Well it's been over 2 months now.  I've tried drawing a bow a few times now and so far not so much.  It's getting better but man season is weeks away!!!  It's my bow arm shoulder (left shoulder, I'm a right handed shooter).  

Took a crash on the mt bike...Drew my liberty longbow the other day and had all kings of popping going on, shot one arrow...man did it hurt, shoulder did all kinds of funny things.

shot the second arrow it didnt hurt AS bad but it wasnt fun.

Anyone know how to tell if it's a torn rotator cuff or if I just dislocated it?   It's felt a lot better since I've shot a week ago.   Was really hoping to shoot tonight...but I'm leary of even touching it for fear of doing some permanent damage (if it hasnt already been done!!!).

Sounds like you have torn something. Rotator cuff tears are pretty common in mountain biking. You really should get an MRI asap so you know what is going on in there. That is the only way short of surgery to know if there is a tear. Also, a dislocation will cause permanent damage anyway, so you need to get your shoulder checked no matter what. I hate to tell you this, but surgery may very well be in your immediate future. Don't do what I did and let things rattle around in there for a long period of time or you will do a lot of damage to the joint itself. Arthritis will not go away if you let it develop, and surgery can help prevent that from happening. Recovery is not rapid, but better to deal with it now than later.

Allan

I'm sure it is...if you can afford it LOL!

boy after doing a little reading, I'm almost sure I tore it!!!  The pain is more on the front then on top.   But everything else fits the bill here!

Anyone ever gone through this?  if so i'd love to hear about things, do's don'ts etc....

Try to stick your arm straight out from your side then raise it up above your head keeping the palm down. How high did you get it? How bad did it hurt?

They make these things called doctors. They can give MRIs and x-rays.My rotator cuff muscles all tore and are now a pile of mush in my back. Go see a shoulder guy and don't play around with it. Damage won't heal itself, therapy is usually needed to repair things broke in your shoulder.

I can go all the way up almost vertical.  Can do a windmill with it, shoulder shrugs fine.  

When it happened I could hardly lift it.  The pain was quite intense...I still worked (a laborer in a heavy equip. shop), but had to pick my jobs with a 2nd look at things.  It sloooowly seems to be getting better, ie less pain.  Till I shot that arrow a week ago.

It hurts the most palm UP with the arm out, doing just about anything, and again it's on the front of my shoulder more then the top or outside, where you'd put a gun butt to shoot.   Not tender to the touch though anywhere.

A week or so ago I shot two arrows the first one about took me to my knees in pain...suprised I hung onto the bow.  What made me shoot it again I dont know but it didnt hurt to bad.

So I just shot an arrow a few minutes ago, it didnt hurt at all, not even uncomfortable, but I could tell my shoulder isnt up to strength.  Don't ask...the thought of missing bow season either here in Alaska or back in Mn/Wi ya, not so much!  

I sleep on my shoulders tossing all nite...I've noticed some days when I am on my left shoulder more...the pain is more.  It's been right about 2 months now..to stubborn to go to the clinic  (they aint open today anyways and no need to go to the ER and pay the rediculous charges when I can wait till monday).  

Of course being stubborn to go to the docs means I've taken nothing for it...(hate taking any medications).  

I did take the raft out and rowed a day last weekend..it was tender but not painful.  By the end of the day it didnt hurt at all...the next day it was back to being tender again (like it is right now but again didnt hurt when I shot the bow).

I'm almost sure you tore something too. Like Fred said, these things do not heal themselves. A friend of mine recently did the same thing on his bike. Surgery followed soon thereafter. Now he is recuperating. It sucks. I had it happen to me and, like you, was too stubborn to go to the doctor. I let my shoulder rattle around for years and ended up with stage 3 arthritis before I finally went in for surgery. I sure wish I had gotten it fixed earlier, because now it will never be the same again with the arthritis. Be smarter than me and go see a doctor sooner rather than later!

Allan

AkDan-Sent you a pm with some info. Mike

got it, thanks Mike!!  nice seeing ya again!

As already said, get it looked at as soon as possible.  I also spent many sleepless nights and ate a lot of ibuprofin (bad for you) before I finally said "uncle" and got it taken care of.  Two surgeries later I am pain free, but I have lost a lot of strength and it will never be the same.

Go see a DR and get it looked at. I waited about 3-4 years to have mine looked at and fixed. I also had a lot of the cartiledge in the shoulder socket tore up and it had to be removed. You cannot replace the cartiledge so when I draw my bow now, the ball mashes up against the socket and grinds Due to the bone on bone effect. Its not fun trust me and I can only shoot for so long and I have to quit. I have been told that I will eventually need an artificial shoulder!!!

found out tonight I can shoot ableit a little funny.  The inline my shoulders are (closed stance I am in), the more it hurts...the more open stance it is the less it hurts to the point it doesnt hurt at all.  I dont plan on going to town at the range, but it is nice to know I can see one fly every once in awhile atleast!!!

Go see a sports medical doctor.

The same thing happened to me when I took a spill on my mtn. bike in April.  I went to the doctor after about 3 weeks, he did some simple evaluations and informed me that several of the tendons were strained.  He gave me some physical therapy exercises (stretching) to do at home and a prescription for Naproxin.  If I spend about 10 mins stretching before I shoot, I'm fine.  Still the first few shots are a little painful before the shoulder warms up.  Stay away from bench-pressing or shoulder presses until you're pain free.  Hope this helps.e

thanks JD...going to the docs tomorrow at 1600, wish me luck!  

As for warming up, I rowed for 5 hours and really it didnt hurt but it never go from being uncomfortable to not hurting at all....there was always something going on.  

I'll post what we find tomorrow, though I'm sure this will be a multi day visit, MRI's, Xrays, possible ultra sound by the looks of things after doing some reading.  If it IS a tear it's cant be too too bad, because it does seem to be getting better week after week...albeit SLOWLY!

A bit late to respond to this, but I will give my two bits.  First thing I am glad you are going to the Dr. and second, don't mess with shoulders because they are the most moble joint complex in the body.  Mobility is gained through the sacrifice of stability, damaged shoulders start stabilizing by decreasing mobility and that is not good.  I will hazard the guess that you likely seperated the AC joint, strained the long head of the bicep and maybe even damaged the labrum.  These are very common and can recover wonderfully with some intervention.  Good luck and good shoice to get some help.

Ive had my left shoulder worked on 2x because of a terrible car accident. 1st one was to repair the "meat" the 2nd was a total reconstruction of the entire joint. Im 23 now, that was back in 2004-2005. The doctors told me the best exercise i could do for my shoulder was to shoot a bow!!!

took xrays...got a mri scheduled.....have some seperation in my AC?   no mention of tears....will post more as follows.

Danny:

Been trying to get ahold of you.  My e-mails don't seem to go thru and the only phone number I have is out dated.  PM me a phone number please!