Lower back pain

[Gordon Jabben]

Hi everyone
I have been shooting bows for a lot of years and gradually I have developed lower back pain.  Some days I can't stand up straight because of the stiffness.  The bows I have shot are usally pretty heavy and I shoot a lot.  What I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem.  Surprisingly, sometimes when I shoot my bows, the pain will go away.  I have had x-rays that didn't show too much.  I had an MRI, but haven't got the results yet.  Do you think the bows could be causing my problem?  Also I lean over quite a bit when I shoot.
Thanks for any info.
Gordon

[laddy]

It is called splinting, when the muscles go spasm in one part of your back, like your shooting muscle group, the other muscle groups will join in to help hold your spine straight.

[pintail_drake2004]

Leaning over will prolly spark the pain in your back. I would suspect it is a soft tissue problem. MRI may or may not tell if it is.
As a matter of fact, i didnt hunt with my trad bow this year because of my back. I fell 2.5 stories and hurt my back and put a nail through my eye. SO besides not being able to stand up straight at times, sit for long periods, or walk much have all played a roll in keeping me down. I am still going through therapy for my back, and am bout to start a series of shots because its been 8 almost 9mo since i got hurt and i am not any better.
What has helped me the most is continuing to work on my core muscles. Doc said if i wasnt in the shape i was in when i fell i would have prolly been in far worse shape. I continue to go to they gym but go light. and lots of crunches

[ken denton]

Gordon, I have used a back swing for over 30 years.Find a back store to find one. It hangs you by your heels and your body weight pulls your back straight. It is simple and only takes 5 minutes a day. Ken

[Gordon Jabben]

Thanks tradgangers
Ken, I will try the back swing.  I have been thinking about the back decompression machines that a lot of doctors have, but 20 or 30 trips to the doctor kind of cuts into my play time and money.

[Diamond Paul]

I doubt shooting your bow is causing the pain.  I have chronic lower back pain, and one exercise I recommend is to lie on your stomach, with hands on the floor like you are about to do a push-up, and then press your upper body up (with your arms) while keeping your waistline flat on the floor.  You want to press your chin up as high as you can; hold this for a 20 count, then relax.  Do three sets morning and night.  It helps.  Paul.

[5 point]

Be careful about doing exercises prior to a diagnosis.  I would wait for the MRI results and see what the DR says.  An exercise that works for one guy maybe totaly wrong for you and cause more problems.  I fell victim to that-

Ive had two back surgery and now do core exercises every other day. My back will start to bother me if a miss a few days of exercise.  At some point, you will be told to strengthen your core. Make it apart of you life.  If you only do it until your back is better and quit, you will eventually have problems again.(Hence, the second surgery for me)

Tight hamstrings will cause your pelvis to tilt forward putting a strain on your lower back. For me the hamstring work came second after my core was strengthened to safely do those stretches. I have to make a concious effort too keep may back in a neutral position when doing physical activities, including shoot my bow.

Good luck, listen to your Dr, get a second opinion if you are not confident.

Dave

[Matt Stuckey]

Do you have pain with sitting for a while? After you stand up and get straight does it feel better?  

Our spines are put together much like the four legged animals we pursue, but we use them much differently. Down the front of our spinal column is a large thick ligament.  In our four legged foes it is very useful, when the spine is level with the ground it is under tension ( supported and two ends, sagging like a bridge).  On the opposite side, next to the spinal cord itself, is a thin ligament.  It's essentially under compression and doesn't need to be as heavy duty as it's counterpart.  Unless you stand upright on two legs.  Now that same ligament that was thin and flimsy is under tension every time anbent over working at a countertop, shoot from a bent position.

It doesn't take stress well and begins to break down.  this allows the semiliquid part of the disc, which you can think of as the jelly of a jelly doughnut to begin to move backward.  If you squeeze too hard on that doughnut( which you do while assuming those flexed postures), that jelly spuirts out through the weak spots. This can cause pain and eventually numbness in the legs if it gets far enough.

sorry for the long ramble, and thats just one of the many mechanisms of back pain.

[Gordon Jabben]

Thanks again
I will wait for the MRI.
Matt, its just the opposite.  My back never hurts when I sit and only rarely when I lay down.  It does hurt when I bend over a work bench for a period of time.  It's strange but if I walk far enough, it will quit hurting.  Sometimes it takes several miles.  It seems to get better when I shoot my bow, but then again it may be the walking involved. Stair climbing seems to help the most.  
Thanks again guys.

[bayoulongbowman]

What works for me is ICE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Greyfox54]

I have been wrestleling with a bad back for almost 29 years now and I agree with Bayou on the ice , Every morning I stretch for 20-30 minutes and than lay on an ice pack , 10 minutes under the small of my back and 10 min. under my neck . If I miss a day or two of this I start to stiffen up . When I am in good alignment I can shoot fairly heavy bows without any pain but I find that after my back acts , up which happens about once a year ,I have to start off with lower weight and work up again . I know how you feel , best of luck , Fred

[Willow]

I am by now means a doctor, so free to tell me if I sound wrong. I have heard from many athletic trainers that a lot of athletes have problems over working a certain muscle group. The problem doesn't come from too much work on the muscles used, but on too little work with the unused muscles.Essentially, your muscles become "unbalanced". You might be able to try a really light general work out for overall physical health.

Hope your back gets better.

[gobbler10ga]

any radicular leg pain ?

[TonyW]

The MRI will tell you a lot. I just found out that I had a herniated L5 disc in January. My symptoms were cramplike pains in my left calf and numbness in my toes. I got relief from sitting, but found out from my physical therapist that sitting was the real cause of the herniation. When you lean forward and stand, if that hurts it may be compressing your disc and causing its nucleus to press a nerve. Your doctor and PT will check you out and teach you how to decompress. It also takes time for the nerve swelling to subside.
The next step for me may be Epidural steroid injection therapy.
I asked my physical therapist about shooting a 50 lb recurve bow, and he told me to go ahead. The main cause of the herniation was from leaning forward. Your posture is everything if this turns out to be your problem. I get some relief from the pressups and other exercises, so good luck with your back!

Check out this link
 http://www.aafp.org/afp/990201ap/575.html

[Gordon Jabben]

Thanks for all the replys.  I haven't tried ice.  Heat seems to make it worse.  I have no leg pain or numbness.  My MRI is going to a medical family doctor and a chiropractor.  I hope it shows something.  I'm tired of being miserable every morning.

[DeerSpotter]

I can relate to a lot of the things that these guys are saying, 20 years ago I had back surgery that didn't go so great, back in 1995 I had surgery again to take some metal clamps, and wires out of my back.  Also back in 1993 I had someone run into the backend of my car doing 65 mi. an hour.  We were doing 35 mi. an hour and had our seat belts on, the hit was so hard it cranked our car upward in the middle of the roof.

I hated chiropractors, but the attorney that I had recommended one, I went to 58 visits, I hated it.  He wanted to do acupuncture, I said no way, he said at least let me do acupressure so I did.  After I was tired of the visits and seeing no results, I said that was enough.  Three weeks later, I had absolutely no pain down my legs, that was 12 years ago.

The only thing that I can recommend is what these fellas have said above, do exercises, keep your muscles strong, and keep your back toned.  It's an everyday thing, sometimes we don't like to hear that, but that's the way it is, the older we get the more important it is.  And it doesn't take a lot, just a little everyday will help out a lot.

Pastor Carl

[oldskool]

I had that problem a few years ago. Found out it was poor quality shoes.

[Bucksnort101]

I just went to the Doctor this past Tuesday for lower back pains caused by a sudden twisting motion.  Doctor gave me several exercises to strengthn my back and abdomen muscles. If that does not work it's off to a physical therapist.
Mony people have suggested to work on your back muscles to make them stronger, but do not neglect your abdomen/stomach muscles as they give your back as much support as the back does.
List of exercises she gave me are:
1. Standing Hamstring Stretch
2. Cat and Camel Stretches
3. Quadruped Arm/Leg Raises (killer on my    specific injury)
4. Pelvic Tilts
5.Partial Curls.
6. Piriformis Stretch
7. Extension exercises.
I'm sure you can do a google search on most of these exercises and how to properly do them, or PM me and I can try to explain them to you.
Like others have mentioned your specific injury may not be solved with my exercises and need further diagnosis so it may be best to see your Doctor first.

[gobbler10ga]

had your kidneys checked?

[Matt Stuckey]

If flexion in sitting shooting and stairs makes it feel better i would question if it were stenosis or a narrowing of the space in your spine, but not leg pain doesn't fit that. maybe an instability.there is no way anyone can accurately solve your problem without seeing you, and i won't make any attempt to.

The exercises bucksnort recommends are very good stabilization exercises.  It's not the big muscle groups which are typically the problem when it comes to low back weakness, its the small muscles which run between the vertebral bodies called the multifidus or multifdi plural.  These muscles shut down following injury and can be very hard to get to recover, it takes a lot of suttle movement and postures to properly exercise these to get them functioning properly.  i haven't done any web searches for these exercises, but there is a lot of scientific literature available.  i may be biased because it is what i do, but i would recommend getting a referral from your doctor the see a physical therapist.  If you don't wnat to spend a lot of time a multiple visits they can at least set you up with a home exercise program and teach you to do it properly.