Shoulder Problems

Just a little advice to everyone out there that may be in the same boat that I was in -- and sort of still am in -- after developing a painful affliction in my shooting shoulder.
 
One afternoon back in 2004, I went out in the backyard and started doing some stretching exercises to warm up before I shot my bow and felt immediate pain in my right shoulder.  I must have stretched that shoulder just a bit too far on one of the exercises and wound up slightly injuring it or at worst causing a slight tear in the muscle. 
 
As stubborn as I am I went ahead and shot my bow that day ignoring the pain, and caused my shoulder some real painful problems that up until this spring have not let up in intensity or persistence.  I overstressed it again in the fall of 2006 and it felt worse than ever that year, and has even caused me to lose sleep from the pain.  After cautiously warming up last night and resting my shoulder for several months I was finally able to pull my bow back without any noticeable pain. 
 
So, if you ever find yourself in this same situation, just remember: rest, rest, rest and more rest is what will heal your shoulder if you don't completely tear it up and require reconstructive shoulder surgery.  If you push it by trying to even do simple exercises -- like I tried to do -- you will keep injuring it and it will not fully or properly heal.
 
For reference: I rested my shoulder for 10 full months before I even attempted to pull back my bow again.  Everyone is different, but it seems like 10 months was my shoulder's needed recovery period. 
 
To say that I was HAPPY not to feel any pain in my shoulder is quite the understatement.  I'll have to admit that I giggled like a school girl right before the sly grin of a seasoned bowhunter swept across my face! 
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve 
 
  

I have had shoulder problems in the past myself. I had a bone spur that was tearing the tendon going to my bicep. Well to make a long story short I had surgery on it losing 35% use of my left arm. I went 2 years no bow no gun on hunting. You don't have to tell me about rest I think I have learned. The worst part of it is the nerve damage that I have. Makes it impossible for me to hold completely still. Oh by the way the injury was work related.

my family is my life
Willie

Jim:
 
Yeah...  I was starting to wonder if I was going to have surgery on it.  It just wasn't getting any better.  It made pulling back my bow a real nightmare so I didn't even feel like shooting it, and that is far from normal for me.  I used to shoot all of the time, but I shoot a lot less often because of it. 
 
Trust me, once you sustain an injury to your shoulder -- and I never thought it would happen to me, but it did -- it is very hard to get your shoulder back into proper working order without experiencing a bunch of pain.  It's no fun shooting your bow when the mere thought of tugging on the string makes you grimace.  I was at that stage for a long time -- years -- but it seems to be much better now. 
 
I remember being up at bear camp last spring hoping to goodness that my shoulder would hold out for me if and when a bear showed up at my bait site.  (As most of you already know due to inclement weather conditions a bear never showed up).  It's absolutely nerve-racking to have those thoughts in the back of your mind when out hunting. 
 
That's why I volunteered to film for my buddy Frank every time we went hunting last fall.  I wanted to rest my shoulder as often as I could and hoped that it would heal over time, and it looks like I made the right decision as I am not suffering any noticeable pain when I draw back my bow.
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve   

Steve---Do you think it was a tear in the rotator cuff or do you have any idea at all?

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

Guys,
 I have been in Steve's shoes. I had a labrum tear in my shooting shoulder back in Apr of '06 I had surgery and come time for therapy, I was on it like white on rice cause I knew that bow season was just around the corner. I told the doc that whatever it took, I needed to be in the woods come Sept. The best thing I found were the Therabands. They are like colored rubberbands. I used them everyday to help strengthen my shoulder and still use them today to warm up before heading to the woods. You can wrap one end around your bow wrist and the other end in your release hand and draw just as you would be drawing your bow back. You can do it while watching the hunting shows or your favorite soap opera's if you like.  LOL  But either way they are a great product and I would highly recommend them to ALL bowhunters for warm up. They come in a variety of colors for diff. weight tentions. So you be the judge on what color fits you best. Try them and you'll be surprised at how it helps build up your upper body and how steady you will get come crunch time.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Topgun:
 
Not sure at all.  I don't think it was a large tear in the rotator cuff otherwise I wouldn't have been able to raise my arm above my head or even attempt to pull back my bow.  All I know is that my shoulder did not like me shooting a bow at all.  Small tear, maybe.  Big tear, probably not. 
 
I know that I did a ton of damage to my shoulders, elbows, wrists and knees working in the Schwan's warehouse loading and unloading pizza cases and Schwan's food.  Your body starts to fall apart on you quick when you are working in -20 degree temperatures.  Add to that a severe wind chill due to the fans running constantly in your face and you can imagine just how cold it is in that freezer.  Not too many people last long in there.  I spent two and a half years in that thing after spending 4 straight years driving a Schwan's truck on a route.
 
One day I woke up and could hardly make it from the bedroom to the bathroom and that's the day I told my wife that I was done!  The next day I put in a two month notice at work and called it quits, and never looked back. 
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve   

Gary:
 
Good advice!
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve

Steve,
 I swear by that theraband. It really works and the best part is that it does not cost a fortune and you can do it anywhere, anytime.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Gary---Sounds like that rubber band deal might be just the way to go to work out your bow hunting muscles!
 
Steve---I think I mentioned some time ago that I was in a number of those feeezers during my inspection days and the only thing that should be in there are robots!!!  I don't see how the human body can take very many years in that kind of environment and not break down piece by piece.  It's amazing how the Eskimos can live in that type of climate!!!

Mike Stephenson
aka Topgun----30-06

No kidding. My time up in the frozen north of Alberta around Christina Lake and Cold Lake made me glad to be back home. -45 to-60 deg really gets old after awhile. 2 months was enough at a time.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

Not to put the knock on Theraband, but ... check out BowFit ... only one "rubber band" and it's easy to increase tension by shortening the tube, even overlapping it ... I like mine ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

I have the same problems. I messed up my shoulder when I was 19 arm wrestling. My elbows and wrists are screwed up from 10 yrs. of blacktopping and operating a hand tamper. Body parts are just wore out. Where can a person find those rubber band thingies?

At any drug store like Walgreens, CVs Phamacies.

Gary Scheel
NAHC LM,RMEF LM,NRA Member, Lonestar Bowhunter, TexasHogHunter Pro Staff Member

BowFit @ places like Scheels, Cabela's, Warehouse, Gander and such ... tho I think I ordered mine online ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

For a Bowfit, go to the main or HOME page of our Web Site and look on the left hand side and you'll see Bowfit's logo (you may have to scroll down a little).  Click on Bowfit's logo and it will take your right to their site.
 
The HOME page icon is located up at the top of our Talk Forums and to the left.
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve

Thanx, I'll have to check these out although drug stores are few and far between in this neck of the prairie.

Tnx, Steve ... I got my BowFit long before I discovered this forum site ... I'd've merely g00gled it and gone from there ...

All of life is six-to-five against, just enough to keep you interested. (Damon Runyan)

Gravity makes all the important decisions ... (John R. Powers)

NRA, REMF, PF, NAHC-L, NAFC-L, KC, NPPA

O:
 
No worries!
 
Take care and Good Hunting!
 
Best Afield,
 
Steve

I being a left handed person had  a bad tackle in a foot pursuit and broke a bone in my left hand, elbow and at that time unknown damage to the shoulder. After six months of healing the hand and elbow, the went and did shoulder surgery, seeing I had a slight tear. Well it took me all of two years to get the arm back to where a simple push up didnt hurt. Recently I was able to pick the bow back up and not feal any pain or discomfort when pulling it back. My advice is, if you think you injured your arm go and see a specialist. As you get older the parts dont like to work like they used to.

I wish I would have done that with my shoulder.