Rotator Cuff Surgery and Bowhunting?

[MichaelJ]

Hey man big congrats on the tags!  VERY cool!   

Funny you mention working out before surgery.  I was working out doing intense interval workouts 4 days a week working mainly with various pushups, pullups, situps, squats, lunges...etc  12 minute workous would KILL me (I'm in good shape already).  My body was in pretty good shape and it has really come back over the last 2 weeks.  I think it definitely helped out on my recovery.

I made my own workout resistance bands the other day.  Used 1" conduit for handles with holes drilled in them and surgical tubing.  Got a few singles and a double banded one that I've been working with this week and can already tell I'm getting stronger.  I honestly think I could go shoot my bow at 70 lbs right now but am waiting till July 1 and the 3 month mark!  Just strenghtening and working on form right now!

Mike

[Dr. Death]

Have the bow up to 50#, was shooting 3" groups at 55 yards last night. Everything feels good in my shoulder. Im basically starting from scratch, which is probably good for me.  Shooting a new release and these light weights, I can really work on my form, anchor point and follow through...I feel like I could shoot 70, but will continue to just work my way up to it. I hope the rest of you are doing well.

[MichaelJ]

Still waiting for July 1st to even start with my bow.  Been working on my elastic band draw work outs and can actually do 7-8 overhand pullups without any pain.
Also waiting for the Idaho draw results to come out to see if I'll be archery hunting or not!

Mike

[Dr. Death]

Mike, sounds like things are going good for you! Weird how people heal, I've been trying to do my lat pulls downs, but can only do them with hands in close, wide grips really bothers my shoulder. Push ups/chest work is very slow also, but the bow feels good...

Good luck with your Idaho draw!

[MichaelJ]

Got my second shooting session in today!  27 arrows at 20 yards and I'm even feeling stronger already than my 21 shot session on Monday.  Feels like I haven't lost a thing from last year.  I have 70 lbs limbs that I took out two full turns and I'm guessing its around 55-57. Bow still feels fast n smooth. Going to turn it up next week and start shooting at distance after tuning.

Got an antelope archery Idaho hunt August 15th and that actually turns out to be probably my only archery hunt this year.  We'll see how it goes!

Mike

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

[Dr. Death]

Mike congrats on the speed goat tag, that should be a fun hunt...and way to go on your shooting, feels good to get back into it huh! I just got my bow up to 70 on Tuesday and started shooting broadheads last night....all is good here......just playing the waiting game till the opener......

[oldcamper]

I had a different kind of surgery but still effected the left shoulder. I am unable to extend my left arm or push as would be needed to bow hunt being right handed. I spoke with my surgen about it and he informed me that he had another paitient that was a world class archery shooter and also had to give up the archery that he did.

He learned to shoot left handed and returned to the world class level shooting bow's left handed. I am now trying to shoot left handed as it takes different muscles to pull a bow then it does to push a bow. I can only say it is freaking weird but I am determand to reach success.  I can now hit the bale every time (that's a +) but getting used to using the opposite eye is probably the hardest part. Cost me a few arrows and a new bow ofcourse  but I will retrain myself. So no; bow hunting is not over. 

[Elkpiss]

I had my 2nd shoulder surgery on my draw shoulder, I tore my lebrum in College baseball 9 years ago, and tore it again playing softball last summer.. Had sugery May 1st off work for a month and then light duty and back to full duty July 2nd.. I had a huge bone spur they cleaned up too and they detached my bycep to reattach my lebrum and then reattached my bycep, the DR said there is no way that i will be able to pull a bow back by Sept, Bull chit i was thinking this isnt the first time i have had this surgery so i knew what I was getting into..  I almost have my entire motion back and i am going to wait till the last minute, probably Sept 1st to shoot  my first Arrow to be safe but i know i could pull it back right now... Im 29 so i may heal faster i dont know but  i was a little worried when he told me i would be very lucky to bow hunt this year but how it feels now there isnt a dout in my mind i wont be hunting..  .. 

[washelkhunter]

I had my 2nd shoulder surgery on my draw shoulder, I tore my lebrum in College baseball 9 years ago, and tore it again playing softball last summer.. Had sugery May 1st off work for a month and then light duty and back to full duty July 2nd.. I had a huge bone spur they cleaned up too and they detached my bycep to reattach my lebrum and then reattached my bycep, the DR said there is no way that i will be able to pull a bow back by Sept, Bull chit i was thinking this isnt the first time i have had this surgery so i knew what I was getting into..  I almost have my entire motion back and i am going to wait till the last minute, probably Sept 1st to shoot  my first Arrow to be safe but i know i could pull it back right now... Im 29 so i may heal faster i dont know but  i was a little worried when he told me i would be very lucky to bow hunt this year but how it feels now there isnt a dout in my mind i wont be hunting..  .. 

Go ahead dont listen to your surgeon. What the hell does he know right? I hope he tells you no way am i re-re-repairing your torn out biceps after you were duly advised not to engage in a particular activity. ______ like you just need to be kicked to the curb and live with your injuries. Nothing worse than having to wade thru all that scar tissue to perform a repair that now you will perhaps never regain full use of that arm. I just hope this is a case of self-insurance because i hate to see your employer or the public having to pickup the tab for your selfish choices in life.

[Elkpiss]

I had my 2nd shoulder surgery on my draw shoulder, I tore my lebrum in College baseball 9 years ago, and tore it again playing softball last summer.. Had sugery May 1st off work for a month and then light duty and back to full duty July 2nd.. I had a huge bone spur they cleaned up too and they detached my bycep to reattach my lebrum and then reattached my bycep, the DR said there is no way that i will be able to pull a bow back by Sept, Bull chit i was thinking this isnt the first time i have had this surgery so i knew what I was getting into..  I almost have my entire motion back and i am going to wait till the last minute, probably Sept 1st to shoot  my first Arrow to be safe but i know i could pull it back right now... Im 29 so i may heal faster i dont know but  i was a little worried when he told me i would be very lucky to bow hunt this year but how it feels now there isnt a dout in my mind i wont be hunting..  .. 

   


Go ahead dont listen to your surgeon. What the hell does he know right? I hope he tells you no way am i re-re-repairing your torn out biceps after you were duly advised not to engage in a particular activity. ______ like you just need to be kicked to the curb and live with your injuries. Nothing worse than having to wade thru all that scar tissue to perform a repair that now you will perhaps never regain full use of that arm. I just hope this is a case of self-insurance because i hate to see your employer or the public having to pickup the tab for your selfish choices in life.

   
wow buddy that was deep... Im healing good and will be fine, and the surgeon said it will be healed in 3 months and wont tear again, he was thinking along the lines i wont have the strength in my shoulder to pull a bow back!.. Everyone heals different.. Thanks for the ash chewin tho..

[washelkhunter]

You're welcome. Im here to help.

[oldcamper]

   Well we are all here to help. 

[Dr. Death]

Went back to the Drs yesterday for my 3 month checkup and he said I was good to go....   Said do what you want, if you shoulder says no, then dont do it...I just have to keep doing ROM stretches to get the upper end mobility back, behind back etc....says weight wise no restrictions! WOO-HOO!

[billythekidrock]

Congrats to ya DD.

I have been purposefully avoiding this thread because I had nothing positive to contribute and it would have come off negative. But I am feeling a little better about things so I will post some of my experiences.

After doing pt 3 times a week for a month I was finally gaining some ROM and a little strength but no pain relief.

So more shoulder and neck xrays that showed nothing.

More pt.

Then I got a joint injection/joint asperation. Basically a shot guided by xray. The good thing was no infection. The bad was that the injection did not ease the pain. In fact it made it worse for about 4 days and I had to take a couple days off from work.

After more pt and no real progress the therapist was was sounding like she could not help me anymore. She told me that the ROM was about as good as it was going to get and wanted to work more on strength. She told me there was probably nothing she could do about the pain.

Dr. wanted another MRI. So I did that. They couldn't get me in for another month to go over the results.

More pt and again I was told that there was not much to do for the pain.

Then, luckily, my therapist was out and I saw a different one. This therapist asked what we had been working on and I gave a brief explanation but told her that I wanted to hear what she thought might be the problem and her options.

After some poking and proding she asked how long I had been in the sling after surgery. I told her six weeks and she nodded. She had me raise my arm and she rammed a finger under my pectoral muscle. It hurt like the dickens.

She suggested that I was in the sling too long (protocol is 4-6 weeks depending on the dr) and that my pec minor had shrunk. She also identified some scar tissue near my shoulder and noticed the shoulder blade would not raise, lower or move in general.

After 3 visits I hurt like hell, but something had clicked and I knew she was treating the issues. On the fourth visit she said I would have to go back to my original therapist and I told her that would not work for me. She suggested I talk to my surgeon.

Upon inspection of the MRI they noticed tendinosis and subacromial fluid collection that was new since the earlier MRI.

So I got another steroid shot and a script for more pt with the current therapist. The shot worked for a few days with my best day in over 6 months on day 3. Day 4 was a little pain and on day 5 it was back to the same old same old. Then the next day eased up.

Continued work on the pectoral minor and shoulder blade has made a world of difference and with the shot easing pain I have actually been able to gain some of the ROM that I couldn't after months of pt.

The steroid shot was last Monday and now, six and a half months later, I actually feel like there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

I did shoot my bow a few weeks ago and was able to shoot about 20 shots at 56 lbs. But it was a struggle and I had to use a lot of body english to get drawn. I may try again this weekend.

I have been shooting my ml with the intentions of killing an elk in October.

[MichaelJ]

Man what a nightmare BTKR!!  I hope you continue to get some better results!!!

Mike