Elbow Issues/ This may work

[PastorSteveHill]

I've been suffering from elbow issues for some time now. I had to take 3 months off and rehab. I got back to normal, then it hit again. tennis elbow. It comes from me holding the string. It is in the string side elbow.  It was so bad that I was to the point of not even being able to make the "3 Fingers Under Grip" even empty handed...  My elbow got locked up, couldn't bend it etc..  I've been rehabing it again for a couple weeks.   Someone put me onto a special elbow brace that is made in Sweeden somewhere. I tried it for just a shot or two and it felt really weird at first.  But... I may be able to make it work... I mean, I'll try and shoot, but if It hurts, I'm not gonna push it, but I sure have my fingers crossed ... Please Lord, let this work....

Anybody else have any good advice for elbow issues?  Besides, "NOt shooting"....

Steve

[rastaman]

Good luck to you sir! And i hope you have found your "cure" with the brace!

[Whip]

I'm not at all familiar with your problem, but is it possibly something that switching hands might help?  If it is just one elbow, maybe it would work to hold the bow instead of pulling the string?
Good luck with the brace!

[30coupe]

My 46# Kanati pretty much cured my elbow issues, both bow side and string side. It draws smoothly and is light enough that I don't get the hard rebound on release. I think that is where the pain comes from rather than holding, unless you are raising your elbow too high on the draw. The Kanati also has zero hand shock, which is a major contributor to bow side elbow pain.

I'm no doctor, but having overcome my own tendonitis this way, I can recommend it. I suppose any light draw weight bow with zero hand shock would do, but you'd be hard pressed to find a low poundage bow that will sling an arrow like a Kanati. My 46# blows an arrow right on through our rather large Iowa bucks. I think you could even drop a bit lower and have similar results on game.

Hope you get healed up and keep shooting. I was bummed when I read that you were going to give up trad.

Russ

[Bjorn]

I have had elbow issues from a variety of sports since the early 1980's. It comes and goes and when it gets real bad I get a cortizone shot which is a complete but temporary cure, it enables me to do the recommended exercises and the pain sometimes stays away for a couple of years or more.
Dropping bow weight has also helped-like what Russ said above.
Make sure you go to a real sports medicine doc if you want to talk about cortizone shots, there are a lot of old wives tales out there.

[Earthdog]

I have tendonitis in my bow arm,,I "always" wear a brace when shooting.
Wore it for the last 5 years or so,the elbow is never going to come right but wearing the brace means I can control it.

[Hawkeye]

Steve,

You also might want to do a little research on You Tube or Google for "Tyler Twist" and "Reverse Tyler Twist".

It is a really easy exercise developed by an orthopedic MD using a Thera-band Flexbar... a little rubber bar.  I had a physical therapist friend look into it, and he said it looked like it would be really good for tennis elbow or golfer's elbow (the reverse situation).

Probably cost you $15 to try it, but it might help keep you shooting!

All the best,

Daryl

[KSdan]

prolotherapy healed mine in 6 weeks

[JRY309]

When I had elbow pain a few years ago,my doctor told me I had tennis elbow and to get a brace to help.I got a elbow brace and looked up online and got some physical therapy to do.So I wore the brace when shooting and shot my lighter bows.I did the exercises,used ice and rest my elbow more and I worked it out without getting any shots and medicine.It took all summer but it worked out for me.

[Paul Mattson]

I had it bad in both elbows, last year it was my left and this year my right. It was to so bad that I could not pick up and grip anything.  Went thru therapy and had a couple of braces.  The only thing that worked was a cortizone injection.  It worked great, this last time I had to get two injections in my right elbow a month apart.  Now I can shoot pain free.

[firsted]

I've had bad elbows for years; what I've always done to rehab/prevent elbow issues is to strengthen/stretch the muscles/tendons opposite those being strained.  I exercise/stretch  my "push" when my "pull" is strained.  Also, I've used accupuncture w/great success as well as pressure point massage/therapy.  Good luck.

Eddie Paulsgrove

[David Bartholomew]

Steve,

From what you're describing, it sounds like more than "tennis elbow".  

For the past 16+ years, most of my work has been focused on orthopedic rehabilitation.

If you wish to give me a shout... we can talk about your concerns and maybe I can give you a suggestion or two.

David

[owlbait]

SURGERY! That is what "cured"my elbow problems. Doc drilled holes in the ligament which promoted blood flow to the area which finally healed and now no pain. I went with the braces and injections and therapy for a long time before I gave in though. Now, no pain.