i have been having serious pain in the three knuckles of my shooting hand while shooting.i have dropped down in wieght to 50 or less even,still have this pain.tried laying off shooting completely for over a week at a time then shoot light poundage and within 5 arrows the pain is back.this really sucks.i really feel like someone made a voodoo doll of me and is just goin down the list one at a time.several people i have talked to believe i have developed arthritis and may have to stop shooting trad bows.this will be the dagger that kills me if so.it hurts in the knuckle joints of all three fingers.i find it hard to believe that i would get arthritis in all three at the same time.any ideas what to do??????? thanks.
Larry how old are you and theres nothing wrong with shooting a 40lb bow.
turned 49 today actually.i cannot shoot 40 pounds for elk,i just wont do that.not ethical in my own opinion
What's the Doc say ? :saywhat: you have seen a Doc for this I hope.
I have a friend who has the same problem you have and he shoots a release and he is very accurate with it.
I see nothing wrong with using a release because it will allow you to keep shooting trad bows.
If it were me i wouldnt hesitate to try one and if it came down to it i would shoot a compound before i would give up bowhunting.
I had very similar problems the last few weeks.
Do you feel the pain only in the knuckles or is it in the tendons in the wrist and forearm too?
I had a shooting break of 2-3 weeks and I have swichted to a cordovan tab.It is more distributing the pressure of the string.
Now it is getting better.
Hope you get well soon!
regards
Maybe try taping your knuckles to give a little support. What a day to have a birthday, I bet you've gotten a few gag gifts. Also, you could look into a release? Is the pain only when you shoot or is it constant? Is it worse in the morning and does it go away after you start moving around? Any other medical history, gout, tick bite, STD, etc. Any swelling, redness? These are a few questions that can get us a diagnosis.
Good luck
Josh
i wont be shooting a release with a trad bow...just not the same.may as well be shooting a wheelie bow imho.just in the joints of the knuckles nowhere else.i no longer have medical coverage from my employer,this is what happens when you get hurt on the job i guess.it is what it is i guess.
"any ideas what to do?" See a doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist????? Get it checked out to be sure it isn't something serious.
the pain is non existant when i am not shooting for a day or two.start shooting and bam..there it is again.my fingers do look swollen after shooting,not red but swollen some comparatively..yea..being an april fools baby has its share of very interesting gifts for sure.i always told my mom the joke was on her though.
Shoot a release if you have to. Not a big deal and sure beats giving up Trad or hunting.
Capazisun cream. Relieves joint pain, trust me it works, my knees have been killing me, put some of that on as directed and the pain is gone.
Kmart or Walmart should carry it or any of the drug stores.
I had a similar problem years ago when I was shooting a 96lb. bow way too much. I put the bow down for two months, took full doses of glucosaminechondroitin with msm and hyaluronic acid,(these are natural supplements). My chiropractor thought that it was a form tendonitis. Eventually that got better. I also developed over use arthritis in both hands, work related, that went away when I went on two cycles of CMO from Vestalcare. More recently I jammed the first joint in my index finger that acts up when I shoot a lot. I am also a classical musician and I had to make a decision to protect my hands so i have dropped my bow weight down to the low 50s and shoot mostly left handed now. I still take the supplements everyday. The good quality stuff works better than the cheap stuff, but I still need to take it everyday and the effects do not show up for a while. It is more of a preventative, I do not believe there are any quick fixes for wear and tear on the body.
Happy Birthday!
I second the taping of the joints as a precaution, and supplementation for joint health. Capazisun, arnica and even tiger balm are all good for external medication. Internally I'd add joint support compounds to your daily regimen. Think anti-inflammatory.
Good luck!
thanks...i'll give it a shot,hope it works.
Larry try all of the above and really focus on the chondroitin. It helps me a lot.
If none of that works, try a thumbring. It is traditional and lots of archers shoot really well with them. Oh and lay off the 300 shots at a time one the range for a few months and it should help minimize the impacts. Sounds like tendonitis to me too.
I have heard of people using a leather strap for a release aid. Just wrap it around the string and hold it. Don't know if it would be any easier on the joints but may be worth looking into. Don't know all of the details of exactly how it works but I think it might fit your case. It wouldn't be as mechanical as a compound release.
Larry, all good stuff from the brothers. I would also try and contact Don Thomas and ask for his input on this. Nothing like having a doctor who loves the bow and arrow!
Call the Doc!!! Good luck. H
whats his trad name?...don thomas?
ok.....i sent him a pm.....thanks guys
I think it's time to see a Doc.Don't want to screw your self up for good. :help: :thumbsup:
clays right...i was shooting upwards of 300 shota a day for over a week str8...i really hope this is just from that.though it did bother me before that it was nothing compared to this.
Papa Bear, it is easy to "over do it" - I shoot a lot as well. However, if it does not seem to go away. Get it checked out. Fix it now BEFORE hunting season. H
Larry....do we need to call a WHAAAMBULANCE??
Seriously, If I know I'm going to be shooting a bunch I take a couple of Aleve beforehand. You might also look into the Thermacare hand wraps.
I know you aint givin' up that Morrison soon. =0)
How about trying a thumbring then? You'll have to reskill a bit, but the hand position is much more ergonomical and you can quickly attain the same accuracy. Its like a release...just one thats been around for 8000 years ;)
Papa Bear, Do your fingers feel like they are "stuck" in the bent position, if so you're probably dealing with tendonitis. two days rest is not enough. You probably need to take a couple of weeks off to let it heal completely. I get good results from an ointment called Biofreeze. It hard to find, but a lot of orthpedic, podiatric and chiropractic Drs have it.
DO YOU SHOOT EVERY DAY IF SO TRY EVERY OTHER DAY.YOU HAVE TO GIVE YOUR BODY TIME TO HEAL.YOU SHOULD GO TO A LOWER LB BOW.USE A RELEASE THERE IS NO SHAME IN THAT.I AM 65 HAVE PAINS IN MY ELBOW BUT I CAN LIVE WITH IT.I SHOOT 49 LBS.I WILL NOT GIVE UP MY SHOOTING OR HUNTING FOR NOTHING OR NOBODY.HUNTING AND SHOOTING HAS BEEN MY WAY OF LIFE FOR TOO MANY YEARS.DO NOT GIVE UP WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO.
Thank about a compression glove. Along with the glucosamine/ condritin, Ibuprophen ect.
I also would limit how many arrows you launch at a time. Maybe limit it to 6 per hour.