Some advise needed. Shoulder issue when drawing

[Luked]

This is more for my brother than me.
He is starting to get some age to him and in his middle 60s. Not in bad shape but over time he has really started to have some shoulder issues with his left shoulder when drawing his bow.
He has been trying to work with the Drs etc but it still isnt getting any better and its almost at the point he cant even shoot more than 5 shots before he cant even draw the bow back.
Hes shooting a G5 of some kind...Not sure exactly what model it is and its a few years old. Is a dual cam style bow.
One thought i had was if he were to go to something with a smoother draw.
Possibly like an older Mathews Solo cam system it might make things easier.

I know a lot here will say to go to the Dr etc. Possible surgery etc but hes stubborn as hell and he will not give up a hunting season. He also wont go to a crossbow either.

 

[Bump79]

How many pounds is he shooting? Those Prime bows are smooth drawing bows. I'd drop it down 5 pounds and see if that helps him out.

I wouldn't go to a older bow. I'd get a newer efficient bow with a 7" brace and shoot lower poundage. If trajectory is a concern, lighten the arrow and tip it with a smaller broadhead.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

He needs to get over the "no crossbow" thing.

 

[Skerhunter]

Go to the store and shoot some bows at 50-60lbs, if he hasn’t dropped his weight yet!

Also 1-3 perfect arrows a day is better than 10 crappy ones.

Hoping he figures something out, so he can still shoot/hunt!

 

[Splitear]

Lower the poundage on his bow or move to a crossbow.

 

[kcm2]

I'll suggest he try shockwave therapy. I have an impact fracture in my R shoulder such that it's like balancing the golf ball on the wrong end of the tee. 5 shockwave sessions and the arthritis and 95% of the pain is gone. Non invasive but when the shockwave hits the bad stuff, it's like 300 volts. When it hits the good stuff, nothing. Amazing but it is a fairly inexpensive, non surgical way of helping.

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

I know that I benefit a lot from shoulder strengthening work in the gym, particularly rotator cuffs. If he wants to keep going with a bow he could try seeing a PT and then building muscle.

These two exercises do a lot for me:

 

[wapitibob]

First step is to figure out what's wrong; inflamed bursa, calcific tendonitis, etc.

 

[Coveyleader]

I’m in the same boat, and can shoot older mathews single cam bows without pain. Give me a VX3, Hoyt ultra no matter which model all the same, pain within minutes yet a single cam at 60lbs i can shoot all day.

These new bows have a draw cycle that just doesn’t agree with old shoulders, or underlying issues. Have him try one, see how it feels. I tried the upgrade path, low poundage and it just does t work.

 

[Luked]

He did lower the poundage of his bow at the end of that shoot.
He went from 60 to 50. Thats pretty much the bottom end of the range he can go to.
Havent talked to him since Monday. So not sure how its going now.

 

[Wheels]

Is he using the correct muscle groups during the draw? Proper technique will alleviate a lot of shoulder pain.
Youtube is his friend to learn proper technique.

 

[MallardSX2]

Tell him to get a 40 pound bow and max it out. You can kill anything in North America with a 40 pound bow under 25 yards.

 

[LostArra]

On Rokslide a medical problem is treated with buying different equipment when just a diagnosis would help.

 

[Jason Snyder]

Is he using the correct muscle groups during the draw? Proper technique will alleviate a lot of shoulder pain.
Youtube is his friend to learn proper technique.

First thought I had as well. Improper draw puts a lot of stress on the rotator cuff.

 

[TaperPin]

It sucks getting old. It’s hard giving up things we used to enjoy a lot.

 

[Marble]

He did lower the poundage of his bow at the end of that shoot.
He went from 60 to 50. Thats pretty much the bottom end of the range he can go to.
Havent talked to him since Monday. So not sure how its going now.

I would be curious to watch him draw his bow. I've seen several people with shoulder issues while shooting archery. Some are legit shoulder issues, but some are because of the technique being used to draw their bow.


Regardless, there's going to be a solution some type for him.


Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[Billy Goat]

Left shoulder is his bow arm?

Not his draw arm?

What's mass weight of the bow?

Assuming his bow arm, is he shooting with a locked elbow? Where does his elbow point at full draw? Is his shoulder raised while at full draw, or inline with his bow arm.

When he draws his bow, the arm drawing, where is the elbow in relation to his shoulders? Above or below?

 

[Beendare]

I had the same issue, solved it by doing a few things....but the first thing you/he needs to do is stop shooting and go see a good PT.

My PT solved my shoulder pain with simple band exercises and different technique. But go see a Doc or PT- it's worth it.

Essentially, I was impinging my rotator when drawing. My shoulders were too far forward and I was using too much of my arm and shoulder to draw. We have to draw with our back and scapula and not impinge our shoulders.

Do this; Stand and bend your arms 90 deg up, palms facing forward with arms out to the side. Raise your arms. Is there pain?

Now do the same drill but stand back to a wall and push your shoulder an arms back against the wall and slide your arms up against the wall as you raise your arms. If there is almost no pain it's your rotator cuff like mine.

It might be an easy fix...you might need surgery.

 

[Zeke6951]

I am 74 yo. Several years ago I had shoulder pain in my left shoulder when shooting. I shoot left handed. The pain was almost unbearable. I almost gave up shooting. I went to a PT, he said I have arthritis in both shoulders, he gave me an injection in both shoulders. I could tell a big difference when pushed the door open to go out of his office. I got another injection in 3 months. I have been pain free since.

 

[flyfisher117]

This isn’t a replacement for hands on PT but I really enjoy his content. I have started doing little warms and cool downs when shooting the bow and it has helped me.