Anyone hurt themselves letting of the bow?

[BowmanMike]

I screwed up my right shoulder( am righthanded) somehow. I don't really know what I did to it. I was out hunting on Sunday afternoon and got pretty cold and drew the bow back once and then let it off again. It didn't feel bad then. I got really chilled before I climbed down and got out of the woods.

Sunday night I was feeling fine, but Monday morning the shoulder felt a little stiff and only got worse throughout the day. It is right on top of the shoulder. Could hardly sleep last night.

I don't know if I slept in a weird position or what the heck is going on. Any thoughts?

I am seeing a doctor today for unrelated issue, but might as well get two for one, right? 

[gfdeputy2]

Yup happened to me a few years ago. I pulled more muscles than I knew I had.

I had to get rid of my Hoyt due to it as I couldn't draw it at 50#'s & switched to a Mathews Solocam which I can draw at over 60#'s took months of PT to where I now have no pain but still have an issue with it being stiff some days I learned the hard way & now always stretch before going out especially when the temps start dropping Hope you didn't do any damage & is just sore

Edited October 20, 2015 by gfdeputy2

[Hock3y24]

I stretch good when I get to my stand since my

Body has warmed up, when cold and stiff pulling the bow back can strain some muscles.

[stoneam2006]

Good thread....other than the injury I think I will start stretching at the stand now hope the shoulder pain goes away for you

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[Nomad]

Two impinged shoulders , bone spurs in one, beginning of frozen shoulder.

Pinched nerve in neck that makes arms " fall asleep". Through months of PT I shoot my bow fine as well as let down. It may take months of PT and doing excersizes 5 times a day to get back to normal or maybe just R.I.C.E.

Not sure what warming up on stand will do , warm up then sit for hours?

I think conditioning is a year round effort , including PT type movements. Good Luck, hope it's nothing major .

[gfdeputy2]

Two impinged shoulders , bone spurs in one, beginning of frozen shoulder.

Pinched nerve in neck that makes arms " fall asleep". Through months of PT I shoot my bow fine as well as let down. It may take months of PT and doing excersizes 5 times a day to get back to normal or maybe just R.I.C.E.

Not sure what warming up on stand will do , warm up then sit for hours?

I think conditioning is a year round effort , including PT type movements. Good Luck, hope it's nothing major .

should have included that I stretch before shooting my bow

while hunting I do it throughout the day

 

[grampy]

I have torn rotator cuff in both shoulders. I can't hold full draw for more than a few seconds. So it's draw and shoot for me now with my bow set at 50 pounds or so. Even had to change the way I draw the bow. Every day there is pain, some worse than others. I can have surgery at any time, but trying to figure what 12 weeks to take for recovery, and up to a year to be "normal" is difficult for me. Looking forward to the crossbow in a couple weeks. I can attest to shoulder issues being a real pain!

[Nomad]

Ya it can't hurt to stretch .

Grampy I liked your post, not because you're all messed up but because of your dedication to the bow and hunting . I work as a firefighter awhile back my shoulders were so bad it hurt to hang my bunker coat on the side of the rig. That really made me think , should I be working( probably not at that point ) , how long can I hold out and so on. PT made a world of difference for now....

Getting old is not for the weak.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Larry302

[deerpassion]

I screwed up my right shoulder( am righthanded) somehow. I don't really know what I did to it. I was out hunting on Sunday afternoon and got pretty cold and drew the bow back once and then let it off again. It didn't feel bad then. I got really chilled before I climbed down and got out of the woods.

Sunday night I was feeling fine, but Monday morning the shoulder felt a little stiff and only got worse throughout the day. It is right on top of the shoulder. Could hardly sleep last night.

I don't know if I slept in a weird position or what the heck is going on. Any thoughts?

I am seeing a doctor today for unrelated issue, but might as well get two for one, right?

Don't just see a doctor if your that worried about it, he will just give you a muscle relaxer and tell you to come back in a week .... Go see a Physical Therapist who can accurately diagnose And treat what sounds like a musculoskeletal problem by the sounds of it ... NY state allows direct access to PT without Dr. Prescription for first 10 visits or 30 days .... Could be a simple muscle strain by putting to much force on the muscle while it is lengthening during let down .... I'm a PT and I've been seeing 7 bow hunters for the last few weeks trying to get back due to rotator cuff / shoulder stability issues.... Good luck ! Most likely it will resolve itself in a week , if not that you need someone to take a look , Joe

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Five Seasons]

try to stay loose without moving is not easy but it's possible. at the very least, some light shrugs for 30 seconds will help to get the blood flowing.

[BowmanMike]

Thank you for the info guys. I just got back from my orthopedic surgeon and she thought it was nothing major. Boy do I hope she is right. I got a cortisone shot and am supposed to report back in a few days and take it easy until then.

Joe, I do realize my right shoulder has definetely less range of motion than my left shoulder on the best of days. Comes from working as a mason for almost 20 years now. Sometimes it is pretty tight and I do some exercises to keep supple, but I do not do it enough.

I have my bow set at 60# and shot a few 3d shoots before the season, one was 40 targets and had no problem with fatigue or soreness.

Maybe the cold temps were the big factor.

I have to take a few days off, too bad I can not hunt!! Probably have to give it a rest until the rut really kicks in. I have to be better by then.

[dbHunterNY]

year ago I had issues with my right shoulder.  I shoot right handed.  .  basically I was in a car accident that tweaked it a bit.  healed fine I thought.  then while my wife was in a long labor I put weight on it wrong, slept a little on it wrong in crappy chair I got, or something else.  after that I couldn't lift my arm and babied it a bit.  after much of the pain went away I lost ton of strength and range of motion.  couldn't even wiggle the string on a 50# bow.  finally saw primary doc and then went to a PT doc.  still not sure if something tore or pulled or what.  did exactly what PT said now I'm fine.  could pull over 70# easily.  between those experiences and shooting I've learned you have to stretch the muscles after and sometimes during exercise.  that includes shooting bow often.  also keeping muscles toned for the job is key.  if it's been a long off season turn the bow down and build up to full weight before the season.  season is long too so shoot when you can during the season.  just because you can get the bow back doesn't mean you're conditioned to do so and aren't doing damage that will catch up to ya.  cold long still sits on stand doesn't allow much warming up.  when you have to stretch legs though and move a little move your arms too.  pull with same muscles using other arm for resistance, then release resistance and stretch.  do this a handful of times to warm muscles and get a deep stretch.  stretching cold muscles can do more harm than good.

[dbHunterNY]

...more to add.  my docs didn't believe in shots.  you've got to feel if you're doing something it doesn't like.  muscle relaxers I got but was told to use them sparingly to sleep and that it was only to relieve tension in neck from shoulder pain as I had a ton of it.  resistance and exercises seem stupid and insufficient at first but trust the PT and results will follow.

[G-Man]

Happens sooner or later to anyone who has to draw big weight, unless you shoot year round, dozens of arrows. You will blow out the shoulder I can't count how many friends and family have blown out their rotator cuff. 50 to 55 lbs will kill anything in North america.

[deerpassion]

Happens sooner or later to anyone who has to draw big weight, unless you shoot year round, dozens of arrows. You will blow out the shoulder I can't count how many friends and family have blown out their rotator cuff. 50 to 55 lbs will kill anything in North america.

I'm not going to discount your statement if your consistently drawing and shooting consistently year round , not going to give numbers because simply there is no research to support the frequency of shots to pathology .... But I am going to respectfully disagree , and go the other direction .... Shoulder or as you have referenced rotator cuff pathology / issues is a cumulative problem , yes, and age related change , yes, a postural issue over time , and repetitive or cumulative stress issue to those muscles and shoulder mechanics ... Our society and technology has made everything on us easier , with computers , cars , sedentary lifestyles , etc .... This causes us to have poor movement patterns within poor rounded shoulder/head forward postures throughout our day , day after day .... This is the root cause of many spinal conditions ( bulging disc most commonly with nerve root compression) to shoulder impingement ( biceps tendon and supra supraspinatus or rotator cuff pathology ). So the amount of shooting as well as the mechanics involved especially on the wt pulling/ drawing arm are not frequent/substantial enough to be the root cause most of the time .... Some one would be more likely to have issues with the stabilizing arm ! As a PT and a hunter I continually work on my stabilizing arm/ shoulder due to stability issues from a labral tear many years ago ... As we age a few simple rotator cuff exercises can make all the difference !!!! It's not hog wash . It's scientific musculoskeletal fact ... Lol. See your local PT if you feel you fall into this category , we're not all squares . Dr. Joe Hitchcock, PT, DPT, OCS ... And go kill em !!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cityboy]

Had a shoulder surgeon tell me most guys over 50 have a couple of partially torn rotator muscles, wouldn't try to surgically fix them. Even if one rotator was completely torn he wouldn't try to fix it in a guy over 50, odds are it would just tear again. Exercise with rubber bands and light weights like a pitcher would. 

 

Shoulder injuries are among the most painful and difficult to live with. Typically guys can only get some sleep in their easy chair. 

 

On an upbeat note an old timer I know told me his surgeon said bow shooting was about the best thing for a bad shoulder. 

 

I'm going to approach an older buddy whose career was athletic trainer about putting out a manual for how to work out as we age.  I've been learning through the years as I get older I have to exercise differently from when I was young. My workouts are mostly now in the pool or the gym so I can get one or two days a week in the woods.  

[Taylormike]

Fortunately I have never injured myself letting the bow back into the rest position.  I was told by bow tuner to never draw a bow dry, especially with just fingers.  If you use a release you should only draw with the release.  I guess a lot of the new designed bows have such short brace heights with such quick cams, etc. that it is too risky to draw without the arrow.  I don't let anyone draw my bow unless they have an arrow in it and preferably a release on too!

 

I'm not uptight either, just trying to avoid a disaster.  I actually know someone who dry fired their new bow hours after purchasing it. Tried to draw with fingers and no arrow and it slipped.  It caused major damage.  375-500 or something.  I sort of got off topic, sorry...

Edited October 21, 2015 by Taylormike

[deerpassion]

Had a shoulder surgeon tell me most guys over 50 have a couple of partially torn rotator muscles, wouldn't try to surgically fix them. Even if one rotator was completely torn he wouldn't try to fix it in a guy over 50, odds are it would just tear again. Exercise with rubber bands and light weights like a pitcher would.

Ya, the problem with trying to repair a rotator cuff the older we get is to compare sowing a nice healthy (young) clean edge together vs. trying to sow frayed tissue paper together .... Also depends on how long you wait to have it done , longer you wait the more scar tissue will build up leaving less viable muscle tissue to sow together....

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Core]

Not sure what warming up on stand will do , warm up then sit for hours?

Agree. See no purpose to warming up or stretching if then sitting on a stand. If archery is like other physical activities, pre-stretching is not strongly correlated with reduced injury rates.

 

I've worked out for a couple of decades and the only time I had any real shoulder pain was doing some work on my house. I don't even remember what caused it, but one day I realized I couldn't raise my arm to the side without pain. After a couple of months the pain wasn't subsiding at all. I went to PT and inside of two weeks I could start to very slightly feel it getting better. Two weeks after that it was clear: the PT was helping. I kept at it and pain went away. First time I've ever had PT truly work on something really well. All PT involved was a lot of shoulder work from various angles. It really was that simple.

 

This is also why I only shoot just over 50 lbs. I'm sure I could handle a 70 lb bow but I don't want to. Musculoskeletal pain is no joke and I couldn't care less about losing a little energy in my arrow if it helps keep things in check.

 

I also never work through pain anymore on any activity I do. I have long term issues from running due to not listening to my body properly and i will never repeat this mistake again. So for example if I engage in a new activity and I'm feeling some joint pain somewhere I cut it right back until that pain goes away before resuming, so that my body can adjust sufficiently. I'm still surprised how slowly tendon pain can resolve, even from minor tweaks.

Edited October 21, 2015 by Core

[Five Seasons]

Happens sooner or later to anyone who has to draw big weight, unless you shoot year round, dozens of arrows. You will blow out the shoulder I can't count how many friends and family have blown out their rotator cuff. 50 to 55 lbs will kill anything in North america.

 

And I know dozens of bow hunters who have never torn or blown anything. I disagree that it's a matter of time. All my uncles and late grandpa are in their 60's or late 70's without issue. My grandpa decreased poundage as he got older, but dad and uncles are still pretty high. They all exercise, practice and are in good shape. That's the important part. Doesn't make you immune but it helps. They all also draw occasionally throughout the sit.

[G-Man]

And I know dozens of bow hunters who have never torn or blown anything. I disagree that it's a matter of time. All my uncles and late grandpa are in their 60's or late 70's without issue. My grandpa decreased poundage as he got older, but dad and uncles are still pretty high. They all exercise, practice and are in good shape. That's the important part. Doesn't make you immune but it helps. They all also draw occasionally throughout the sit.

Well you said it.and so did I they practice a d work out, 90% of hunters pick up their bow a month (if they are lucky) or less before the season, pull.back using weight and muscles that have sat idol for a year or more and then when season comes they don't practice anymore.. but hunt every day. That is the recipe for a torn / blown shoulder. That is why I said unless you practice year round, (exercise Is a form of practice.)

[Deer stalker]

Happens to me, not really bad but on occasion. When I hold it closer to my body while letting the string back I don't have any issues.

[ants]

It helps to stretch a little in the morning. I do some stretches and draw the bow a few times, in the morning. …….But sometimes I still pull a muscle while brushing my teeth….