Shoulders Suck

[Fire_9]

Fifth, diet. What's the connection - inflammation. I've been able to reduce nagging injuries simply by reducing foods that cause inflammation. It's a much harder problem to solve and we all need help. If you can find a local functional or integrative medicine DR they can assist.

my 2 cents.

I’ve really keyed in on diet and it makes a huge difference. I can sometimes notice negative side effects of certain foods within 30 mins...

 

[BucksnDucks]

Brian I don't have much advice in the archery realm other than dropping draw weight. I do however have lots of PT experience, some on both sides of the table.
Personally, I've had four or five injuries that required PT, two with surgeries. My two surgeries were about 20 years apart. The first was high school football, the second was right before a major career move. I won't make this a long story. I was a dumb ass teenager and didn't know or care enough to work hard to get better. The rehab was long and not a great outcome.
For my second post-surgery PT with career, family finances on the line I wanted/needed to get better. I attacked PT as if it was the most important thing on earth. Following the PT's guidance, doing everything possible, working hard yet smart. It worked and I starting a demanding job months before the doctor expected.
If you want to archery hunt, go Ham or Cam or whatever motivates you. You will feel silly doing these weird little exercises but trust the process. Start now and dedicate some time, you will know before summer if you will be carrying a bow in September.

 

[Tradewind]

At some point you'll finally have enough problems/pain you will opt for surgery.
It never gets you back to where you were and I have come to realize that is an unreal
expectation. But you will be glad you finally did it because the pain will stop and the increased
flexibility ( assuming you do your rehab) will allow you to do alot of stuff you did not realize
you were avoiding. Life gets back almost normal of what it was...and you will wonder why you waited.

 

[kansasdad]

I'm certain he's a great surgeon, perhaps not the best marketing pic

I figured we hunter types could handle a bit of reddness splattered on surgical gowns and coating the reciprocating saw blade.


Orthopedics guys working in the OR next door sound like the whole surgical suite is under construction. Hammering, pounding, saws buzzing, drifting smoke from the electrocautery smelling like a welder spewing smoke, its a cacophony of sound and smells..... (Said the dentist who loves the sounds of high speed handpieces ("drills") and the smell of tooth decay floating into the atmosphere)

 

[mktx]

I’ve really keyed in on diet and it makes a huge difference. I can sometimes notice negative side effects of certain foods within 30 mins...

Same. Ugh, don't get me started on Oats, or Corn

 

[BOHNTR]

Last 3 bulls I’ve arrowed have been with a 55 pound draw…..complete pass-throughs. I also use a four finger T-style release, which allows me to draw easier and less stress in my shoulder.

 

[s10]

I’m a PT. Make sure you find a good clinic, plenty of bad/lazy places exist. A rotator cuff injury is very vague. Imagining needs to be done, and if you’re over the age of 45 and you have any significant tear you’ll need surgery. The rehab process after that is tedious and long, but if you commit and do everything they ask, you will be back in business. PT doesn’t work when the patient won’t dedicate time and repetition to the process.

 

[shrapnel]

I’m a PT. Make sure you find a good clinic, plenty of bad/lazy places exist. A rotator cuff injury is very vague. Imagining needs to be done, and if you’re over the age of 45 and you have any significant tear you’ll need surgery. The rehab process after that is tedious and long, but if you commit and do everything they ask, you will be back in business. PT doesn’t work when the patient won’t dedicate time and repetition to the process.

Simply put, this is what you need to do. PT won’t heal a torn rotator cuff and you won’t know if you have a torn RC unless you get the MRI.

Rotator cuff tears don’t heal and they will only get worse unless you get them repaired. I tore both of mine, several years apart and had both surgically repaired. Cortisone is not a fix and isn’t the answer to much of anything but limited relief.

Get the surgery, which by now is less invasive than when I had mine done, then see a good shoulder therapist and do everything they tell you. It is painful and a long recovery, but I would do it again tomorrow before I would put up with the suffering that will do nothing but get worse with time.

Let me know when you get it done and I can help you regain your rotation in your shoulder with a device I invented and had prototypes made to help with that recovery.

 

[dgc1963]

At 59 and in construction my whole life have shoulder issues also as far as turning your 70 lb bow to 60 I would opt to get a 50 to 60 lb bow and max it out from what I know a bow works best maxed out my hoyt nitrum turbo maxed is 62 lbs and 60 plus lbs of energy plenty for elk
And I still work out but do light weights high reps 30 to 50 reps in a set to keep in shape

 

[bisblue]

I've got shoulder issues from rock climbing and do PT pretty much every day but just a couple sets of mellow stuff really makes a difference.

It's always worth giving the PT a try before jumping down the surgery rabbit hole

 

[Elkmagnet]

I have different shoulder issues but I had to buy a 60# bow with a super smooth draw and 80% letoff. When practicing only shoot a couple arrows in a day. I shouldn't be able to bow hunt but I can because I really want to.

 

[fowladdict]

As a former pitcher, I second physical therapy first. I still have that "click" in my shoulder when I throw a baseball to my kid, but once you have done physical therapy you learn what to do to treat yourself down the road.

 

[Talk2elk]

Brian last fall I had to drop my bow to 55 pounds by the end of September. I know with a good broadhead I was still good out to 45 yards. I had a total shoulder replacement the 1st of November and recovery is going great. The doctor and I are confident my strength will allow me to get back to my normal draw weight by early summer. As others have said get the MRI to see what exactly is going on. A severe tear may need surgery to heal its best. Rehab is hard and if you start in the fall, you should be good to go by next September. Good luck.

 

[winmag]

Compound bow technology has come a long way. With the right arrow and broadhead combination you can kill elk with 45-55 pound bows just as effectively as a 70 pound bow. Stalk the local archery shops and find a used light draw weight bow for a few hundred dollars, transfer over your existing sight, rest, etc., and buy some heavy arrows and broadheads. I imagine it would cost $500 total, and you'll have a bow you can hunt for many years.

 

[HowieNH]

Well... Since I was old enough to walk I played baseball until I graduated high school. I was a pitcher all that time and pretty much threw my arm away. I've had shoulder pain off and on most my life but for the last year and a half or so it's gotten persistent and at times debilitating. I finally went to the doctor for it today and he says it's a rotator cuff injury, hard to say how bad exactly, but gave me some prescription antiinflammatory and made a referral to physical therapy, which I really didn't want.

Last fall I didn't even bow hunt because my shoulder was bad, I could feel it shift around inside the joint when drawing. I'm tempted to go into PT and say - get me to where I can draw a bow again. I've always kept my compound bow cranked up to 70lbs, but supposing PT doesn't really work, or not entirely... I don't know. Not really sure what I'm asking. Just sorta pissy about it. How low do you suppose I could reduce my draw weight and still put a Viper Trick through an elk?

Any of you had this problem? I've definitely gotten more into rifles than ever before, but I don't want to give up the September mornings trying to talk a bull into bow range.

yup got one of those shoulders. went to the doc that worked on my knee this year. he said keep bow hunting if thats what u love and when it hurts too bad after hunting season, we'll put in a new one and if you work hard you'll be ready for hunting. I have a matthews traverse and this year I had the bow guy guy turn it down to 60. guess ill keep goin out

 

[OntarioHunter]

The collar bone -shoulder joint is the Acromioclavicular (AC) Joint. I have broken both of mine in separate incidents. Surgeries to both. I do not have the range of motion to shoot a bow. I am now tending to a rotator cuff tear. Brian - PT coupled with a Cortisone shot has kept me out of surgery and pain free. I need the shot about twice each year. Way better than surgery !!!

Six years ago I tripped on a sawed off Russian olive stump in tall grass at the bird refuge. Lit on another one and fractured that joint. I actually finished out the season hunting birds even though it was my shooting shoulder. Curiously, I didn't do too bad shooting but reach down to grab a door knob or tie my shoes and felt like I got hit with 440V. It took years before it healed completely ... but probably not correctly. Still grinds a bit with full rotation but I finally can say no pain. I never have bow hunted so can't say how that would have been affected but I shoot a ton at the trap/skeet range and no trouble ... now. I asked the doctor in Montana what did I do right. Just lucky.

 

[tillicant]

The collar bone -shoulder joint is the Acromioclavicular (AC) Joint. I have broken both of mine in separate incidents. Surgeries to both. I do not have the range of motion to shoot a bow. I am now tending to a rotator cuff tear. Brian - PT coupled with a Cortisone shot has kept me out of surgery and pain free. I need the shot about twice each year. Way better than surgery !!!

I thought there was a limit on the number of cortisone shots a person could take

 

[F250]

I thought there was a limit on the number of cortisone shots a person could take

There is in some cases. My Dr. said he had no problem giving me a shot 2-3 times per year.

 

[C17loadclear]

Shot an elk at 62 yards with a 60 pound draw. Went clean through the elk to include a rib and buried in a stump. I too have rotator issues so I keep my poundage at 60 and really watch how i draw and am holding my own…for now..

 

[brendog84cj8]

Lived with my left shoulder bothering me for a real long time almost 20 years. Finally got weak enough and bothering me so last year I finally got it looked at. Unfortunately the MRI showed a tear and biceps problem. Got the news in March and decided to put surgery off till December so I could still hunt the 21 season. Had surgery in December and now i'm doing PT and working to get it back to normal. Real hopeful I will be good to shoot my bow this summer in preparation for the season, we will see. Good luck but if it's tore/messed up bad enough PT will only do so much.