Possible shoulder injury

[Silent footed]

I shot a whole bunch last week (with my lighter bow). I really stepped up my practice in a hurry after taking a few months off during winter (exactly what we aren't supposed to do); but I'm in excellent shape so I never gave it a second thought.

Here's the deal: from about last Thursday, there has been a discomfort in my bow arm shoulder during the shot sequence:

1) swing up to 3/4 draw: no pain
2)draw back to anchor: no pain
3)release: no pain
4)follow through: no pain
5)lower bow arm to waist (noticeable discomfort inside left shoulder)

There is not any pain around the house reaching, opening/closing doors, shaving, brushing teeth, anything requiring left shoulder. It's only when I shoot, and only during step 5 after having come to full draw FIRST.

Anyway, it's just a slight pain, more like a discomfort than anything else. I have not shot for 4 days now and am waiting until this Thursday. I am just praying that it was only tendinitis or bursitis from increasing the activity rate too fast; but am scared to death that the slight discomfort is the start of a small tear that will worsen as summer goes on.

At any rate, if there is still pain by Thursday I will call a doctor.

[McDave]

You know, these things can take on a life of their own.  Fear breeds tension breeds inflammation.  The thing you want to develop is relaxation of all muscles not actively involved in the shooting process.  Do some stretching, watch a good movie, take a little Advil.  When you start back up again, start slow and stay slow for a week or so until you're sure it's not coming back.  It may be that you pulled something having nothing to do with archery.  I can almost guarantee you that it will go away unless you continue to aggravate it.

[Silent footed]

You're actually right. The fear breeds inflammation. I was telling someone today, it's been feeling a lot better today, but I keep wondering at this point how much of it is in my head or not. I know I was feeling something for sure two days ago still. However there seems to be an improvement.

I honestly think what did it though was stringing and unstringing my bow all afternoon while working on my brace height. That's a left shoulder intensive motion.

(Yeah I don't use a bow stringer. I know I should though. I'm considering starting. But I've been doing it this way on longbows since I was a teenager).

The fact that I'm wondering if some of the pain is in my head at this point is a good sign though.

[Cool Springer]

I shoot pretty regularly year round.  I've developed minor pains a number of times while shooting over the years.  Each time I forced myself to take at least a week off from shooting.  The pain always seems to subside, and I've been able to get back to shooting. 
Listen to your body, and trust in its ability to heal itself.  Good luck!

[Wudstix]

Amen !!!
 

[Sam McMichael]

Silent, take care of that shoulder. I didn't and wound up having shoulder surgery with a strong chance the other shoulder will also need surgery. If you rest it for a week or so and the pain remains, you need to have it looked at by a pro. Good luck and take care.

[Silent footed]

Silent, take care of that shoulder. I didn't and wound up having shoulder surgery with a strong chance the other shoulder will also need surgery. If you rest it for a week or so and the pain remains, you need to have it looked at by a pro. Good luck and take care.

Right now this is my plan exactly. I've waited 6 days and will shoot a little tomorrow. I'm going to take an Advil like mcdave suggested, and practice a little more carefully than usual, and then I'm going to hope it's one of them minor pains cool is talking about.

Pretty frightening though guys. I've been at this since I was a teenager and never once been injured or felt any pain.

[Boone the Hunter]

Last summer I was shooting a lot and I changed some things around with my form. All of a sudden my bow shoulder started to hurt and have minor aches and pain here and there. I’d back off a couple days at a time and take it easy but it stayed there for 4-5 months. I’ll be honest I started to get scared that I was damaging my shoulder. I started asking around and looking into it and found out I was shooting with improper alignment. I had a bend in my bow arm and a little bit of a high shoulder. I had fixed some wrong alignment in my string hand so all the weight of the bow was now in my other shoulder. Take a good look at your form and make sure you have good bone on bone alignment. It took some effort but once I fixed my form issues my shoulder pain left completely. I shoot a lot these days and I’ll get tired but shoulders great. Hope your shoulder gets healthy keep asking questions like you are and I pray it’s back 100% soon

[Huntschool]

I do have some pain in my right shoulder but none when shooing (I am right handed).  It seems to be a motion thing reaching behind me and when I reach to the back of the fridge for example or snap my right arm out quickly.  I highly suspect it is ole Arthur Ritis coming to visit. Although, I do wonder about tendons and ligaments.

Given my medicals I have not used an Advil, etc.  I have however used Salon pas patches and they seem to relieve it (the pain) somewhat.  As soon as this other crap settles down I am going to see a sports Orthopedic guy and see what he says.  I hope it is arthritis and nothing more. 

I have been shooting a lighter weight draw for practice now.  This bow is actually below my normal draw weight but is intended for 3D specifically.  I shoot 10-40 arrows twice a day now (or what my energy level will allow) and am working on form and nailing down a complete tune to get everything I can out of this setup.  The bow is shooting well with one set of arrows but I have two more arrow setups to try.  And, oh yea, I need to make a leather grip cover for the riser.

Plenty to do with this "stay at home" time.