Elbow pain?

[speck1]

I started having elbow pain shortly after I started shooting trad bows. I shoot on average 50x a day. The more I shoot the worse the pain gets. Feels like a tendon attachment on the outside of my elbow. Any one else experience trouble like this?

[McK]

which elbow?

[jerp]

If the pain most severe over the bump on the outside of your elbow and is worse when you straighten your arm, it is most likely "tennis elbow" which is also common in archers. I had a bout with this a few years ago. After talking to a doctor I hung the bow up and did not shoot again until the pain went away which was 2-3 weeks. Continuing to shoot will make it worse - you have to let the inflammation and those micro tears heal. When you start shooting again try wearing a tennis elbow band for a while. I did and I'm not sure how much it helped but it can't hurt. Look up exercises for tennis elbow on the internet

[speck1]

If the pain most severe over the bump on the outside of your elbow and is worse when you straighten your arm, it is most likely "tennis elbow" which is also common in archers. I had a bout with this a few years ago. After talking to a doctor I hung the bow up and did not shoot again until the pain went away which was 2-3 weeks. Continuing to shoot will make it worse - you have to let the inflammation and those micro tears heal. When you start shooting again try wearing a tennis elbow band for a while. I did and I'm not sure how much it helped but it can't hurt. Look up exercises for tennis elbow on the internet

That's exactly where it hurts. Right elbow on draw arm. Just gonna shoot thru the pain till I kill one with my recurve. Not going to let a little pain ruin my mission. I was just curious as to whether it was common. I have never had elbow trouble shooting a compound.

[HoustonHunter94]

I had my left elbow swell up on me over Christmas. I didn't do anything to it that I know of, it just started hurting and then over a couple days got a huge bubble on the point of my elbow and hurt like the dickens. Went to urgent care place on Sunday morning and they said I had bursitus and gave me a shot and some steroids and pain meds. I am hoping it gets better as I was going to give it one last ditch effort this weekend to get some more meat in the freezer but at this point, if it doesn't get better it ain't gonna happen.

Hope you get yours figured out. This getting old bit sucks!!

[jerp]

I thought you were talking about your bow arm. Are you pretty sure the pain has been caused by shooting your bow? It doesn't seem to me that a drawing motion would stress/inflame elbow ligaments

[muddydog]

I had this issue as well. I couldn't even lift a milk jug for 6 mo. Resting it helped mine.

[speck1]

I had this issue as well. I couldn't even lift a milk jug for 6 mo. Resting it helped mine.

That's exactly where I am at. Lifting a milk jug or yeti cup hurts. One last weekend to hunt and I am gonna rest it. I want to try my hand at a 3D shoot this spring.

[speck1]

I thought you were talking about your bow arm. Are you pretty sure the pain has been caused by shooting your bow? It doesn't seem to me that a drawing motion would stress/inflame elbow ligaments

I don't think it could be from anything else. Never had it until I started shooting trad bows 3 months ago. The more I shoot the worse it hurts. Funny thing is it doesn't hurt too much to draw the bow. It is after I shoot that it hurts. If someone squeezes my hand it feels like an ice pick sticking the outside of my elbow. A little pain won't stop the mission!

[jcd49]

It is a version of tennis elbow, golfers elbow etc. The repetitive stress and strain that the activity puts on the elbow causes the inflammation. An earlier post mentioned an elbow pad, that works to some degree by taking the pressure off of the inflamed tendon while you are shooting. Taking anti inflammatory drugs will also help some. The long term fix of course is rest from the aggravating activity. Mine was so bad that I couldn't bear to even shake hands. The good news is that once mine healed, knock on wood, it hasn't reoccurred and I haven't curtailed my activity at all. Good Luck

[Chew]

I had to get 3 hydrocortisone shots and give up the recurve to get mine to heal

[SwampRabbit]

My elbow pain was on the bow arm. Never have pain on my draw arm. What you describe sounds very unique with pain only on release, draw elbow, etc. When googling archey elbow pain when I was having it, never ran across what you describe.

[BigErn]

If the pain most severe over the bump on the outside of your elbow and is worse when you straighten your arm, it is most likely "tennis elbow" which is also common in archers. I had a bout with this a few years ago. After talking to a doctor I hung the bow up and did not shoot again until the pain went away which was 2-3 weeks. Continuing to shoot will make it worse - you have to let the inflammation and those micro tears heal. When you start shooting again try wearing a tennis elbow band for a while. I did and I'm not sure how much it helped but it can't hurt. Look up exercises for tennis elbow on the internet

Same here,had to back off shooting awhile!

[Draco]

I think it might be caused by how you are holding the string with your fingers. You may be holding the string with your fingers curled for the full length of the fingers instead of the hand and fingers being straight and just the last 2 joints of the fingers being bent. With the fingers being bent on into the hand, it puts a lot of stress onto the tendons running up to the elbow. Some thing to think about.

[toddchaney]

Even I injured my elbow while playing soccer. The doctors at OrthoTexas helped me in fast recovery.