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Shoulder Problems

NWBuck

NWBuck

PMA Member
...OK, who's had 'em, and how did you deal with them?

As I see 50 in the not-too-distant future it appears that too many years of throwing with the softball kids I coach have caught up with the once youthful right shoulder. The last few weeks, as I've been working with our pitchers and catchers for the upcoming season, it's pretty much been just an underhand toss back to the pitcher. Now it's progressing to where every day tasks involve a lot of pain...anything that causes me to raise my right arm above my head is out of the question right now.

I know I've got to do something, and being a guy who gets the "archery only" turkey tag, I know I'm probably going to be digging out the shotgun for the first time in a quite a few years. So my question...what's the problem I'm likely dealing with, the most logical solution, and a reasonable rehab time if surgery is the answer? I have little doubt I could qualify for a short term crossbow permit, but really have no interest in that right now...maybe in 15-20 years. If I end up missing a fall bow season, so be it...I'll spend the time filming family and friends. Just want to know if others have had similar problems and how long is reasonable to expect before being back to a semi-normal bow season??? Thanks in advance.

NWBuck
 
Sounds like a rotator cuff injury. It's not going to fix itself without have constant reoccurring issues. Surgery is no fun, but its the long term answer.
 
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Almost a year ago I bought a new bow, shot it like 100 times at day and right after that i had pitching practice and coming to the conclusion i hurt my shoulder really bad! Went to the Ortho and they said I had tendentious in my shoulder!!!!!! The Doc said i had to give everything a break and i was out for a month, no throwing and shooting the bow!!! :( I had to do band workouts with my shoulder too! After a month my shoulder was fine and went right back to Pitching!!! :)
 
Had a "frozen" shoulder a few years ago. Family doc thought it was a rotator cuff, but MRI showed it was not. Twice a week physical therapy and daily strengthening exercises had me shooting a bow in a couple months. In fact, it was when I could not draw a bow at the Whitetail Classic when I decided I had to do something. It had been hurting a few months. Physical therapy wasn't too bad - warm up the shoulder, do some stretches and strengthening exercise, then let the guy wrench on it for a while. Hope yours is frozen shoulder (actually called "adhesive capsulitis"), not the rotator cuff.
 
Two important dates...April 15th and May 20th. Determine if you will need surgery by the first day of turkey season and, if need be, schedule it for the day after the season ends. This should give you plenty of time to heal before bow season. Good luck.
 
There's a lot that could be wrong/going on in there. Get to an orthopedic doc sooner than later and he'll give you all the info you need. I've had impingement syndrome twice and the symptoms were closely related to what you describe. Easy enough fix with NSAIDs (not Ibuprofen) and some strengthening exercises.

Two days before my elk hunt started this past September, I was lifting an empty cooler up over the side of my truck bed. At the last minute, I decided to throw my full solar shower in there to keep it from rolling around the bed of my truck as I drove out to my campsite. DUMB! Instead of dropping the tailgate, I went right over the bed rail and felt the distinct pop in my left shoulder (baring all the weight). I finally got to see the doc two weeks after my two week elk hunt ended and found out I tore some ligaments in the A-C joint. Good news was that those tears heal themselves and the joint was still solid. I had to let my shoulder sit for 2 months, but we decided to pull the carpet and put in hardwood floors right at the end of my 2 months. Had to get a cortisone shot and that helped tremendously. Pain came back about a month ago, though. Shoulder doc told me that I had arthritic scar tissue in there that needed to be removed to fix my shoulder long-term. Not IF I need surgery, but WHEN it is convenient to me to have it. Only plus to that is I can have another cortisone shot to get me through turkey season and a couple more months, but wildfire season is here. This is the year I turn 40 and I'm smart enough to know better, but there is no real convenient time for surgery, even though I'm at the point I know I need it.

GO GET IT LOOKED AT AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.
 
Tore my shoulder up weight lifting when I was 19, was able to "get by" w/o surgery for 7 years. Finally started a job that I couldn't get by w/o doing something for it. I was in a sling for 6 or 8 weeks and rehab for 6 months. If you plan on bow hunting, maybe do something now to find out options. I waited waaay to long and my shoulder will never be close to 100%.
 
Get it fixed asap. My wife waited and put it off for months, and a minor surgery turned in to a major one. Recovery was going slow with just physical therpy, but when she went to our chiropracter, he made a world of difference. Not sure she can shoot a bow anytime soon, but at least she can sleep through the night. Good luck with it.
 
AZHunter said:
GO GET IT LOOKED AT AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.
Click to expand...

Yep...I know that's good advice. I'm like you though...turkey season, softball season, deer season...etc. It's tough to think about a time when I'm OK with being sidelined for awhile.

NWBuck
 
A common tear for pitchers and other ball throwers is a Labram tear. I tore mine but not throwing a ball. My injury was in March but I drug my feet and didn't have surgery until late July in 2010 and my recovery was long. I could not even draw a 30 pound child's bow by bow season. Not wanting to use a cross bow I purchased a Lock-A-Draw, a device that held my bow at full draw. It was not easy to use, as it had no back pressure, but I was confident out to 30 yards and shot 3 deer that fall. By the next season I was able to draw all the weight that I wanted, although I now keep it lower to avoid future issues.

Best advice, get it addressed and whether it be therapy or surgery, get it fixed as soon as possible.:way:
 
NWBuck..........Bummer to hear you are hurtin. BUT, some good advice given by the guys on here. Plain & simple just get it fixed. Someone will catch & pitch to your players. In the long run you will be happy you got it done. Keep us posted. :)
 
Two things, if you do need surgery. Thing 1: get an interscalene block if offered. And if it isn’t offered ask why. Thing 2: Be sure and take a pain pill before your first post op physical therapy appointment. They (the therapist) will make you cry. And they will enjoy it. In fact, they will not stop cranking on your arm until you do cry.

A few more things, ice will be your friend. There are some fancy cooling devices that your surgeon can prescribe. Some use ice and some actually use refrigerant much like a central air system. I just used ice packs but I sure wish I had known about the other devices. I would have asked for one. Sleep in a recliner for the first few nights (or in my case the first few weeks). It takes the pressure off your shoulder. Purchase foam wedges to go on your bed under your head/shoulders. You can get them at any medical supply store. There are several different heights. I think I started with a 12 inch tall wedge. It took the pressure off my shoulder while lying down. Get used to sleeping on your back or left side and last but not least, get used to wiping you ass with your left hand. I still do.
 
AZhunter,

I had the impingement surgery on my right shoulder the beginning of August and was pulling 50lbs by October 1st (missed the only shot I had all year though :p). Like Bonker said, pain meds are key, ICE will be your biggest friend, and I slept in the recliner for almost 6 weeks.

I worked my butt off during September to be able to pull my bow back; I did not want to use a crossbow. I have nothing against them, just didn't want to go down that road.

If you had asked me 4 weeks after the surgery if it was worth it I would have said "NO", but now it was the BEST decision I have ever made. I can now play catch with the kids, lift things over my head; my wife does not have to help me get dressed in the morning. I was at the point before surgery where I could not lift a cup of coffee with my right arm.

Don't put it off, it will only get worse, you won't regret getting it fixed.

mole
 
An uncle has had two unsuccessful rotator cuff surgeries within 18 months. He can no longer bow hunt but really wants to again. A recent appointment at a MN Dr informed him it could not be repaired without a replacement surgery. The Dr wasn't confident he would have the ability to bow hunt. Anyone know of a fellow bow hunter who's had replacement surgery and made it back to pulling a bow back?
 
I had a rotator cuff and labram tendon repaired last January. It was 4 month's before I could start to strengthen my shoulder, and then I was taking it a little at a time. I was well on my way back to normal I felt then I ran into a more serious health issue that put everything else on hold. As a result I had to turn down my bow. I was pulling 65 lbs. Don't know what I am at now. I just turned it back until I could comfortably pull it back 3 or 4 times in a row. I will keep my shots close this year.
 
Tore my labrum during track season, didn't effect my bow hunting at all. Man did it hurt though! Doctor gave me a reason to why it hurt when I did things but cleared me to bow hunt because it doesn't effect pulling.
 
To answer Mike311's question, I have no idea. Everybody is different.

I read stories about guys that have rotator cuff surg and get right back to bow hunting. It took me over a year just to be able to reach out and close a car door (think sitting in the passenger seat) and two years before I could do anything overhead. I did all the PT (7 months worth and they said they had done all they could) and still, every time I tired to pull a bow back (had a youth bow turned down to 35) my shoulder felt like it was going to explode.

My injury happened in June of 08. It was very important to the space between my ears that I hunted that fall. I figured if I could hunt that fall my life would eventually get back to normal, so I bought a crossbow.

I was able to climb into tree stands, pulling up one rung at a time, pulling the cross bow up was always an adventure. There were a couple of times I went right from the tree stand to PT and vice versa. I ended up shooting a buck that year and with the help of family and friends I got it out of the gulley it died in.

But I had always wanted to get back to archery equipment. It felt more pure, more challenging and more rewarding to kill a deer with archery equipment than the crossbow. Why? Many reasons but perhaps I felt I was being one of those lazy hunters we all hear about that get their docs to fill out the crossbow form only because they want it easier. I guess I still feel guilty about using a crossbow in archery season. Nobody wants the stigma of being a lazy hunter.

I see archers with much bigger physical issues than I have winning Olympic Medals, killing deer, bear, moose, whatever. The guilt floods through me and again I pick up that youth bow, try to pull it back, feel the searing pain and say I guess I'd rather feel guilty and live with the stigma than have anymore surgeries, even if they would help.

Why do I share this? I don't know, perhaps it is cathartic, perhaps I feel the need to have my peers approval, perhaps I get tired of being lumped with all the supposed cheaters out there.

Like I said earlier, everybody is different. Those of you that have had rotator cuff surgery and have been able to go back to archery equipment I applaud you. Someday I'll get over the stigma and guilt I feel.

Who knows, perhaps I need some of this:

 
I have had 2 shoulder surgeries and have a torn rotator cuff and labrum in my right should once again- it is a constant pain in the rear! I am planning on having it fixed right after I am done with late muzzy season so I have most of winter to recover. I get a cortisone shot in my shoulder to last this bow season
 
I see this thread back up to the top and thought I'd report back. Had surgery in August of 2014. Best thing I ever did! Almost a year and a half later the shoulder feels fantastic! Initially I had to turn the poundage on my bow down a long ways to pull it, but this fall it's up to mid 60's again. I can throw pain free with my team for the first time in a long time!! So for those who might be on the fence, go get it fixed! Oh, and most importantly...do all of the rehab! Makes a huge difference.

NWBuck
 
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