Shoulder Surgery??

[spotit1st]

Has anyone ever had surgery on their Bicep Tendon and if so how did you recover to archery hunting?

I just recently had this taken care of and I am concerned about returning to bowhunting the doctor said it shouldn't effect me bowhunting but I am always leary of what they say, and hoping maybe someone here in the archery forum who has had a similar surgery can give me some positive feedback!!

 

[postcorner]

Hey spotit1st. I am currently a pre-med student at the University of Utah and I have worked in physical therapy for almost five years now. In my experience it seems that most patients who have work done on their bicep tendon recover fairly well. It depends on the severity of the injury/surgery. Do you know what they did exactly or what your rehab outlook is? They will usually give you a ballpark estimate to return to full activity. While you do use your bicep tendon while drawing a bow a little, you primarily use the muscles on the posterior side of your shoulder and your back. If nothing else, you could shoot a bow with a lighter draw weight this year then gradually build up from there. In my opinion the doc is right, you should be good to go come August/Sept. Goodluck.

 

[spotit1st]

Postcorner he told me that rehab would be 4 months and I should be back to 100 percent in 6 months I had a tear and a detatchment if I understood it right, Im not a good listner but that seems to be what he told me!

That was my thoughts exactly of turning down the bow about 10-15 pounds and shooting a little shorter draw length this year!

Thanks for the + information!!!

 

[postcorner]

Yeah that seems about right. They will probably start you off going in two to three times a week for the first six weeks or so, then decrease the visit frequency from there. Pay close attention to the precautions the therapist gives you as far as what you can or can't do with your arm. Such as lifting it too high or lifting it without assistance. The rehab for the first few weeks can be frustrating since it is nothing more than stretching and some isometric exercises, but hang in there and BE PATIENT! I can't stress that enough. A few months down the road you'll get to the point where you arm is feeling pretty good and you'll want to go back to doing things the way you used to, that's a recipe for disaster. Not only does the surgical site need adequate time to heal, but the surrounding muscles and tendons also need to be strengthened to help support your whole shoulder. The outcome of your surgery is up to you. If you are patient in letting your shoulder heal and diligent in doing your assigned exercises and rehab you'll be back in the game with a shoulder that works and feels great! Goodluck. Keep us posted.

 

[postcorner]

Oh, one more thing. A few months down the road ask the therapist to give you some specific exercises to help strengthen your "archery muscles." If you let the therapist know about your goal to get back into bowhunting this fall he should be able to design a few exercises specifically for that. We just discharged guy that had a similar surgery done on his shoulder. He really wanted to get back to playing tennis so we came up with a few separate exercises for him to do specifically for that. Not only did it help get him ready for tennis, but it broke up the monotony of his regular workout. Doing specific exercises for something you enjoy doing makes exercising a lot more fun. Anyway, there you go. Focus, work hard and be patient!

 

[huntin100]

Archery should'nt be a problem 6 months after surgery. The small attachment and blood supply is the main reason why the rehab is 3-6 months. Six months for heavy lifting and pulling. I have seen 25-30 biceps repairs in the past 15 years all have done well. You can't let pain be your guide. Follow MD's and therapist advise. You can email me at [email protected] if you have more questions. Greg

 

[spotit1st]

Thanks postcorner and huntin100!!

Sure appreciate the positive info I will do the best I can with the therapists bowhunting and throwing baseballs are my main hobbies and I see that the therapy is going to be key to my recovery!

Thanks again!!

 

[AZbowhntr]

I haven't had any shoulder or bicep surgery but I did have my ACL replaced a few years ago. It happened to be a year that I drew an archery bull elk tag. The therapy was tough but knowing that I had a hunt coming up was more than enough incentive to keep at it. It should be the same for you. It is nice having a specific goal in mind and not just to get better. Good luck.

 

[mountian_monarch]

I had a Bankart Repair I think that is what it was called, in hunting mans terms, I tore all the tendons off the front of the socket of my shoulder. So my shoulder would not stay in the socket. Anywaise, I had the surgery in early spring and did the physical therapy thing. By the archery season I had no problems with the bow. My advice is to follow the therapists and listen to the doctors orders. I know it is a little bit of a different sort of an injury but still a huge dillema that I was really worried about. Not as helpfull as the doctors but hoped I helped a little.