Season ending injury?

[wapitirod]

I haven't posted in a few months with family stuff and my pistolsmith business as well as back surgery #8 and hernia surgery #2. I decided it was time to start shooting again but I've run into an issue and wanted to see if any of you have had this happen. I'll be seeing my doc shortly but my wife just changed jobs and she is my primary insurance over my medicare, fortunately it's a govt job so we only have to wait 30 days.  

I noticed last year when I started shooting traditional again my right pectorial muscle was sore as well as my right shoulder and back directly behind the peck.  I wrote it off to normal soreness and it seemed to mellow after the season. The problem I've had is 8 back surgeries in as many years and 17 surgeries in the past 15 years. I had quit shooting traditional because I was worried about my right wrist which has been opened up twice, once for carpal tunnel and then to remove three bones, reconnect the ligaments, remove one of the major nerve bundles and to be fused. The shoulder I had half a dozen tears repaired including bicep, labrial, rotator, tricep, and I had torn the sack that holds the fluid around the joint as well as some of the connective tissue. The biggest issue is I never gave my body time to really heal and regain some sort of conditioning.

To the point, earlier this spring I broke out my heaviest bow which is pulling around 80# and although I had the strength do draw it since I'm a big guy something gave. I've had pain in my right peck and around to the back and in the shoulder as before but this time it isn't getting better.

I tried drawing my 72# bow and I can do it but not without a lot of discomfort and I can't hold for very long. I do have bow with training wheels and I can still draw it so it may be an option, it may come to that or hunting with a revolver or rifle this year.

The question part of this is before I see the doc in a couple weeks have any of you had these symptoms? I also know there are some docs and physical therapist on here, do you have any advice on what to do meanwhile to try and get it healing? I'm not looking forward to being cut on again although it may be inevitable, by the way I'm only 45 so it's not like I have one foot in the grave  just a lot of hard miles.

[slivrslingr]

Seeing your Doc is the best advice, which you're already doing.  The only other thing I can suggest is to drop your bow weight.  You don't need a 70+lb. bow to kill an elk, a well tuned 50ish lb. bow/arrow setup will work fine.  Good luck and do what your Doc tells you.

[xtrema312]

Stop shooting until you see your doc.  Heat, ice, and natural anti-inflammatory meds would be my process until then.  I would also do some very very very gentle stretching and range of motion stuff just to keep limber and see if I can work out a strain of some kind.  I would stop that if it hurts more than helps.  Often I solve the issue that way on my own unless it is more serious.  

I have had an issue in the peck and it reached into other areas of the back on the right. Mine started one year when I switched to shooting three under from split.  Something about the way I pulled the string like the arm angle or some muscles I was using and probably shouldn’t have been using.  I changed back and took it easy.  I was able to work through it, but it took a few months to totally clear up.  

I thought my three back surgeries and 5 total was a lot.  Can’t imagine 8 and 17.  You need to go easy on your body.  45 is older than you think in regards to what you can subject your body to and recover quickly from. You just can’t lay off something a long time and then just try and jump back in at the level you were like you did 20 years ago. I find now that I am hitting my 50’s, not only can’t I just jump back in where I was, but I likely can’t even work back to where I was.  I sure wouldn’t be pulling anywhere near the bow weight you are with your history and a long layoff on that weight.

[gonefishing600]

I concur what Xtrema312 said!

When I was in high school I injured my back playing football. That injury haunted me into my twenties. One day a dear friend of mine invited me as a guest to a gym that he had been going to. After about a year and a half of working out, my back pain was gone, and I’m now 54 years old with no back trouble.

It looks like you’re at a crossroad, and you need to have a long talk with yourself, or you’re going to have one foot closer to being disabled. I believe a lot of these problems you’re having can be solved with a little bit of weight training, and staying in good physical condition and warming up before you go pulling on an 80# bow.

I would highly recommend a light weight training program on a routine basis at your local gym, I would get your doctor, physical therapist, and a gym instructor involved, after you get cleared by your doctor of course.

So just out of curiosity, what caused all of these injuries?

Good luck.

[Bill Carlsen]

Listen to  your doc and drop you bow weight about 20#'s! Hunting with a light weight bow beats not hunting at all, IMO.

[gringol]

Drop some weight, bro!  80# is cool, but heavy doesn't kill anything but you.

[wapitirod]

The bow weight thing I'm coming to terms with slowly, I've had the bows for quite a while and just didn't even think about it being an issue until after the fact. As I said being a big guy I just never gave it a second thought but then again that has led to a lot of my issues.

The back started when I was 21 and I dropped a heavy electric motor I should have used the electric lift on in the first place but I tried to catch it about knee high. I managed to get through my twenties ok but in 04 I had my first back surgery. Since then I've had an issue with rapid degeneration of the disc above the fused portion. I'm fused from L2 to S1 and the last surgery in Nov they found I had broken two of the titanium bolts from the previous surgery. I also banged up my neck from jamming it repeatedly when I was still working as an auto tech. I'm 6'3" and most of the lifts would go just high enough for me to smash my head into things so C4 to C6 is fused and the C5-C6 fusion had to be re done because I was rear ended 6 mos after the initial surgery which pulled the screws and plate loose in the front of my neck and they think also contributed to C4-C5 failing.

The wrist was also from my occupation in the mechanical fields and then I finished off my right wrist from shooting hand cannons. I used to think more recoil meant more fun which is how I got into my current occupation after they disabled me in 07.

I'm slowly getting wiser but my mind still wants to think I'm 20 something and my pride gets in the way a lot. My wife tries to help but it's hard dealing with the way people look when my 5'7" wife is carrying a 50lb bag of dog food while her 6'3" 250lb husband  is standing there with his hands in his pockets, especially since I was raised old school.

I guess it's time to start looking at a new custom bow in a lighter weight, what a bummer to have to buy a new bow  

thanks guys

[Bill Carlsen]

Sounds like you are learning your limits. It doesn't get much better as we get older. As I have aged I have to admit that my focus has changed from being strong and tough to being fit and functional.

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

See your doctor first. Get an estimate on recovery time, then have a new bow show up right at the end of said period!

[Bladepeek]

I agree with Bill Carlsen. It might be cool to say "I draw an 80 # bow", but at this point in life, what do you really need to prove to yourself or anyone. Sounds to me like you've been punishing your bod just a tad more than it wants to put up with. Start listening to your body and shoot what it's willing to accept long term.

It's still just as much fun!

[Burnsie]

45-50 pound would probably do you wonders,  but definitely see a Doc before doing anything.

[wapitirod]

Yeah I find myself shooting my 22's now more than my big 500 cal revolvers so it's probably time to do the same with my bows. The one good thing is when I had given up hunting with trad equipment before due to injuries things like carbons and fast flight strings were just getting main stream. I always shot heavy bows to compensate for my issues with judging distance but with the new technology I'm guessing I should still be able to do pretty good. I'll probably change my hunting style from still hunting to stand hunting too which should allow more close up shots.
Thanks guys I'll let you know what I come up with and I'll probably have Wes build me a new set of limbs for one of my Stealth risers.

[Sam McMichael]

See the doc, and follow his advice. Whenever he lets you pick up the bow again, go lighter. As stated so many times, shooting heavy bows can be fun, but it is not necessary for successful hunting.

[pdk25]

Gotta agree with the others about the lighter bow thing.  Nothing wrong with shooting 70 or 80 pound, for sure.  I guess since I had to work my way up to 100# bows, and shoot more in the 70-80 pound range, I realize that if you aren't accustomed to it, you can't just pick up a heavy bow off of the shelf and not expect bad things to happen.  You gotta warm up my friend.  You don't see a weighlifter just walk into the gym and throw their max weight on the bench or squat rack without warming up.  The better condition you are in, the closer to your limits you can start.  I am sure you know all of this.  Good luck to you.  I hope that it works out for you and that you aren't laid up too long.

[LittleBen]

Yeah man, if you're 6'3", you must draw 30" or more. At that draw length 45# will toast deer, or elk or whatever you wannna shoot ...

Tone down the weight alot .... ALOT. and See the doctor. Sell every bow you have over 50#, and never look back.

You'll feel better being able to help your wife out more than you will from drawing a crazy heavy bow.

[wapitirod]

you nailed it, I shoot a 31" arrow and draw 30/30.5". I just didn't think or realize how much conditioning I'd lost and the big one is I figured if the bow was too heavy I just wouldn't be able to draw it. I was able to draw it fine initially but I wasn't expecting anything to give the way it did.