ive been shooting a lot latley maybe too much, if there is a such thing. i started to get a sore elbow on my bow arm. i found some great info on this i thought id share. im sure many have already experience this but if you get a sore elbow on your bow arm. theres some good info on bowsite.com. its very common with traditional shooters. hope it helps someone. anybody else have this problem? i shoot at least 50 shots 3 times a week.
I'm going to a hand therapist right now, I think it's a combination of my job and shooting makes it worse. Switching hands right now. I going to check out the info you found, thanks.
Sounds like tendonitis "Tennis elbow". I am just getting over it myself.
thats exactly what it is.
Been experiencing it a lot lately myself. I got a wrap that has a raised spot that you place directly below the elbow, and that has helped from shooting to weightlifting. Cheap fix until it heals.
Dont shoot anymore until you see a doctor to diagnose if it's lateral epicondylitis(tennis elbow) or medial epicondylitis(golfer's elbow). Try ASTYM therapy by a physical therapist. After one month of ASTYM as well as isometric exercises and stretches, I no longer have any pain or tightness is my bow arm elbow.
As mentioned above dont shoot till you se your doctor, its not worth making it worse.
I had tendonitis for 2 years real bad, I too shoot a lot, all longbows plus I go to the gym 3 days a week! got so bad for a while that I couldn't grip my bow with my left hand, felt like someone sticking long needles in my elbow! here what I did, first I cut back on my shooting for a while, iced and heated my elbow for therapy, started on Glucosumine/Chondrotin combo daily 1000mgs (takes a while for it to build up in your system)you have to be persisitent on taking it! Ibuprofen/naprosen etc (anti-inflamatory) I have not had any issues w it in over a year now! I also used a tennis elbow band while it was healing up when ever I shot, now I do not use one at all! Tendonitis is a Trad bow shooters worst enemy I think, it very goes away on its own!
Get after it right away.
I let mine go for months, figured I would just tough it out. Big mistake. 6 months later I made an appointment with an accupuncture (sp?). 2 visits and I am pain free.
I feel your pain. I hurt my elbow trimming a tree back in September, had to layoff shooting altogether for about 3 months. I wear a Futuro elbow brace with the gel pads that compress the tendon when I shoot or do any heavier work, it helps alot. I hurt my bow holding arm and can shoot my 45# ILF recurve with no problems. I shoot my longbow though and can really feel the shock in my elbow now, so no more longbow for a while.
Anybody feel a crack in your elbow the first couple of shots....then the pain starts? That's me.
I'm going for bioflex laser meditech, new technology, 1 to 6 treatments and it is suppose to be gone. they shoot a laser to break down scare tissue and to releive the tendons.
I will tell you how it goes in a thread.
Glad to see I'm not the only guy here not a youngin'. Lol! Thanks for the info troutguy!
I thought archers/golfers elbow was medial epicondylitis of the draw arm or right elbow of a right handed golfer. Had that twice, bad injury. Is the pain on the bow arm lateral epicondylitis?
Pain is a warning that should not be ignored. Get it checked out by your doc or orthopedist then proper treatment can be prescribed. The longer you wait the longer to heal.
There is a saying in medicine, he who treats himself has a fool for a patient. Good luck.
True that katman. My doc actually advised using a broom and pushing up with my right arm, placing my left on top and pushing back against the force of the right arm. A form a calisthenics I'm guessing, but I'm no doc. Not too dissimilar. Whatever the case, it seems to be working for me in conjunction with shooting. I do agree though, it should be checked by a pro.
I can see it hapening if you shoot bows that have a lot of hand shock. It would be interesting to know what bows you shoot that are creating this problem. Not all longbows jar your bones.
Pete
Me too, tells me to lay off the shooting, I keep my bow arm fairly straight and figure that is a big part of the issue.
I developed tendonitis from pulling arrows. The range I used to go to had just put in new targets and I was using very heavy arrows out of a 78# bow. This made pulling arrows very difficult, because I was getting very deep penetration into the targets. Generaly I pull arrows with my right arm, but when soreness developed, I started pulling with my left. So now both elbows are affected. The moral to this story is it is not always the bow itself that causes the problem.
Physical therapy helped, but I still feel discomfort from time to time.
It does help to follow medical advice and to lay off when it hurts. Pain is the body's way of telling us to stop doing something that is causing damage.
my elbow hurts on the first shot it pops an its fine after that..any one have this happen?it on the outside of my elbow..but like i said it pops then all is well won't do it again all day.
I have had issues with tendonitis in my bow arm elbow. It greatly relieves the problem to shoot with a medium or high recurve grip.
Ergonomics?
I should go see a doctor though because I still have issues when I work out with weights.
In discussing this with both an orthopedic surgeon and a physical therapist, I happened to mention that I was experimenting with shooting both right and left handed. Neither had imagined that anyone would do that, but they thought it would be great therapy. I've been switching from right to left handed every other day for a couple of months now, and it really does seem to help.
thanks for all the great replies i guess im not alone. its just hard to stop shooting. lol
pete im shooting 2 grayling bear bows a kodiak hunter 60 50# @28 kodiak mag 52 50# 28.
My response to the last 3 threads has been: find an Occupational Therapist, preferably a Certified Hand Therapist. The treatment for medial vs lateral epicondylitis differs some. You should see your PCP for a referral. I treat patients every day with these issues. I had developed lateral epi. in my bow arm. Lay off shooting, ice/heat, stretching, and weining back into shooting is my recommendation. pm me with questions. Good luck!
I had it in both elbows.
Bronz is dead on.
Another possibility is a bone spur. I had one in my bow arm and could not even draw a 20# bow. Therapy did nothing but fortunately or unfortunately I tore the tendon in a tractor accident and had surgery and they removed the spur at the same time. Not pain at all now.
I tried ice, heat, elbow band, rest for a couple of months with no improvement. Then I tried soaking my elbow under the hottest running water I could stand for a minute or so, dry off quickly so it doesn't cool right down.
After the soak, I was good for several hours of working and shooting with no pain.
After a month of that, I had no more pain.
The pain had been so intense that I just didn't use that arm for much of anything. My theory is that the heat softened the connective tissue and muscle sheaths and let them stretch.
Anyway, I have since used the hot water treatment on wrist pain and finger joint pain with the same immediate relief.
Jim
I think it's important to remember to "push" with your bow arm, and not just hold. Get those muscles to work for you. If it gets bad you must rest it, as others have said. Swinging a hammer for 35 yrs., been there.
I havn't been able to shoot more than a few shots this past year with out have alot of elbow pain. Working as a pipfitter doesnt do any good for the elbow either. I tried everything, had several cortizone injections now the only option is surgery which I am scheduled for in March.
Great and timely post. I havent been able to shoot without pain since mid November. Been to sports therapist who gave me some $60 not covered by insurance cream and some rehab exercises. Did what was told for 2 months with no improvement with zero shooting! :mad: Went back and they were talking about taking my blood out with a needle then injecting it back into my tendon. Anyone ever got that recommendation? He said its nothing structural so I tried to start shooting again but still in pain. Never was told to try anything with heat maybe give that a whirl. Hopfully something will work.
I know what ya'll are talking about. my left/bowarm is crooked from a bad break when I was around 6 years old. I pretty much had to give up shooting longbows because the handshock, no matter how light, would cause intense pain after shooting for a couple of days. I just stick with my recurves and don't worry too much about it.
I have been fighting a severe case since Jan 1, just had my second cortizone shot today,Doc say's I cant shoot the bow at all, not even try, for at least a month. Iwent to Rick Welchs shooting school the last week of jan, and it killed me to shoot the first day. Did not shoot any the second day. I have been trying to work on just form since I got back,12-15 arrows a day, but the pain is terrible and doc says I am just making things alot worse and it will never heal. So I am going to listen,unstring the bow and try again in April, if its not hurting. right now I cant even pick up a gallon of milk.
I joined the "Bad archers elbow club" about three years ago. I was told to sell my bows to him/Doc, he said it would cure everything.
I had elbow surgey Dec. 9th.{2011} medial ulna nerve transfer, I tore a tendon and the muscle in the elbow,back on June 1st 2011 have been out of work and no glof or bow shooting since. Plenty of rest and therapy. I can know start shooting a light weight bow. This is going to be a great year. My sugestion would be to find a good orthapedic surgion that specializes in elbows. I had my surgery done at the university of michigan. hope this helps and good luck to all.
I agree with BRONZ, I'm going to a hand therapist, she says I don't medication or sugery. the joints in my hand are fused so she needs to loosen those before my elbow will get better. Course I think everyones may be a little different.
In my case, I did physical therapy with a Hand therapist for a few weeks and did stretching exercises at home.
I didn't shoot my bow for a YEAR!
When I started back shooting last april, I shot 10 arrows, three days a week.
I still stretch before and after shooting.