Shoulder Injuries

[cubs]

Does anyone have experience with nasty shoulder pains in the shooting arm?  The doc said my x rays didnt show any bone damage, but it still hurts real bad in certain positions.  I really want to go shoot but I am worried about making it worse.  Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[centaur]

I have the same thing. I have backed off on bow weight, now shooting 55# rather than over 60. I take glucosomine, which seems to help, and Alleve when it hurts a lot, but I am still shooting 50 or 60 arrows daily. My pain is one of the many joys of getting older   , but so far I can work through it. I am determined that being old and bald won't stop me from enjoying the things in life that make me happy; family, hunting, taking long walks in the mountains, casting a fly on a trout stream, etc.  

[Matty]

an X ray wont show soft tissue damage Like an MRI will.  Which; chances are that's your issue Unless you simply have Sore Muscles. and need a break for a few days. the shoulder is rather complex too so it can be anything from muscle tears to cartillage tears as well, take a break for a bit and see what happens..

[Dutchman]

I pretty much live with shoulder pain every day of my life now that I'm pushing 50. I prefer to blame it on my bed rather than my shooting. It sits better with me that way.  

[wingnut]

Don't treat it lightly.  Go back to the Dr. and request that you see a specialist.  Shoulders are a real bugger.  I had a lot of trouble with mine and we were able to rehab it without surgury.

Mike

[BEN]

Ditto,
Get that checked out with MRI. I tore my shoulder up several years ago and had to get repaired. After surgery, the Re-Hab was the  WORST! But it was worth it. I now have no problems with it.
Till You can get an MRI, I would take an anti-inflamatory like Ibuprofin.  If I do get a twinge back from over working or something, I take 1 1/2 -2x the regular dose of generic ibuprofin for about 3 days and take it a little easier and I'm back to normal. Double dosing like this is no more than what you would get from a prescription ibuprofin.
If you can get the pain down and /or you do have to get repaired in future, it is VERY imortant to do at least light conditioning/strengthing exercises to keep you shoulder in shape----very critical joints--those shoulders!
Hope this helps,
Ben

[DeerSpotter]

I have dropped mine from 53# to 45#, I shot at Coon Rapids shoot, for probably about two hours.  Back in the range, and my shoulder didn't give me any trouble at all, two months ago they shot steroids in my shoulder, that seemed to help  alot, take it easy and build back up, but don't do a heavy poundage.  55# seems a little heavy for what you're doing.  It be better to build up for hunting season, then to strain it until then and think your helping, when you're actually hurting it.  Commonsense goes along way.

Carl

[Bjorn]

Rest, and lots of iceing and less bow weight.

[Dick in Seattle]

same issues... first it was just muscle pain, now some arthritis is showing up.  (I'm 70)     I looked at the situation and decided I could either drop a little weight and shoot for another year or two, or drop a lot of weight and keep shooting for maybe a long time.  I was shooting 50 - 55 pound bows, mostly.   I dropped all the way down to 35 and am even having a great time with a 31 and a 29!    Did very well (for me) at the 3D this weekend with both of them.  I am having a ball and shooting better than ever at the light weight.  

Of course, you can still overdo... I shot four full and two partial rounds of a 40 target 3D course at the Flint Tip this weekend, plus some practice range time.   The guys I shoot with don't keep score, and we'll shoot again at targets we miss.  I figure all told, with the practice, I had to have pulled over 300 shots. Gotta admit the shoulders sore this morning.

This won't help you hunters much, but I have kept a couple of 45 pounders which could hunt if I ever wanted to.  I can shoot them for what would amount to a hunting situation, i.e. a few shots, just not for a full practice session or several 3D rounds in one day.  

So, if you are having problems, try "Archery Lite... It's more fun... NO, it's less painful...  More fun... Less paingul.."    Wait a minute... didn't somebody use something like that for an ad campaign already?

Dick in Seattle

[Pig Sticker]

Thought I had rotator cuff problems, severe shoulder pain ect... Went to a specialist and found out it was a couple of bone spurs.

Went from shooting 60 and 64 # bows to a 57# and took aleve and ibuprophen for a few months.
I'm feeling pretty good now. Had to take a little break from shooting. I'm only 33years old though. It'll probly hurt more as I get older

[centaur]

"It'll probly hurt more as I get older"
Count on it!  

[amicus]

I have had shoulder problems for several years now. It can be depressing. I have had surgery on both shoulders. One of the main reason I think that Im having problems now is because I didn't rehab carefully after the surgerys. I have found that excercise and lifting weights really help keep my should pain down. Someone from this site sent me a excercise program for the shoulders that is really good. I would be glad to send it to anybody that would like to have it. Just email me at [email protected].

[Stoutstuff]

I had an eye opening experience at the chiropractor Saturday. He was working on a sciatic problem and I mentioned shoulder fatigue and mild pain from archery. He had me extend my arm and push up against his pressure and I only went so far against the resistence. Next he did the same with the other arm and I was suprised that it was much stronger even though it was not my dominant arm. Then he took some kind of laser and stroked it over the sore shoulder and had me test against his pressure again. I was able to push much farther against his resistance. Said that the laser stimulates the cells. Really weird but it works. Hadnt been to the chiropractor for 4 years. He may have found a reason for returns.

[chuck172]

I'm 55. I went on a diet last year and dropped 60 pounds to ease the pain in the knee joints. About the same time I converted from the compound back to the recurve. I was shooting 45 pounds and wanted to move up to 60 for hunting. I tried to do push-ups. First time in about 30 years. The first time I did  3 and hurt my arm. That was it. I started lifting light weights for the upper body and slowly increasing the push-ups. In less then a year I'm up to 3 sets of 30 push-ups every other day. I use the 45 pound limbs for form work now and use the 60 pd. limbs as my main set-up.
Push-ups are great exercises.

[chuck172]

I'm 55. I went on a diet last year and dropped 60 pounds to ease the pain in the knee joints. About the same time I converted from the compound back to the recurve. I was shooting 45 pounds and wanted to move up to 60 for hunting. I tried to do push-ups. First time in about 30 years. The first time I did  3 and hurt my arm. That was it. I started lifting light weights for the upper body and slowly increasing the push-ups. In less then a year I'm up to 3 sets of 30 push-ups every other day. I use the 45 pound limbs for form work now and use the 60 pd. limbs as my main set-up.
Push-ups are great exercises.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Congrats chuck172 and keep up the good work.    

Tracy

[chuck172]

Tracy, good luck. Remember, "This too shall pass"
Before you know it you'll be shooting again. Keep us posted.

[Walt Francis]

Tracy,
Good luck with the surgery and hope you have a fast and full recovery.  I had shoulder surgery eight weeks ago, though my shoulder wasn't as bad as yours.  Like you missed my spring turkey as well as the bear season, but at least I am back up to shooting a thirty pound bow.

Walt

[Paul WA]

Dislocated shoulder without follow up therapy = shooting lower weight bows. Sometimes I can shoot up to 50 arrows without the pain starting, sometimes not..PR

[AllenR]

I have had shoulder and elbow problems for three years.  My elbow cleared up with stretching and exercise, but my shoulder kept hurting.

My range of motion was good, but it hurt when I was at rest or working on the computer.

I finally found a doctor that specialized in shoulders.  An xray showed no spur or impingment so he diagnosed it as a neck problem from poor posture at the computer.

A few days of simple neck stretching exercises and I can shoot every day with less & less pain.  Also, as I watch my posture and keep up the exercises, it hurts less.  

He had a physical therapist show me several stretches that have really been working.  

If I lay off of the stretches for even a day, I can tell it by the increased pain the next day.

Six weeks ago, I couldn't shoot 15 arrows without taking 3 days off from shooting due to the pain.  Now I'm up to 60 to 70 arrows a day & last Sunday, I shot 150 arrows with no increase in pain.

Finally now that I'm able to practice, my form is beginning to come together.  

The neck stretchs are simple and easy.  There are several websites that will show them to you.

Good luck,
Allen