Its now been 6 weeks since surgery from Rotator Cuff torn bicep and tendon on my bow arm. Feel like I'm in less pain everyday and doing therapy twice a week. But frustrated at lack of mobility. I know its early and the Docs seem happy with me

For those that have been through it. Tell me what it took and how you worked up to shooting again.

It took longer than they said/promised! I borrowed a lightweight bow and started pulling it at 3mo post surgery. At 6mo I could pull my regular bow, but endurance was low and pain afterwards was a problem. At 12 mo. I felt fairly normal but still had occ pain esp in pectorals

5 Months since full rotator cuff surgery.

Fell on same shoulder about 10 day's after surgery. Lots of issue's here, including a "frozen shoulder", recently received cortisone shot in neck due to fall (pinched nerve). There is some movement in up and down of arm, very little movement otherwise.

Still hope full I can be a go by late October or early November.

Fellows if these are suppose to be the " Golden Years " How come I feel like a piece of rusted tin ?

LOL

I was shooting a light weight bow around 6 months. It was over a year before I could shoot 50 lbs. and just a couple of shots. At about 2 years it was more normal shooting but not able to do more than 6 shots at a time with 50 lbs. The surgery was when I was 67.

Thanks guys. Just started small exercises. Like trying to just lift my arm. I will take my time and follow all orders. Shooting for me has been a daily part of my life for 37 years. If I need a kids bow to start at sometime, I’ll be like a 50 year old happy kid.

Thanks guys. Just started small exercises. Like trying to just lift my arm. I will take my time and follow all orders. Shooting for me has been a daily part of my life for 37 years. If I need a kids bow to start at sometime, I’ll be like a 50 year old happy kid.

have had both rotators done, lazer not as bad as being open up but still takes a long time to heal even when you do right and exercise I still have pains in left side now at 68 years young but still shooting dr

I can tell you this, as I have had cuff surgery and bone spurs. First and formost, do ALL of your therapy that is recommended by the doctor. It will take about 1 year before you are back to normal, so don't over do it.............Jim

It also depends on what type of surgery you had. If you had it where they re-attach it to the bone I would be careful with pushing too hard. It takes time for that to take hold and failure is common. You don`t want to go through it twice.

Long story short, in less than a year, I could shoot my 80# Browning Wasp again. To date, shoulder is still good and pain free. I regret selling the Wasp.

Work the other shoulder also to maintain upper body strength and balance.

I start physical therapy next week. I've got a partial tear in both the left and right shoulder. The right shoulder was repaired 4 years ago. I was still shooting and hunting with wheel bows back then, I was shooting 65 lbs. from my compound. I did not try to shoot my bow for almost a year and then I had dropped the poundage of it back to about 55 lbs. and even then I limited my shooting sessions. When I went back to the doctor to find out what was going on and he told me I had a tear in both shoulders I told him I did not want to go through the surgery again unless it was a have to situation. At this time I am only drawing 43 lbs. from my Bear T/D and I can shoot it with only minimum discomfort as long as I don't over-do the shooting session.

I had rotator cuff surgery in March 2017, by October it had not healed enough for me to be able to shoot my bow as I normally did, i.e., right handed. My solution was to try shooting left handed. It worked! I then bought a complete left handed outfit and worked on teaching myself to shoot left handed. Two weeks later, early November, I took a buck & doe in the WI bow season. Just because it does not work one way, try the other way. It might work for you too!

I'm at 7 weeks out from the surgical repair of slap tear of the labrum in my right shoulder. Just this week has the pain started to subside a little. I can get to about 60 degree straight out in front and a little less straight out to the side. Sounds like we are really close to the same, just different sides of the shoulder.

I can't shoot anymore, after my surgery on a massive large tear in my bowarm shoulder. It'll take 12-18 months,to be the best it's going to be. Don't push it to soon, time is what you need and the correct physical therapy. JF

I had rotator cuff surgery 1/27/18. Small tears and fraying, dr was able to grind and smoothen up tendon. Had to have alot of bone removed (decompression) on left shoulder, bow arm. Shot 55lb last year, using 52lb now. Surgery went good, had good PT. I think every one will be different on recovery and no two the same.

Franklin, is correct regarding re-attachment to the bone.

I had all four tendons re-attached to the bone. Doctor tells me I need to wait 6 months post opp to get another MRI to see what is going on.

Doctor and PT tell me to be careful with exercise moves. If it hurts or causes pain, I should stop, not push it!

The old saying, "No Pain No Gain" doesn't hold true with this type of surgery.

I had a complete tear of the distal bicep tendon. Surgery was February 5th 2018 had a frozen shoulder got thru all that and in August was able to work up to a 47 lb bow. Decided to shoot right handed not lefty taking it slow.Didnt pull the the 47 lb bow With the left surgery arm,going to to try to get out next year. Everyone is different still only trying to pull the bow not shoot it yet.Taking time with therapy and getting strength back. Best of luck with your physical therapy and healing.

I'm 6 months out with mine. I had bicep tear, rotor cup tear , bone spurs, and shaved arthritis from colar bone area. Started back shooting light weight bow 30# at 5 months and shoot few arrows every week. Very cautious with it. .Hope to be able to hunt by end of season. But still have good bit of pain with it after shooting so just been taking it easy. So far behind on honey do's don't know if I'll ever catch up. I bought a 50# Sage on E- Bay for 75.00 and bought a set of 30# limbs to pull. Take your time and do what the PT folks say and follow Dr. orders. It just gonna hurt!

i'm into day 8 after surgery. things seem to be going as planned. post op appt on the 20th. ice is nice, been off meds 4 days. doc said 3 months. friends say much longer to feel 100% 9-12 mo. best of luck to everyone on our journey. maybe the heavy bows caught up with me but I made it to 71. 58

I got a buddy who kept shooting. He had surgery on his bow arm so he bought a light pound# samick. He then put a release loop on it with a strap through the loop. He shot with his teeth, and was not bad at it either. He just couldn't see himself missing our Tuesday night shoots. Good luck

A few years ago I had the surgery done in early February of that year. I really didn't want to miss Denton Hill Trad. shoot. I did my therapy religiously for the six months leading up to the shoot. I was able to shoot with my buddies using a 30# bow. I felt some discomfort but not pain. I didn't hunt with a bow that deer season but went out in the gun season. I continued to do all the exercises for a full year, especially the stretching exercises which I think were more help then the strength building exercises. Don't be in a hurry to get back to your full draw weight. It will come back on it's own if you move up slowly. Don't risk reinjuring it by going up too fast. You can pick up a used Samick Sage and start with really light weight. There are always used ones on the Bay cheap. You can find cheap used limbs in heavier weights as you move up. Take it sloooow.

I just had my 1st post .op appt yesterday. I was told that my healing would be 15 percent per month. so I figure 7 months best case scenario. Danger zone is around 8 weeks according to the PA because things wll start to feel pretty good. DON'T PUSH IT GUYS nice and easy. 58

It has now been approximately 17 months since my left shoulder rotator cuff surgery. I made all the post op appointments and did all the PT as prescribed by a sports injury therapist but the healing is not yet complete. I used to shoot 50 - 55 #, now down to 40 # and sometimes that is a struggle. Doc says my age is a factor, will be 74 in a month. Sometimes it sucks to get old and realize you are not the person you once were. Oh well, at least I can still bowhunt and am able to get out there & savor the bounty of what mother nature offers. Goo luck to all in their healing & in their bowhunts this autumn.

I have a small tear with bone spurs and arthritis. I shoot right handed. I have bone spurs and arthritis. Shooting with my right had with 40 lb bow is not bad. If I was left handed however I could not shoot because the pain is from lifting my arm not drawing the bow.

Take your time. It was 6 months til I could reach my ear, nine til I could draw a kid's now and a year til I could use thirty pounds. But it continued to improve for five years and I can now hunt with 45# and do long training with 35. So take it slow and do not give up. - lbg

One thing I notice - and I've been guilty of it myself - is that when people have finished with 'physical therapy' they stop doing the exercises.

You're never truly 'done' with keeping a once-injured or once-operated-on joint healthy.

'Therapy' is usually about strengthening the muscles and tendons around an injury, to make sure the joint has proper support.

Lack of support caused/causes the problems in the first place, especially when combined with over-use.

I see too many people who think that shooting too much - too many pounds, too many shots - is great 'training', yet they've never done any formal sports training.

Strength building, muscle building, endurance building, these are all well-studied. The key is to build systematically, not just 'go out and shoot until you're tired'.

If you shoot 50 shots one day, then 80 shots the next, then 40, then 90, you're not 'training', you're not systematically building, but you are risking injury.

Do a little reading on body building, how weight lifters work up until they are at or near maximum. And don't forget recuperation time. You build by tearing down - a little - and then rebuilding a bit stronger. Which takes time.

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