Rota Cuff

[sgt_zim]

Google shoulder reliever.

I bought one of those a couple years ago. Helped immensely, though I didn't have a tear, just an impingement.

 

[MarkCZ]

Hi guys thanks for all your input. I seem to have turned a corner regarding the pain. I am going to turn the poundage on my bow down to 50lb and also work on some excercises.
Cheers, Markcz

 

[Tug]

Hi guys thanks for all your input. I seem to have turned a corner regarding the pain. I am going to turn the poundage on my bow down to 50lb and also work on some excercises.
Cheers, Markcz

Start with bands, dont go hard but go enough that you feel the burn and the blood pumping there. That's what you want fresh blood at the injury site. If the full range of motion hurts, do half range of motion etc etc

 

[BeeMaa]

@MarkCZ - I’ve had a few friends in their late 50’s to mid-60’s recently give up on compound bows. Not just for the draw strength, but also being able to hold it there for several seconds if needed. It’s not easy and requires a commitment to physical strength that is beyond what some can maintain.

There is always the option move to a crossbow for archery hunting. No shame is putting a hand crank on it and winding it back.

 

[mjlmike]

I use to shoot 75 to 80Ib bows. After rotator cuff and ultimately shoulder replacement on both shoulders I have been shooting a 51Ib compound and have take game of a sizes in South Africa typically with complete pass throughs using cut to the tip broadheads and around using arrows around 480 grains. Was fortunate to take a lion at 32 yards with full penetration. Lion made it 20yard.
I do not have any discomfort and regardless of temperature can draw the bow. PT after surgery is very important to getting full range of motion back.

 

[LimbNoMo]

I’m not a doctor, but I am an archery instructor. I would suggest dropping down to a 20lb. bow.

You’re not as likely to injure yourself again and you’re more likely to develop better form.

 

[steve white]

May be too late, but there is a book to be found online, "How to Bullet-Proof Your Shoulders"

 

[mooze]

My advice is go see a real doctor and stop looking for a fix on a hunting site?

completely agree, who said it was rotator cuff? the shoulder is complex, step 1 is a good physical exam, step 2 an MRI.
How you "buggered it up" would be a first hint to what is wrong ( mechanism of injury). Is it a strain, an incomplete or a complete tear of whatever is wrong.

Good luck!


as from the publication below:
The act of drawing a bow requires the recruitment of all four rotator cuff muscles, biceps, posterior deltoid, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, and rhomboids. Holding a bow at full draw requires recruitment from the anterior deltoids, pectorals, brachioradialis, and triceps.

Strengthening and Conditioning for Archery and Bowhunting - Axes PT Blog

It takes a fair amount of upper body strength to pull a bow back. Your Axes Physical Therapists have put together a list of mobility and strengthening exercises that encompass all of the muscle groups for bowhunting success.

axespt.com

 

[DLSJR]

Having tore the rotator cuff in both shoulders, I have some firm thoughts on what you should do. First, you need to see a qualified orthopedist to evaluate your shoulder, and he will issue the prescription for an MRI. He may suggest physical therapy or if it’s bad, surgery (subject to some of the considerations @BryceM mentioned.

I tore the supraspinitis in my left shoulder and right shoulder was a major tear of several muscles. I had rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder at 60 years old, but have just done physical therapy on my left shoulder. My right shoulder may now be the best functioning joint in my body at 66 years old! My left shoulder bothers me from time to time and I no longer shoot a bow because of it.p, but it’s never been bad enough to have surgery done to repair. When it bothers me now, I do shoulder exercises, stay away from heavy weights and give it time to quiet down. I’m not a fan of cortisone shots in general, though I’ve had plenty of them after a lifetime of physical activity.

Depending on the degree of injury and what you actually injured, physical therapy may be your best option. If it’s a major tear and surgery is the best option, I’d look for the best shoulder surgeon you can find, not just someone you’re referred to who may or may not be a real good shoulder surgeon. I’m fortunate that I’ve been a long time baseball coach, as I’ve developed a lot of contacts that can fix physical problems. I had Dr. Ken Akizuki of San Francisco fix my shoulder. Dr. Akizuki is the San Francisco Giants team orthopedic surgeon, so he treats injuries to some of the top players in the game. He did a fantastic job on my shoulder. I suggest you find an orthopedist who has extensive experience with shoulders, a guy like Ken Akizuki.