Injuries and Trad Folks

[2bird]

some peoples body’s quit on them way faster then others. My grandma smoked 3 packs a day, drank and still mowed her lawn and shoveled her drive way until she was 96. some people are just about physically useless after age 55, i guess it really just depends on the person.

[bowheadhunter]

getting HURT OR JUST GETTING OLD it will  COME A TIME WHEN we cannot shoot trad bows,than grab a Cross Bow relax let the cross bow become your next arrow a bow is a bow the arrow kills.

[boinky]

Originally posted by longbowman:
Boinky,  If you shoot correctly and shoot regularly I don't know why you would have any more shoulder/elbow problems than anybody else who shoots any kind of bow.  I'm mid 60's and still shoot bows in the 70/80# range with no problems.  I'm not a big guy either, 5'8" 155#.  I too read on this site about guys having these problems and don't quite understand why.

Thanks!  I think I'll be just fine, just wanted to get some advice!

I started out with a light bow and will stick with that for a little while.

[elkken]

Many shoulder and elbow injuries can come with age, but mine are not just from trad archery even though I have been doing it for over 50 years. It's also baseball, football, basketball, racquet ball, chopping hundreds of cords of wood …. the list goes on, try to keep yourself in shape, don't over bow yourself and archery can be enjoyed for a long long time. Be good to your body and it will be good to you … and remember the old saying " if I knew I was going to live this long I would have taken better care of myself"    

[katie]

I had my shoulder re-done last fall but that came from college soccer and not trad.  Just now starting to be able to shoot again.  Hope to make hunting weight by season.  May just have to settle on bunnies this year.  But hey, I will be back in the woods!

[stagetek]

I have some right shoulder issues that prolonged shooting will aggravate, but shooting a bow for 48 years did not cause that problem. All of my joint problems (knee and shoulder) are work related.

[Bladepeek]

hang around a group of tennis players or bowlers if you want to hear about joint/tendon/muscle injuries  

[Sam McMichael]

Proper form is critical. The only archery related shoulder injury I have had came from experimentation with the way I was drawing a heavy bow. That experiment didn't go so well.

[Babbling Bob]

When I do not shoot for a while, I may have to start back slowly and not shoot as many arrows per practice session.  Form is a big part of it as mentioned above, so starting back shooting slowly works for the form and for the muscles as well.

However, the only pains I have had at 68 came from my work outs for two years starting three years ago with a trainer.  When I had leg pains or shoulder pains, working through it with the trainer was better than just not doing anything at all.  This led me to believe that like archery, working through any minor shoulder pain can be done slowly and it is better than backing off completely.  

I have seen friends have to quit shooting and sell their bows because of arthritis, work injury, or something similar, but that's a whole  topic.

[Pointer]

I sometimes struggled with tendonitis in my elbow but I can't say that it can all be blamed on archery...I play quite a bit of tennis and that's a major factor. Still, I found that some of my longbows could be a little tough on my shoulder and elbow. I found that my arrows were a bit too light...I went heavier and that helped a great deal. haven't had any problems in several years now

[GreyGoose]

I worry a lot more about getting injured muscles or joints shoveling snow or some such than when I'm shooting.

[buckeye_hunter]

I developed an injury from lifting weights plus shooting. I've been waiting on the AC joint in my shoulder to heal for about 10 months..... It's either time/waiting or have the joint removed.

I'm trying to wait it out. I'm 41 for whatever that might be worth.

[Bowwild]

I also read a lot of shoulder issues here as well.  I tend to think, due to my experience described below, that other things contributed more or as much to bow shooting.

I'm 61 and have been shooting since I was a teenager. Never shot (recurves) much above 50#s.  I did go through a span of 34 years shooting compounds in the 600-73# range. I love to shoot and if I'm not hurt or traveling it has been a rare day most of my life that I didn't shoot 4-30 arrows or more per day.

I started having some bow shoulder issues when I first tried to return to recurves in December 2008. It took until August of 2009, doing nothing, for the pain to just stop one day.

This past December pain returned to the bow shoulder. It has been with me every day since. I can shoot but it "stings" when I release the string. It is front of the shoulder radiating to the bicep. Doctor and oath says no damage other than bicep tendons rubbing against curving bone joint structure in the shoulder that they say can happen as we age.

Interesting thing (not really fun interesting though) both times the shoulder began hurting I was doing the same thing. I was lifting and carrying too much weight (furniture and lumber) AND exercising with a recurve that was about 10 pounds heavier than I intended to hunt with.

I contend the furniture and lumber (overhead stuff) inflamed the tendons.

I'm concerned right now that a once in a lifetime archery elk tag (KY) that I drew may not get used this year. I can shoot (killed a bear with the curve in June) I just can't practice much and I am hoping to extend my effective range by 10 yards for the elk hunt.

The doctor has prescribed naproxen (500MG) twice daily and some silly (seems so) arm raises with 3 pound weights to strengthen the bow shoulder. Ice it too.  Because these seems silly (read ineffective) too me I'm not too diligent following doctor's orders.

He has offered a shot of steroid for the elk hunt but that doesn't help me extend my range through practice. Surgery (arthroscopic) is 3rd option but I guess that would put me down through the hunting season?

Anyone ever do the exercises and naproxen and have the shoulder recover?

[achigan]

I've had 3 rotator cuff surgeries.I'm just now getting back to shooting after my January 22 slice and dice. I had a complete separation of the lower bicep tendon and a near complete separation of the ligaments that connect the deltoid to the shoulder. At PT they told me they had an electrician that has had both shoulders done TWICE. That from doing a lot of overhead work. IMHO some of us are just built just a little different, and have bone spurs that rub on tendons and ligaments. I've heated with wood for 30 years, cut it down, cut it up, haul, split, stack, haul then dump the ashes. Lots of wear and tear. Many times I wasn't "set" for the weight of wet oak, thinking it was something lighter, and tore things up a little bit. That X 100 and I needed surgery. If shoulder pain lingers, see a professional ortho. NO amount of chiropractor can heal torn ligaments and tendons. Feel free to PM.

[David Mitchell]

I was just going to post what M60gunner said.  I see guys just string up a bow and pull her back to full draw with no limbering up and warm up.  Do some range of motion exercises for a bit and let your muscles get used to the draw weight a bit more gradually.  Also understand that it doesn't take real heavy poundage to kill most animals that most of us hunt.  I have heard so many older archers lamenting that they shot bows that were too heavy in their youth.  By the way, I am 71 and have been shooting over 50 years and no shoulder problems.  

[Producer]

You might think I am crazy but if you have sholder joint problems try switching to a high quality mattress. I realized that when I slept a certain way on my shoulder it would be agravated and it never got a chance to clear up inflamation. I also found if you take a couple Benadryl about twenty minutes before you shoot it helps. If you feel a little sore after you shoot ice your shoulder.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I recently tore up my left shoulder, basically destroyed my left collar bone and now I've got 3 steel plates, numerous screws and huge scar. I only hope that I can still pull my #50 Bear Kodiak Mag by the time the season gets here? I don't want to push things, but I really need to start hitting that foam like Right Now!?

[pdk25]

Originally posted by buckeye_hunter:
I developed an injury from lifting weights plus shooting. I've been waiting on the AC joint in my shoulder to heal for about 10 months..... It's either time/waiting or have the joint removed.

I'm trying to wait it out. I'm 41 for whatever that might be worth.

Hurt my AC joint yanking a saddle off of a bucking horse.  Kept shooting all of my bows.  It was painful, but kept on doing it.  When I had kneee surgery I decided to have the surgery on the AC joint as well.  Best surgery I ever had.  Shooting my 45# bowfishing bow within 7 days.  The doctor said I wouldn't do any damage, and it was just a matter of how much pain I could take.  The good thing about this surgery is that it is also a preventative of sorts, by opening up the rotator cuff interval and helping to avoid future impingment/tears.

[thump]

I tore the Bicep long head tendon off from my right shoulder this past April, while lifting. And the surgeon said,that this type of injury was pretty much irreversible,and surgery would only be cosmetic.Now after three months of rest and rehab I'm back shooting my longbows.

[buckeye_hunter]

I just found out Monday when I went in for a cortisone shot that the A/C resection isn't that big a deal. The way they explained it at first, I though the entire joint would be removed. Now I know they only shave a few millimeters off the bone and it can provide years of longevity to the shoulder.

If the pain from my AC joint comes back after this shot, then I'm having the surgery. I have heard from too many people saying it is the best thing they ever did.