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=prp&st=cse

[SpikeMaster]

Find a doctor that will help you. My wife had a lot of health problems the last couple of years and we found out some doctors were really good and some weren't. She's doing much better now thankfully.

[koger]

Man can I relate, I have a lot of the same symptoms. 15 years ago I broke my leg 5 places in a treestand accident, and my foot was twisted nearly off, both leg boones sticking out,when I raised my leg I was lookin at the sole of my shoe! 2 surgeries later and 6 months, still on crutches, and developing seveer arthritis. 2 yeasrs ago had lower back surgery, helped my back a lot though. Still suffering with my leg, all cartilage gone in ankle, bone grinding on bone evey step, went to see a new specialist, he took a cast of my leg, had a prosthetic brace made that goes around my calf, down under my foot and support the weight on the brace, not my ankle, instant pain releif after 15 years of suffering ! I also had the bad pain in the elbow, went to another specialis, he gave me shots, some meds and put a brace on my wrist, what are you doing I thought. Wore it for 2 weeks, lots of ice on elbow, cured!! Had a  4wheeeler incident last fall, flipped one pulling a deer out, but tore my rotator cuff badly, had surgery March 30, still off from work till end of June, but I am getting better, so dont give end till you have exahusted, and I mean exhausted all avenues. It will hurt just as much breakin over the cam on a wheelie bow, I know, tried it with a friends one day before surgery. Doc says I will be shooting in 3 weeks, and I will really enjoy it then. My old specialist that I was seeing for my leg, one who worked on it when I had the accident, said I would have to have my leg ammputated or my ankle fused within a year, this was 3 years ago. When I went and saw the new , younger doc, he had a whole different, OPTIMISIC outlook on things, and I thought he was full of crap, but ended up getting a whole new outlook on things, and am walking 2 1/2 miles daily now. I have been offered disability twice, but as long as I am able to do the things I like, and work on my farm and at my job, which I love, I will continue to do so. To accept disability, and defeat when I could do more would be wrong for me, couldnt look myself in the mirror. Get some good medical help, it is out there, just gotta go look. HOpe this helps, Sam.

[Apex Predator]

Dang it Sam!  Maybe you should start carrying a rabbits foot?

[Angus]

A sports medicine ortho guy would be in order.  It sounds like it's not tendonitis, though.  Being unable to raise your arm above head level usually is a sign of some sort of rotator cuff problem.  The fact that you're sore and tender under your arm would tell me it's not tendonitis, but something else.  

Absolutely critical to treatment is to have it correctly diagnosed, then you can apply the correct treatment.  From what you wrote, your GP doesn't know what's causing it, and didn't refer you to a specialist.  I've never heard of tendonitis causing an elbow to become misshapen, and as a former cross country ski racer (biathlon, where you ski and shoot) at the international level, I'm intimately familiar with tendonitis in the elbows-we get it from pounding the pavement when we're using roller skis for summer workouts.  Keep us posted?

[koger]

Apex someone on here has a by line at the bottom of each post about sliding into the grave, body worn out used up etc, gues that goes for me. I am worried that I aint going to get to do so many things before I get to old!

[Billy]

You ever see the poster/tee shirt of the bird with the frog in it's mouth....frog has his hands on the birds throat????

I see it like this: age/time is the bird; and I'm the frog!!

It's bad enough that we have to "grow-up"!! We have to act our age...and then they want us to stop playing outside!!! I think not!

Age is a number and pain can be beaten or at least controlled. Find someone who will help you fix the problem or minimize it, so you can continue to be who you are.

Sports Doc should be your next step. IMHO

[Dick in Seattle]

I can't relate to giving up hunting, as I don't hunt... started archery really too late.  However, without cataloging all the problems with the elbow, shoulder and some very nasty long term side effects from necessary prescription drugs, I can say that you can keep shooting arrows a lot longer than you might think.  I have very limited strength, but I'm still shooting 3D's and making bows.  I shot two 3D's this year with a 17# longbow I made that weighs a whopping 10 oz., shooting skinny little 1516 arrows!   Didn't do too badly, either.  I've been working on it and have built up to a whole 27# currently.  I've had to accept the limitations, but I'm still having a lot of fun.   Listen to the doctors, take care of yourself and be reasonable in the demands you make on the old bod, i.e. accept the limitations, figure out how much you can do and then do that.   Good luck with it!

[scram1]

Got to agree with Angus on this one,sounds like part of the problem is with rotator cuff. I've been shooting a um.....compuond last couple of years due to triceps tendonitis and some shoulder pain. It just hurt too bad to push out against bow without the letoff, just started back shooting my recurves (55-60#)this year. I still have some shoulder pain but it doesn't hurt to shoot my bows and I REALY missed my recurves. Of course being a paramedic and having to lift heavy things at times doesn't always help. See a specialist and if it hurts to do something don't do it , pain is your body trying to tell you something.

[tomyhawk]

I had the same problem, left elbow sore and pain went all the way to my shoulder. Kept me up at night and couldn't stand to shoot at all.
Turned out to be carpel tunnel {spelling} and the pain was coming from lack of circulation .
Had my wrist fixed and pain and sore gone. Back to shooting my longbow .

[reddogge]

I was diagnosed with calcium tendinitis (calcium deposits in the tricep tendon) in March and was recieved PT from a sports therapist when I had a tractor accident last Friday.  Problem solved.  Torn tendon, surgury schedules for next Friday, 8 weeks recovery plus PT but he will clean out the calcium while he's in there.  Dr. says I should be good as new.