Rotator cuff and shoulder problems

[bottomdweller]

Hi guys, been dealing with some major shoulder issues.  Havent been able to shoot for a couple months.  Had the steroid injection in one shoulder and it has not helped, will be getting a mri to see if it is a blown rotator cuff.  Question    anyone here have the surgery and made it back to bow hunting.  Just got a new bow last year and it makes me nausious thinking I wont be able to bowhunt this year.   I know I can use a crossbow, but it just woudnt be the same for me.

[leech~~]

At least if you have to get something done you have all summer to rehab it. The sooner the better to get it done. Good Luck.

 

[RebelSS]

I had a total cuff "rebuild". Biggest issue is giving it PLENTY of time to heal. I had a walleye tourney like 6 weeks after, and did fish it. BIg mistake. Never did heal right. Can't do overhead or pullbacks with that arm anymore...15 years later. I'd say if you get it done in EARLY spring, rehab it right, by Fall you should  be good to go, depending on exactly what they do.

[LindellProStaf]

1 year to complete heal.  Have had 2 done.  I use a crossbow now.  

[fivebucks]

Using a crossbow may not be the same but it is still bowhunting.  You still have to get close enough and beat the deer in their backyard.  I had to switch to a crossbow about 15 years ago and it was not too different for me.

[ozzie]

I had my rotator shaved as I had an impingement and although the sleeping is better and I can functionally use it It still is painful with the right/wrong movement.  I second the rehab and letting the shoulder completely heal and strengthen before doing certain activities.  Good luck as I have recently been considering going back and having them relook at my shoulder

[rkhinrichs]

Has anyone seen  Nock on recently? John is pulling back his bow with a mouth releases. Pretty sweet

[sunniewally]

start slow and use rubber bands to  start and start with a very few pounds. depends howbad the shoulder is. will take along time.

 

[Ufatz]

Not much help here.  Four hours of surgery on right shoulder. Never been the same. Problems down into the bicep. Did professional trainer rehab and still do some.  Might be my trap and skeet days are over. But as long as I can roll cast a four weight and watch my little girl get the birds for the other guys I'm good to go.

Hell......I should have been dead meat half dozen times before this so you'll hear no serious complaints from me.

Oh....maybe a little whining if my steak is not done perfectly or the Chateau Margaux seems a little "off".

Take your time getting back into things.

[O.T.C.]

I'm in this boat but do not bow hunt, MRI says Labrum, with year round hunting almost now there is no good time to get it done. Spring goose is soon, turkey next so I guess May-July is the time but trolling cranks for eyes and casting pounders for muskies might miss that then August 7th rolls around and it's 10 honkers until the Sept. season ends then October waterfowl November deer some years muzzle loading so mid Dec.-March 1st is maybe a window idk lol. Really sucks and really sucks that my shoulder was finished off by shooting 3.5BB Hypersonic loads in a pump, thanks Remington for that lol If you want a serious manly challenge try to shoot like 10 rounds of those out of a pump straight up like you might for geese and I'll schedule your MRI for ya,.

[Scoot]

Unfortunately, this is all too common among archers.  It's definitely not just limited to rotator cuff either- all kinds of problems can be caused by yanking back 70 lbs. over and over for many years.  I'm down to 62 lbs. and I can't shoot nearly as much as I use to.  I love to shoot my bow, but I also like to sleep and play catch with my kids, so I can't shoot my bow so much. 

[SmellEsox]

About 10 years ago I was dealing with soreness in both shoulders.  Shooting was painful.  Got a couple injections that really didn't seem to help.  Thought I was dealing with rotator problems.  Got MRIs done on both shoulders.  Turns out that I have dysplasia in both shoulders.  The cup shaped bone in my shoulder where the end of the Humerus sits is smaller than normal so the joint is unstable and moves around a lot.  So the meniscus in there is getting battered all the time which caused inflammation and pain.  The secret for me has been to do strengthening exercises with bands for my shoulders combined with stretching.  I do stretching every morning and work the bands 2-3 times a week.  It has kept me in the game for the last 10 years and I know I can draw my bow easier now than back then.  I honestly don't think I'd still be bowhunting had I not started working on this.  But definitely get the diagnosis.  But avoid surgery if you can.

[Scoot]

35 minutes ago, SmellEsox said:

But definitely get the diagnosis.  But avoid surgery if you can.

Both of these pieces of advice are spot on!  You can hear from a dozen different people online and they will tell you "it sounds like this" or "that's just like my symptoms, so you must have X just like me".  These are almost always people trying to be helpful, but this info isn't helpful.  Get a diagnosis from someone who knows what he/she is doing.  Do all you can to avoid surgery, but if you need it, go for it and take it really, really slow afterwards.  Good luck! 

[bottomdweller]

Great advice, got the mri and just waiting for results.  Been working on the bands for a month now as well. 

[bottomdweller]

Mri shows 2 partial tears and bone spurs and moderate arthritis.  Dang being fifty isnt all its cracked up to be.  Now to meet with the specialist and decide on which route to go

[Scoot]

Dang!  That's not what you were hoping to hear!  Best to know though, so it can be dealt with the best way possible.  Good luck with taking care if it as soon as possible!

[bottomdweller]

Thanks Scoot.  Hopefully whatever happens will be ready by this fall.

[DrJill]

On ‎2‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 2:43 PM, Scoot said:

Unfortunately, this is all too common among archers.  It's definitely not just limited to rotator cuff either- all kinds of problems can be caused by yanking back 70 lbs. over and over for many years. 

Very true.

Heavy draw bows can impact / compress the c4 thru c7 vertabrae.

The resulting pain mimics rotar cuff tears.

Edited February 29, 2016 by DrJill

[bottomdweller]

Hi all, just an update.  Had shoulder surgery mid march, upper bicep reattached, arthritis and bone spurs cleaned up.  No tears, figured everything would be great.  Well pain never really went away almost worse even a month after.  I ended up going to a natural chiropractor that is known  for treating lymes because my neck really started hurting as well.  Lets just say he believes I have lymes quite bad.  Been on his protocol for only a few days and I am seeing some results!!!!  Hopefully keeps getting better.   Just wanted you all to know if you ever get bad joint pains make sure you rule out lymes as well.  I was tested a couple times and all were negative by doctors.

[Neighbor_guy]

If you get in the way back machine..... and travel back to the early 2000's... I shot a compound every day 365 pulling 69lbs. I loved it, shooting 1/2hr to an hr each day. Shooting the 3d circuit, 300 league's, you name it I shot in it. Was never better than a Middle of the pack score, but for me it wasn't about that. Then I broke my ribs, 3 of them on the right side. 2 were separated from the sternum. After 6 months I was allowed to shoot again. After 10 min I knew I was in trouble. The ribs tore loose again. I never shot a compound bow again. A year later my doctor had me try a recurve and a longbow. Different muscle groups and different stresses on the body. 

I now shoot traditional exclusively. You get some strange looks at the bow shop and have to special order most of the supplies you need, but it does the job. There is nothing in the world a 50lb bow can't kill. Might not be able to do it at 50yds, but you shouldn't be shooting that far at an animal anyway.

Most people in this game are over-bowed. Back the weights down, shoot 55lbs and do it forever. There is no reason to shoot 70+ the deer won't be any more dead, and the arrows will be easier to pull out of the targets.

Glad to hear your doing better BottomDweller. Keep your head up and listen to the Doctors.

[nofishfisherman]

I'm new to shooting bow only having picked it up last year.  I've had issues with my shoulder (mainly tendonitis) but its incredibly painful and when its in your right shoulder and you're right hand dominant it can really cause problems.  When it was at its worst I was sitting at my desk at the office and just trying to reach out and answer my phone would have me doubled over in pain.  I was able to rehab it back to basically 100% but it took several months.  Now I've very careful about what I do and how I do it because I don't want to go back down that road again.  For that reason when I started shooting bow I set the bow up so that i was only pulling 50 lbs.  My shoulder was still a little sore at first while I build up the muscles but I limited the number of arrows I shot until my shoulder was stronger.  Now I can shoot the 50 pound all day long.  I may bump it up to 55 but I don't see myself going much more than that.  Its just not worth shooting the higher weights when 50-55 lbs is more than enough and it will let me shoot more arrows and become more accurate.

[delcecchi]

7 hours ago, bottomdweller said:

Hi all, just an update.  Had shoulder surgery mid march, upper bicep reattached, arthritis and bone spurs cleaned up.  No tears, figured everything would be great.  Well pain never really went away almost worse even a month after.  I ended up going to a natural chiropractor that is known  for treating lymes because my neck really started hurting as well.  Lets just say he believes I have lymes quite bad.  Been on his protocol for only a few days and I am seeing some results!!!!  Hopefully keeps getting better.   Just wanted you all to know if you ever get bad joint pains make sure you rule out lymes as well.  I was tested a couple times and all were negative by doctors.

Just out of my personal curiosity, how did he decide you had lyme disease, and what is the treatment he is using? 

[bottomdweller]

Del, well as for his diagnosis it was quite strange, he has these little vials filled with liquid.  I held the vial on my forehead and with my elbow held outward on my good arm he would try and force my arm down.  O,k I am thinking this is not going to work well on the first and second attempt he could not budge my arm and on the third my arm crumpled like it had 200 pnds on it.  The vials are filled with something that will react to either lymes, anaplasmosisand erychowhatever its called. Lymes is the one that made me crumple.  That tells him which medicine he treats me with which is all natural ingredients.  I am not a huge believer in natural but am making my way towards it.  Over six months of feeling terrible and now almost a weeik out feeling much better mentally and physically I am going to keep trying his way.  I only went to him because of many people I know that have had it and went to him and are doing great now.  All I know is I feel I may be in the stand this fall, wheras last week I did not feel that way.  

[delcecchi]

Sounds like a faith healer/witch doctor quack to me. 

[bottomdweller]

Maybe and maybe not, all I know is Im getting better.