Bow arm tendonitis...HELP! And read this so you don't end up like me.

[shortstroke 91]

I also had bad shoulder pains but mine turned out to be cysts in there that would occasionally burst, Ice and Tylenol and rest were the ticket for me. I also had to learn to quit when you're tired no matter how much fun you're having.

[hawkeye n pa]

Have had tendonitis problems for 15 years.  Real bad at first had to hold fork in left hand.  Developed it  at work and archery kept it inflamed.  Doc put me on some naproxen for awhile and it cleared up.  I can still agravate the elbow but can clear it up in a couple of weeks taking naproxen. IMO Shooting a "speed" (over 190fps)stickbow or shooting with out a bow quiver is fastest way for me to flair it up again.   Have not  found a longbow that works for me.

[BowHuntingFool]

I had it bad 2 years ago in the summer. I got it at work and couldn't lift a six pack without pain, it was 3 months before the season opener and I couldn't practice, I was bumming. I took 2+ months off and it helped in recovery. If I didn't take the time off from practice, which was killing me in itself, I wouldn't of been able to hunt that season! Take the time and rest it and do what the Doc says!

[Mark Hedges]

Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't think anyone who is still in high school shoot be shooting 50lbs+.  No matter how fit you are, shooting that much weight while you are still growing will put you at high risk for injuries like this.

Mark

[DJT]

had the same thing rest advil and cortozone helped me a lot but unfortunately REST was the biggest component of getting better and i dont mean a few days off.

[Biggie Hoffman]

It took about a year for mine to clear up but I still feel a twinge sometimmes so I stop immediately and lay off a few days. Bad stuff.

I had 2 cotrezone injections in that year but don't know if they helped a whole lot.

[BRITTMAN]

The doctor put me on Celebrex which finally helped get the inflamation down . It took about a year and I had to drop down in bow weight . I still get a flare up from time to time and have to back off shooting awhile . If yours is not real bad you can take ibprofen daily for awhile which will get the inflamation down .


Mike

[George D. Stout]

Stay away from cortisone if at all possible.  Take Ibuprofin or Naproxin Sodium for the pain and give it rest.  And give the heavier bow to someone else.

[CG]

I switched to left handed......literally.  Thought I would switch back after my elbow quit hurting, but haven't done so yet.  Found it too much fun to be able to shoot a bow for hours without pain.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Oh yeah......I did go from 65# to 55#. That seemed to help more than anything.

[BowHuntingFool]

Originally posted by BRITTMAN:
The doctor put me on Celebrex which finally helped get the inflamation down . It took about a year and I had to drop down in bow weight . I still get a flare up from time to time and have to back off shooting awhile . If yours is not real bad you can take ibprofen daily for awhile which will get the inflamation down .


Mike

I too was taking the Celebrex for the inflammation. My doc also kinda refused to give me the cortisone shot, wanted it to heal up with out it! When ever I feel any of the slightest pain there in the elbow I stop shooting for a few days!

[Bjorn]

Have tendonitis from 25 years of windsurfing. Ice, Ice, Ice, and more........cortizone shots have helped a lot too when it has gotten real bad. Ice several times a day. Styro cups filled with water in the freezer.
The anti inflammatory medicines make my butt fat!

[Noelkman]

Got to wildernessathlete.org and click on the WA Rehabilition link. There's a lot of good info.

I just had the cortizone/lidocaine cocktail shot for my tennis elbow before Thanksgiving. It was where I couldn't lift a cup of coffee or shake hands the pain was too much. The shots worked wonders. Of course I'm 50 and we older guys don't heal too fast. One thing that has benefited me is a wrist brace that prevents rotation that strains the tendon.

Take the offer for the PT advice.

[SOS]

Depending on your longbow type, I found some are shocky enough to irrate my elbow (which I broke badly when young and probably now has a little arthritis).  I made a R/D hybrid takedown longbow with a fairly heavy riser and very little shock and it helps alot.  Just a thought.  Or maybe a recurve would help.

[Jeff Strubberg]

It's all been said in here, but...

Bow weight and handshock are murder on your bow arm elbow.  I let mine get bad enough that I couldn't pick up a cup of coffee without help from my right hand.  Took me five months of alleve, a drop in bow weight, swearing off my selfbows and three months without shooting an arrow to get it under control again.

[Toklat1]

I have battled with tendonitis for about 12 years now off and on. I get it in my elbows, hands, knees and it is annoying and painful when it flares up. Take the advice of many here and put your inflammed extremities on ice or in ice water. I hold in there until you basically cannot feel anything anymore and when the feeling comes back in it burns! That, and ibuprofen (800mg tabs, perscription strength) from the doc 3 times a day.

[Burnsie]

As said, a daily regimen of Ibuprofin, ice and rest works wonders.  Lay off the ibuprofin as soon as your able, long term use can be bad on the liver.

[Bakes168]

Thanks a lot guys, this really helps.  :D

Zack

[ka]

Had a spur + tendonitis = surgery (Still recovering and not any fun!!) Tore tricep muscle off bone!!

[tarponnut]

I had the same problem a year ago. It was bad for a couple months. I stopped shooting for two weeks and then resumed but only shot 3-5 arrows at a time and gradually built back up to 25 or so.I also bought a Bowfit.
ALEVE helped a lot for the pain(Naproxene:an anti-inflamatory).
A year later I feel no pain at all and can't even tell it was ever inflamed.
I had the same problem in my other elbow from fly-casting but it too went away with time and exercise.