Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Bowhunting Shoulder injury & archery?

A few years back I was trying to get into archery hunting for whitetail deer when I moved to Indiana. Back then I had a torn labrum in my right shoulder, I am left handed. It has given me problems over the years and had to do physical therapy twice so far to try to strengthen my rotator cuff to compensate.


I event bought a hoyt compound bow, forget model, but believe it was the lower poundage pull: 50-60lb. At 5'6" I have a short draw length which I also forget. But even at the 50lb draw weight I would fatigue my shoulder and I never pursed archery further.

Update to recent times and I've once again really tweak my rotator cuff in my right shoulder. This time it's not healing up as quickly as in the past. Before it would heal up in three or four day, then about a week. This time, it will be going on two weeks heal/rest.


I will probably need to see doctor again as I think I may need shoulder surgery to fix torn labrum and possibly rotator cuff. So my question for you experience archery shooters: are my archery days over before I even began?? Would I be able to do archery with a bad shoulder? Are there lighter poundage bow options with short(er) draw lengths that I can gradually build my shoulder up to? Say 30lbs to 50lb max draw weight? Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

Leo

Take a look at women's bows or even youth bows for older kids. They usually have both shorter draws and lighter weight. Women's bows do come in colors other than pink camo.

About 18 mo ago, I messed up my right rotator cuff (I'm right handed). I'd had physical therapy on my shoulder that didn't help much. I hadn't shot in 10 or 15 years but wanted to get back into it. I dug my old bow out of mothballs and started to find out what my shoulder would allow me to do. My bow only goes down to 60lb while 55 would be better but I'm handling it ok. Amazingly, shooting has helped my shoulder far more than the therapy did. I shoot maybe 15 or 20 arrows several times a day. My shoulder's feeling better than is has for over a year. Apparently it's just the exercise I needed to do.

Get a crossbow. Solves all your issues.

From the crossbows I've seen they require a heck a lot of shoulder strength to get them knock. Plus I prefer to stay with a bow, either compound, recurve, etc. Whatever I could get to work for me.

Crossbow with a crank is very easy to cock. Virtually no strain on shoulders. But, whatever floats your boat. By the way, I have had 4 shoulder surgeries and 3 back surgeries. Might just know a little about avoiding shoulder strain.

travelingman1, what crossbows with cranks do you recommend?

I am using a Parker right now. And having a senior moment, can not remember the others but most manufacturers have them. They are not cheap. Think I gave 160 for the one I have now but they are worth the price if you need them. (and I definitely do)

Ten Point and Excaliber also make good bows and cranks. Many others but I have had experience with these. Parker is unfortunately out of business. There are also generic cranks available so find a bow you like and go from there. A good pro shop should be able to give you some good advice as well.

travelingman1, thank you for the feedback. I will be moving out to Lancaster, PA in month. I think I found a good archery shop out and will check them out when I get there. So any recommendation I get from here, I will take in the archery shop.

Idaho doesn't allow crossbows for general archery seasons. They can only be used in any weapon seasons.

Good luck Leomort. Let us know what you decide to do.

Get some those rubber bands or rubber tubing, wrap it around a door knob or something sturdy and start pulling. Gradually increase resistance and see if that doesn't start helping.

I have wrecked both shoulders. At least three times in the past I was pretty sure my RIFLE shooting days were over after reinjuring them, and it took almost a year of painful and dedicated physical therapy work to get back to the point where I had reasonable use of them and be able to shoot rifles. They were a long way from fixed, and I had daily pain, but I could shoot. One day I was in a pawn shot talking with the owner and noticed a Mission Craze bow. That damn thing could be adjusted down to 20 lbs draw and had a wide range of adjustment for draw length. I got to thinking it probably would be useful to rehab my shoulders, and for the price tag on it I couldn't go get a referral to an orthopedic doctor to see about repairs. I decided to try it. It took a few months, but it actually worked and worked surprisingly well on my right shoulder. It didn't do much for my left shoulder because I am right handed, but it did help that one too. I shot regularly (a lot) for a few years and now my right shoulder is better than it has been in 40 odd years since I first wrecked them. After about a year of shooting low poundage I got to the point that I could shoot a lot more draw weight without pain. I bought a Matthews No Cam and continued shooting at 60 lbs.

Caveats: If you have most of your normal range of motion, even with a lot of pain, then it likely will work but may take a lot of work, and produce a fair amount of pain until you build enough muscle around the shoulder to protect it. I found that in the beginning there was not enough stability in the shoulder to shoot accurately and when the muscles got a little tired, the shoulder had a tendency to pop out and shots would get thrown completely off the target. That could get expensive with lost/wrecked arrows. Shoot short range if you have that problem. IMO starting very low draw weight and not pushing the rehab is critical. It is very easy to reinjure your shoulder in the rehab process and takes surprisingly little to cause an awful lot of pain and set you back months in the rehab. If your range of motion is restricted by adhesions in the joint then medical advice before you start something like this is wise. The adhesions need to be released one way or another, and there is no pain free way. If the adhesion is large it may be tough.

I am left handed and shoot right handed due to eye dominance, I have had my right shoulder cut on twice. I now shoot a 40-50 lb bow at around 47 lbs. With todays bows I can get speeds out of it (even with that low of a lb pull) that I could not get pulling 20 more pounds 30 years ago. I am not shooting what most would consider a light arrow in order to do it either (a little over 410 gr).

As a side note, I changed rifles as well, I not longer have all the big mag. rifles. I only have one rifle that is a mag and it is a 257 Wby.

After getting cut on twice, I can still do what I want to do, I just had to change the way I do it.

Good luck and hope you are on the mend.

As it should be. They can though (with a doctors note) be used in archery seasons by handicapped hunters - also as it should be.

I too am having issues with my draw shoulder. I'm not sure what it is and am kind of afraid to find out. I can still draw and shoot (60#) but have to make sure and stop when it starts getting sore. My pain is in the rotator cuff area, can't through a ball anymore, hurts when I move it just right but not very excited to get cut on either..........will probably have to get it checked out this winter.

Ravin crossbows have an excellent cranking system. Some states allow crossbows during archery season for hunters who get a disability permit.

Draw weight isn't a problem for me, mass weight is.
Pinched nerve in spine.
Shoulder affected off and on. Doc said they're fine, just get inflammed.
Bad shoulders genetic though.
Shot heavy # for years, which messed up my back.
About sternum height.............vert pops out if I just think about it.
Strains muscles in chest/back and shoulders go south.

Can draw and hold a 54# recurve for 30 seconds.
Chest and back don't like it some days.
Limit myself to about 30 shots a day. May shoot every other day, starting next month.

As for shooting 60 arrows indoors, w compound..........don't have the stamina.
Holding my bow up that long.
It isn't like the old days of fatigue............get tired last couple ends.

Nope...........it just fades real quick and I burn all over.

Getting old is a blast LOL

Yes, this bad shoulder is having me reconsider a lot of things. Every time I re-injure my shoulder, it takes longer to heal which sets you back and frustrates me. Will probably have to give up archery. Definitely down grade rifle calibers and for shotguns may have to go with gas auto.

I can F up my back or shoulders at any moment. Dug cut and pulled weeds like a madman....figured id be toast. Nope. Fine for two weeks. Turn to grab something on counter....no extreme reach or rotation....pop. Fugged.

Just never know. Takes a couple days to get past the inflammation. But then weakened.....gotta baby it a couple weeks. Work is physical so never fully heal.

I can barely make it 10 days bow and gun season combined

Used to shoot Hoyt Compounds 80+ pounds with a scott release until I inflamed the ulnar nerve in my arm and risked surgery to clean up the nerve channel. I had to stop shooting a bow and have never gotten back into it. Funny thing is I can shoot fingers without the nerve acting up. Have been thinking Crossbow(hate the idea) or a lightweight compound 60lbs or less.

Leo.......As a physical therapist and avid bowhunter I have worked with many archers (several TV hunters) over the years that both had surgery and some that wanted to avoid surgery.

If the arm that is holding the bow (your right) is the hurt shoulder its typically not the draw weight that's the problem its holding the bow up in the air for extended periods of time. Even with a healthy shoulder holding the weight of a bow up with an extended arm is tough. I'd be willing to bet even with 30# draw it would still give you problems due to holding the bow with the right arm.

Rehab alone for this has to involve lots of stabilizing activities and high repetitions for the rotator cuff muscles. Most of your physical therapists and even ortho surgeons dont really understand the mechanics of shooting a bow and what the muscles have to do especially when the issue is in the bow holding hand not the drawing one.

Id say over the years most of the people that are successful in archery with shoulder injuries are either very very very diligent with knowledgeable physical therapists or have surgery to fix the injury and then rehab back to full strength.

* my advice* if you really wanna be an avid archery hunter then go see ortho have an MRI and most likely have surgery then rehab back for next year. I've done it with people over and over again.....definitely possible.

Adam

May wish to look into a youth / Hoyt Ignight for example at least to find what may be acceptable for your condition. Think with a bow like this you may see a 19" to 30" draw length adjustment And Draw weight may range from 15lb too 70lb. primarily intended for growing youth archer. The bow can be adjusted as the archer grows to acomidate both DL & DW.

What ever you do consult with your doctor.

I purchased a ZenKeyz shoulder brace off the internet it was less than $30.00 lowered my poundage to 50 lbs. with easier roll over cams . this brace has velcro adjustments so keep it tight . some of my problem was the recoil and that brace takes that problem away for me so i can still bowhunt atleast but target shooting is now limited. i also went back to using a hand sharpened cut on contact broadhead called Zwickey Eskimo and has done well for me. good luck with your shoulder problem i have had both shoulders rebuilt and they are far from perfect.Pete53

Tore my draw arm supraspinatus and labrum. Had surgery last March. Very painful recovery, especially the first two weeks post op. Didn't draw a bow for 14 months, to maximize healing. Much gentle rehab. Started to shoot archery again ( 14 months) with my 30# Samick Journey recurve. Slow increase in shot count. Now can shoot 37-40# recurves over 100 shots/day.

Don't want to go through that again.

You did it right! Nice recovery and keep those arrows flying.

Leo,

having had major repair work done to both rotator cuffs, both involving biceps tendons also, I can recommend following Adam's advice.

My first one, I wanted to avoid surgery so went the phys therapy route for +/- 6 month. That was on my left (bow) arm. At the end of the 6 months or so my PT told me I had full range of motion back, but I better go see the ortho doc and get the MRI as I couldn't get a gallon of milk up to shoulder level even. Dr told me after the surgery it took him two and 3/4 hours to fix what he normally does in 45 mins to 1 hr. I was back to archery level in a year or less..........but kept up with the exercises well after the PT sessions ended!

Second surgery 6 years or so later on the other shoulder (draw arm) , in which I heard the biceps tendon pop, and was back shooting arrows in less than a year.

OH, just FYI, I shoot 45 and 55 pound draw weight traditional bows and have no problem with the draw. My bows only weigh about a pound each, strung and with string silencers, so holding them up is a lot easier than with a compound.

I'd second Adam's suggestion to see the ortho doctor and get the MRI as soon as possible. You may lose a season or so of using the bow, but it's likely going to be worth it if you do need surgery, rather than trying to get into bow shape without it.

I can also recommend this, to go along with the rubber bands and other exercise your PT folks will give you. Just be sure to get their OK BEFORE using it. I worked great for me as my work kept me away from my bow for days at a time.

http://www.bowfit.com/

Good luck

Geno

PS, a hint, if you're near one. Find a good sports ortho Doc that specializes in rotator cuff/shoulder stuff. My first was a team doc for a university with top level baseball and basketball teams. The second was at a University with a major sports medicine program. They seem to know their way around this type of sports injury,

I'm in the same boat from having my shoulder and brachial plexus torn apart in Iraq. Not only do I have joint damage, but I also have nerve damage. I still shoot my bow as my primary means of hunting. I have to draw a bit oddly, but it's functional. It took me 4 years to be able to draw a bow again after my injury, but 7 years to get back up to 70 pound draw. With today's technology you can still hunt and kill effectively with a 50 pound draw. What I would suggest is to get one of the bows with a wide range of draw weight adjustability and start at a low weight to rebuild your drawing muscles. Mission, PSE, Hoyt, Bowtech, Bear, Diamond all have bows like that. If you put your mind to it, then you'll get it done. Just start out at a really low weight. My guess is that you're shooting too high of a weight now and that's what's messing with your shoulder.