Bad day while dialing in my new bow....Ouch!!

[recondoc]

Howdy Folks,
I was tuning in my new Martin today and had a mighty painful experience.  I was at full draw (70#) when my Bow Tech was giving me some instruction.  I started paying too much attention to him and not enough to the fact that I was at full draw.  My arm started to slip a bit and as I recovered it (about 4 inches of movement) I dislocated my right shoulder.   Now I was in a real mix as I was still at full draw and felt my should blow up but not give.  It took me about 5 seconds to remember to make sure the arrow was still pointed down range and then trigger the release but it felt like an hour.  I have had a history of this shoulder being trouble and even had surgery for it in 1988.  After several years of abusing it as a Corpsman with the Marines and then having it lock up on my three times in Iraq, when I lost a lot of body mass, I guess I'm finally getting old(er).  I finally gave up my longbow this year for a compound because I was having trouble holding at full draw.  Now it looks like I'm out of shooting for at least a week while I heal it up.  I'm also going to dial this one down to 55# to save some stress on my shoulder.
So much for harvesting a couple of does this weekend.
Any suggestions for rehab exercises?
Doc

[whiskey101]

Your gonna be lucky of you can get back to shooting in a week.

Only advice I can give is to keep moving, stretching and work back into your bow slowly, maybe 45 lbs instead of 70 lbs.

[six_gunz]

Your gonna be lucky of you can get back to shooting in a week.

Only advice I can give is to keep moving, stretching and work back into your bow slowly, maybe 45 lbs instead of 70 lbs.

Agreed, and start doing some weight lifting....start low and work your way up. You need to build some shoulder muscles up so you don't pull it out....the muscle around your shoulder is what keeps everything in place. Use dumbells and do standing/sitting shoulder flys (stand upright or sit upright and bend slightly forward with your arms at your abs holding the dumbells with the palms of your hands facing one another raise the dumbells out away from each other ( to your sides but stay straight out and go up around shoulder height or as high as you can). Bench pressing will also build up your frontal shoulder muscles which you use to pull the bow with. Military presses (over the head) will build all 3 parts (front, side, and rear) of your shoulder muscles....very effective. One more that I do, and is almost all shoulder work, is called upright rows....yeah baby this works 'em...most people hate doing them but I love 'em!! You can do barbell or dumbell, I prefer the barbell because it keeps your form straight compared to dumbell. Stand upright holding the barbell in front with your hands 8-10 inches apart (make sure that's all you hold them apart...very crucial) and raise the bar to your chin keeping your back straight....yeah baby feel the burn!!!!

Remember start with low weights and work your way up, this will definitely help build up your shoulders for mass and strength. With the added muscle mass and strength I doubt if you have your shoulder pop again. Wear a belt and keep your back straight....don't do anything unsafe

[Illhunter]

another exercise would be to get some resistive band and use it like you draw a bow make it long enogh to stretch you draw length like if you have a 30" draw make it like half the length and it will help to strengthen the shoulder muscles. if i think about some other exercises i will send them.


Terry

[six_gunz]

another exercise would be to get some resistive band and use it like you draw a bow make it long enogh to stretch you draw length like if you have a 30" draw make it like half the length and it will help to strengthen the shoulder muscles. if i think about some other exercises i will send them.


Terry

I think this is what you're referring to, I thought about getting one for my wife. She wants to hunt with a bow but cannot pull the required 40lbs to legally hunt with.
http://www.bowfit.com/index.html

[Illhunter]

same idea but i am going to be an occupational therapist assistant and what i was suggesting is called thereaband or you can find other things like this a bit cheaper.

Terry

[six_gunz]

The bowfit is only around $20 and it has extra bands that you can buy for it to up the resistance from 15lbs to 80lbs. I suggest that you work both shoulders though, don't just work the shoulder that gives you problems.....keep an even balance in strength and muscle on both shoulders. Me personally, I'd do the shoulder exercises that I stated above with free weights, I think you'll find they'll be much more effective if you plan on still using a 70lb pull