flippen rotator cuff

[Granite Mtn]

I hurt my shoulder logging about 5 years ago, could not even raise my arm.  Kept working out and got back to normal shooting 70 lb plus long bows within months.  This time I hurt it wrestling with high school state qualifier, can't draw a 40lb long bow.  Quickly built a left handed bow to use on a Texas pig hunt, never shot left handed before but managed to kill a couple on the hunt.  Now my question is can I ever expect to shoot 70 plus again right handed or should I just switch to left for good.  The problem is in my natural bow hand arm left.   Am already shooting 60 plus lbs left handed.

 Ps if you are a weak sister ie I have never shot over a 50 lb bow or a " I don't know why you would ever need over 50 lbs of bow weight" guy please do not chime in.

[reddogge]

Well, I for one would see an orthopedic surgeon and he can tell what's going on in your shoulder.  He'll prescribe physical therapy and meds first and if that doesn't work surgery unless you have some serious damage then straight to the operating table.

I had a torn tendon in my elbow last May but after surgery, therapy, and PT came back stronger than ever (just snuck over the weak sister line at 55#). That accident was unpreventable like your first accident.  I also protect my limbs so I can enjoy my hobbies to the fullest by not taking unnecesary risks.  I'm 66 with nothing to prove to anyone anymore.

[monkeyball]

Like reddogge said,"Get yourself to the doctor." If your really concerned about shooting right handed
again you need to find out what is wrong.
   Wrestling state champ ranked guys at 40 yrs old
sounds like you play hard too. It could be something as simple as bone spurs or maybe it is something more serious.You won't know until you get it checked.Good luck,

                     Craig

[Sean B]

Yup, get to an MD.  I had mine done in March of '02, along with a bunch of other stuff, and I was back to pulling 70# by August. You won't know till you talk to a Dr.

I'm currently sweating out a thumb injury on my bow hand. There's no strength, and lotsa pain. I have an MRI next week, and  new bow due in the week after! Good luck!!

[Hud]

Rotator cuff diagnosis is hard even for some doctors.  It may required an x-ray or MIR. I have an impinged rotator, left untreated it would have result in a tear requiring surgery. Mine is feeling much better after several weeks of therapy and controlled exercises every other day. I should be able to shoot in another week or two.

You should not try to diagnose the problem yourself, get to a professional.

[WOUNDED EAGLE]

You need to have an MRI done it will show whats wrong.

[Granite Mtn]

I have been to see a Bone Cracker, he took xrays I also have pinched nerve and other damage to vertabraes in my neck.  He ordered an MRI which I did Mon.  I play very hard and I like it.  I know for sure I have a torn cuff I also know that it is not a supper bad tear.  The results of the MRI will be back Fri.  I just wanted to hear from guys shooting heavy bows that have had shoulder surgery if you ever got back to 100% and also from guys that went the pt route.  Thanks

[GMMAT]

I'm a weak sister (shooting only 52#'s....lol).  But, I've been through a RC operation, also (many years of baseball, through college).  I had arthroscopic surgery in '99.

Get a GOOD ortho. Get a 2nd opinion.  Maybe get a 3rd.

My initial ortho wanted to splay me open and do a reconstruction.  My 2nd ordered a second MRI and performed the procedure arthroscopically.  It reduced my recovery by MONTHS.  I also did physical therapy 5 day/week for 7 weeks.

One thing I haven't seen addressed is your dominant eye.  THAT would concern me (when deciding which hand to shoot).

Good luck.

[Bill Carlsen]

Been there and done that. Had surgery back in the 80's and shot heavy bows until about 5 years ago. I went from 66-69# bows down to a 60# DAS master hunter. The improved performance of the ILF limbs made  up all the difference in the weight loss in the bow. I am going down to 55# and am awaiting on the new limbs which I have been told will outperform my 60# limbs. The advancement in bow performance should not have you too worried about shooting an effective weapon. I will leave it at that.

Most recently I have also had problems arise with neck vertebrae and pinched nerves. Here's my advice. Don't try to "man up" and get back to the heavy bows without the advise and help of good ortho people and PT. A minor rotator cuff tear that is not attended to properly is like have the glass lift on your bow and not getting it fixed. You are not going to get it better by doing nothing. If you love shooting the bow go real slow, get GOOD medical treatment and don't rush it. You may find some day that you may not be able to shoot at all. I don't think you want that.

[jhg]

If you like to play hard you are going to have to include exercises as you get older that were not necessary when you were younger. Like rotator cuff strenth exercises and these are totally different and using a lot less weight than "shoulder" exercises. As others have said, see a good ortho and a good phy. therapist.
You can't play hard if you break down the machine. Your body is teling yu the way it is and if yu don't approach things a little differently the way it will be. I started to run into these realities in my late 20's.

 Just trying to help you  keep you living life the way you want to.

Joshua

[Jeff Strubberg]

Weak sister?  Sheesh.

How about those of us who shot mid-70's bows and learned better?  Are we weak?

[LKH]

I don't know how you "know for sure" about having a tear.  I had surgery done on my left because the radiologist said the MRI showed a tear and when they got in there, I didn't.  

There are a series of exercises you can do with therapy bands that are great for strengthening all those little muscle groups around the cuff.  I think there are 7.  Without doing them on a regular basis I really suffer.

[Granite Mtn]

Thanks for all the input I really appreciate it.  I said weak sister just to inject a little humor into a down right depressing subject.  I have a tear because I can feel it,  The results of the MRI should be in soon so I will talk to the doc and may need to go see a ortho next week.  This getting old stuff stinks.

[GMMAT]

Just me....but I wouldn't do ANYTHING until I talked to an ortho.  Actually, I would've thought that's who would have ordered the MRI.

If you have ANY reservations on what the ortho says or suggests......do yourself a favor and get a 2nd opinion.  It saved me a NASTY scar.

Good luck.

[Gregg S]

A few years back I thought for sure that I had torn something in my left shoulder but the MRI showed that there was no tear. Two months of doing the exercises and I was back to shooting my usual weight. A year and a half ago my right shoulder was bothering me so I got it checked out. Got an MRI on that one. I really thought that it wasn't as bad as my left shoulder was. I had one torn tendon and another completely detatched. Years of delivering drywall and hanging it took their toll. The surgeon also ground down a bone spurr and (as he put it) cleaned up all the rest of the cobwebs in there. That was last Feb. I was able to shoot a lighter bow over the summer and then work back up in weight. I'm good now but have decided to stick with the lighter bows. I'm 55yrs. old and I want to be able to keep shooting (and hunting) as long as I can. Best of luck with your shoulder.

[Granite Mtn]

Well it turnrs out I am full of bs.  My wife talked to the doc no tear, bursitis in shoulder, pinched nerve in neck degeneratative disc in neck and arthritis in neck.  Sounds like I will be back in action in know time.  Thank god this left hand shooting is for the birds!

[Bowshot]

sounds familiar,just do like I did and not get anything fixed, don't follow any physio stuff either, that is for other people. In a couple of more years you will enjoy your neck and shoulder EVERY night, emphasized for a reason, mine takes no breaks. I have developed some weird bone based arthritis in my neck and shoulder. I get to wake up to a charlie horse sensation from my right ear to my elbow, luckily only if I sleep on my right side, left side, back or stomach. I still haven't backed down too far though on the draw weights, 65-75# longbows, they are too cool. Starting to shoot girl weight recurves though, 55-63#

I would keep shooting left handed as well as right handed when you figure you are healed up,that will stress both sides of your spine which will prevent some- a lot- of the stuff I have going on. An old Olympic archery coach laid that idea on me, sounds to simple to be true, just do something you have developed and are already doing. A visit to the ear Dr may have helped me as well, apparentley I don't listen until its too late to do anything relatively minor. The physiotherapy guy's know things as well, I had him write the stuff down,that way I can look at exactly what I should be doing. My guy specializes in a prehistoric form of  customer torture, he secretly wants to tear my arms off. What ever his plan is, it is slowly working.

 Good luck healing up, nice moose by the way!

Terry

[cedar]

Would I rather be a "weak sister" and still be shooting or a testosterone-filled cripple sitting on the couch?  Hmmm, tough question.  Sometimes it comes down to the gray matter between the ears.

[Jeff Strubberg]

Now that we've beat up Granite for not lsitening to his body, I do want to compliment him on something.

Good on ya for having the stones to switch to lefty in order to keep doing something you obviously love.  If you have developed any ability at all shooting left handed, keep it up!  I've been in a few treestand situations where being able to shoot southpaw would have given me a shot opportunity.

[jhg]

Originally posted by Granite Mtn:
... bursitis in shoulder, ....

Oh, I know that hurts! Slow healing too, at least for me.


Good luck!.

Joshua