I just had rotator cuff surgery on Monday. It was on my shooting arm. I fell and tore it. I can not even imagine me being able to pull a bow back again. I may need to switch to the left hand. I think I will be afraid of retearing this again
NOT SO. I had a clavelectomy and rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder in February of 2005. By June I was shooting a 50 pound bow and back competing in 3d. Religiously do your therapy and you should be fine.
Give it time. Right now I don't doubt you feel like you won't be able to shoot again Arm basically tied to your side and very painful, healing for this just doesn't happen over night, far from it. It will take a few months and maybe then some. When you start your Physical Therapy tell the therapist you have shot bows and your goal is to try and shoot again. NOW you may not be able to shoot the weights you once did, ESPECIALLY if you were a heavy weight puller, nor should you. I have no doubt though you should be able to "work your way" up to the 40-50lb range. DON'T force the issue slowly work at it "WHEN" the doctor says it is okay to try, NOT BEFORE! Get a kids bow like the PSE Snake or something similar to plan on starting with, I would also get a Galaxy Sage if you don't have one. Why? Limbs are cheap and they start at 20lbs of draw and you can work your way up from there. Don't be so hard on yourself. DANNY.
If you had a quality surgeon do the procedure and you go through the rehab and do the therapy correctly, you should be shooting a bow again within 6-8 months. Your shoulder will be as good as new.
Dislocated and broke my right shoulder last September. Had surgery on Oct 1st. Isolated in a brace for 6 weeks and no weight baring tasks for 90 days. Have since been strengthening the shoulder and I'm convinced I will be fine. Doctor visit on the 28th and expect to get the green light to start to shoot my recurve again.
My hunting partner had Rotator Cuff surgery in mid-Oct. on his bow arm. He is doing just fine, but has no delusions about pulling his 70# recurve. He will be starting out with a 50# bow when he begins his practice efforts.
I had a father-in-law who had rotator cuff surgery on both his shoulders as I recall. He was determined to shoot a bow again and developed his own regiment of exercises which he performed religiously. I never thought he had a chance of shooting again, but pretty soon he was up to 35 pounds and then later 50. He was pulling an old compound, yet that first "hump" he had to get over before any let-off was substantial and he did it. I see threads on here where guys hunt with bows in the 40 pound range. I believe you should be able to do at least that with a traditional bow. And I do not remember any concerns on my father-in-laws part on retearing anything. I know it wasn't easy but I have seen it done. Unfortunately he passed away years ago otherwise I could tap into his knowledge of exercises that worked.
Saph, I had right shoulder shoulder done same as JusPassin done in Jan. 2000. By fall I hunted with 45lb recurve. Jan. 2018 had same on left shoulder and had tendon ground and tears and frays smoothed up. Shot 45lb bow in April. Good PT and work slow and you can build back up I think. Good luck.
Do rehab and therapy and have tons of patience. I tweaked something in my shoulder back in feb 2017 i think. Couldnt shoot at all for 3 months, then 35lb was max for another 3, now i can go upper 40s with no worries and no pain but i always stretch and warm up before shooting and most my bows are still in the low 40s cause thats all ya need really. 8lb medicine ball and lots of work. Also get some form training so you are pulling with the correct muscles. Good luck
There are thousands of archers who have had this surgery, myself included who have no issues returning to shooting. I`m literally the "6 Million Dollar Man" and still shoot as well as before.
Thanks guys just feeling a lil sorry for myself I guess. Dr already has me doing some exercises. Oh my gosh it is so painfull. I'd love to be able to shoot 40 lbs
ROTATOR CUFF REPAIR IN SEPT 2018. ICE IS YOUR FRIEND!!! HEALS AT 15 PERCENT PER MONTH. DO YOUR PT . DON'T CHEAT. I just started shooting 25-30 lbs. Long road but you can do it. DON'T CHEAT!!
Keep the faith Jack. You will shoot again. Do the physical therapy religiously and follow the doctors orders. Tell the physical therapist what you will be working towards and perhaps the therapist can design some therapy just for you to achieve your goal. Good luck.
JR, you will do fine. Just don't rush anything and listen to doc. Therapy prescribed will work well but you 'gotta follow it. ;) Can't keep those West Virginny boys down very long anyway.
Longbow58 had his string arm shoulder replaced last June. He was hunting with a low 40 bow in October. Good luck. You’ll be hunting this fall I’m sure.
You'll b fine, you've got the post-op blues, everybody gets it and then gets over it. Stick to your P/T religiously and don't rush it and you'll be shooting again before you know it. Patience and focus...
Listen to your Doctor, and then your therapist. Once everything heals and you rehab, should be fine.. it does take some work on your part.. hang in there.
Hey Liquid....where is your act this Friday...you are killing me!!!
Too funny.
I know a guy that became clinically depressed over his shoulder surgery, so you are not alone in thinking the worst. Trust the guys that are telling you it will be fine, most have already been down that road.
As stated if you had a good surgeon yo will be ok. Did the same to mine and was torn up very badly. They started to do the artroscopic and found out how bad it was and decided to do the open surgery. The Doctor that did mine is now retired but was a very well known Sports Doctor. He worked on all of the Major Athletes and College Athletes. He worked on Terry Bradshaw and the list of top Athletes goes on and on. He built a three story building to house his office and other Doctors offices. It's just a trip in itself to see the glass lined trophy cases in this building with signed footballs, basketballs, shoes, jerseys and all kinds of sports memorabilia signed by the top Athletes he has worked on. He repaired my bow shoulder and left knee. That was about 12 years ago and I have never had a miniutes trouble since then. Before the surgery I could not even raise my shoulder to level. Just take your time and do the therapy and by all means don't be tempted to draw a bow back before your Doctor's blessings.
Why don't you think that you might be a better one after this? Friedrich Nietzsche said: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” Follow the Doctor's orders and Get Well! without pushing it.
Everybody is different.. Different degrees of damage, and or tissue health... I had a full tear, and scarring.. Was 60 at the time. Had surgery in june and was cleared at halloween.. Your patience is paramount.. Your surgeon is the man, He tells you what you can and cannot do, not your therapist... About half way through the healing process you will want to take the sling off and use your hands, arm..Don't... Leave the sling on.. Use the rubber bands provided, then a kids recurve, then boom you are back....... Best of luck...
I had rotator cuff surgery, along with repairing a labrum tear, and bicep tendon repair, ( it was frayed), all at the same time. I know how you feel, but you will get it back. DO THE PHYSICAL THERAPY! I can't stress that enough. Do not cheat yourself by slacking on this. I agree with Stan. Go slow and follow what your surgeon and physical therapist tell you to do. I remember when I had it done, and several weeks into it thinking my bowhunting days were over. You will get better in stages. The only thing I will add is properly stretch before shooting sessions when you are cleared to do so. Start low poundage and work your way up. You will make it.
So many people already responded but I will echo those words.
Do your PT; do your homework at home.
My PT therapist would bring tears to my eyes. But those stretches keeps the full mobility in check. I was drawing a kids bow in 2 months....not recommended. But I was shooting my normal weight bows in 4 months.
Jack,,,I had my entire right shoulder replaced with a titanium one (I shoot right handed) in January of 2018. I did the PT for 3/4 of the suggested visits and designed my own PT bow drawing exercises with elastic bands. I was shooting all 3 of my Black Widows by May and was bow hunting pronghorns with a Widow in August. I didn't get down for a second...I just kept thinking how much better I was going to feel after I got back to shooting !!!! NEVER GIVE UP !!!!! There are too many sunrises and sunsets to enjoy from the blind or stand !! All the best !!!
I made a joke on the over sixties thread about doing a hard days farm work without a problem and then tearing a muscle trying to get my socks off to take a shower. Well yesterday I finished work, got in the van to come home, reached up to grab the seatbelt and felt something tear in the front of my shoulder. By the time I finished my chores last night the arm was out of action. Today was torture and I can't take time off work because there's only two of us and the other feller can't do it on his own. And I have a new longbow on order! I told my boss that on the bright side, the pain takes my mind off my bung knee and the arthritis in my thumb. So Babysaph- my day has also been a big bag of suck:) At least the weather's nice. JayInOz
I tore the rotator cuff on my shooting (rt.) arm in '05, on a fire call. Complete tear, two surgeries and it could not be re-attached. I assumed my bowhunting days had come to an end. About 3 years later, I was at a hunting/fishing jamboree, with the NJ Forest Fire Service, and saw a used compound for sale at a near-by table. Picked it up, drew it back, and was delighted to find that I could still do it! Shot a compound for 2 seasons, then gave it to my son, and went right back to shooting a recurve, just not as much draw weight as I had previously shot. The body finds a way to compensate. So don't give up; it may take time, but you'll get there.
I tore rotator cuffs 2x in each shoulder, both biceps detatched. Torn labrum in drawing arm. 2 disks fused in my neck. I layed off for 2 years and let it all heal. Just started shooting again and can shoot 45# at 29. You'll get there, I've staryed over 5x
I've had both shoulders worked on in the past. The left one ( bow arm) was particularly bad with torn Labrum, Rotator cuff and torn biceps tendon. The right one just had torn biceps tendon and rotator cuff. I haven't been the same as before injuries or surgery. And yes I followed docs orders and PT orders to the Tee. Now my left shoulder is messed up again, can't win I tell ya.
I had my right shoulder fixed 12 years ago I had a impingement and rotator cuff damage repaired , after surgery my arm just hung there no movement whatsoever, after rehab I was back to 100 percent, surgery was in mid may I was pulling 60 lbs with my compound and 45 with my recurve by October 1 just in time for hunting season !!!
Babysaph, Give it a chance. I had an impingement, and a small tear in the rotator cuff in my bow arm. Had it fixed with Arthroscopic surgery. If I remember right it was 6 months and with the therapy, I was back up to 55-65#. That was in 2000.
Have had multiple surgeries including two on bow hand/wrist. Coming back I had to re-learn, so I tried to learn better. Am I the same archer I was? No, I've actually improved a bit ;-)
Whern you finally do get back to shooting, start slow, work through your process and refine what you can. You can't rush 'quality'.
Remember the Six Million Dollar Man on TV? I've got a bunch of junk layin around- and a welder. Any volunteers? See what we can come up with? Burly- you sound like a candidate. What say you? :) JayInOz
I forget who said this——-“no matter if you think you CAN, or think you CANT, you are right. It’s a profound statement. I think you CAN. It’s tough to get back on a horse that just tossed you off, but you’ll be ok.
The self remorse will end soon, it happens to everybody. Ball is in your court and life here after will be what you make it. Set your course to be better than before, make a plan and stick to it. A lot of people have done it before you, and a lot will later. Join the crowd, it's part of getting older and better.
I have had 9 shoulder surgery's 5 on my right and 4 on my left and am still shooting just do your rehab and get them strong again. Stay strong and get healthy and keep the faith. Bergie
Think about your rehab in terms of 'What archery sport do I want to play?'
Thirty pounds will get you shooting indoor target or small game. Forty pounds will get you 3D, hunting deer etc. Okay, so you're not likely going elephant hunting this fall. Not the end of the world, is it?
I lost all of deer bowhunting last fall, been shooting indoor target since January and after a 3 month layoff I'm at about 80% now.
In 4 weeks I'll be shooting 3D, hopefully with my full 48 lb hunting bow. If not, I'm doing okay with 43 pounds. Foam gonna die ;-)
Been there. I talked a horrible recovery. Don't push it. Do all the correct PT. It takes time. Mine retore and now it can't be repaired again. Mine was a massive complete tear. JF
Don’t strive to be the same shooter...why not become a better shooter? Your PT is your new best friend....trust them and don’t get ahead of yourself You will get there!
Btw. Retired February 26. Wanted to get this done so I could get on with my retirement. I must admit it is hard to sit and be pretty much helpless looking at all the things I want to get done.
In high school we had the "Presidents Physical Fitness Tests" to see if we were viable humans or not. I threw the softball 90 yards. I had a buddy that was one tough SOB and he threw it out of the end zone of the football field where we had to test. Fast forward to going down on my motorcycle after hitting wet tar patch and breaking my shoulder. 27 years later I couldn't move it and surgery was the only answer. To echo 99% of the replies here: SLOW and EASY and consistent therapy will bring you back. I can't see 100% - that for me didn't happen and for those that did realize full range of motion - I'm jealous. Of course, they had to drill a hole in my clavicle and wire it down with tungsten wire to heal but I can shoot 50 - 60# and still work all day at 63.
Hey man, take all the above advise, if that's possible, lol, and you will be back to normal in no time! Had a friend that had the same surgery, healed up fine, then fell on soapy concrete floor, same deal, again! Healed up fine is back to shootin his 70lb compound. Says he's never been stronger. Good luck and here's hoping for a full and total recovery!
It is an amazingly painful and debilitating injury and surgery, but full recovery is achievable with good physical therapy, taking the recovery process in a slow methodical way, don’t push it. I have complete recovery from a total tear of two rotator tendons.