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Elbow Surgery

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hazmatde

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Back toward the middle of May I had arthroscopic surgery to remove some bone spurs and busted up cartilage in my left elbow. The surgery went well and the post surgery pain was very limited, so much so that the pain killers that the Doc prescribed weren't needed (not being macho here, it just didn't hurt that much). The range of motion in that elbow had been a little restricted by the bone spurs so I wanted to see if that could be improved by the surgery. Keeping in mind the trauma to the joint (the surgery itself) the Doc today said that it's right where it should be as far as improvement to this point and that with continued physical therapy might take 6 to 9 months to completely heal and straighten out. As far as extending the joint, it's right about where it was before the surgery. After it's straightened out completely , hopefully within a few months, I should get a couple more inches of draw length. I haven't tried to draw my bow since a few days before the surgery, but I'm thinking of giving it a shot tomorrow (possibly with a reduced draw weight).
Anybody have any similar experiences or advice? Any would be great.
 
Be careful. You should test it out first by doing some excerises that use the same muscles , such as pushups , then work your way into drawing your bow. Once you can draw back and let down , go ahead and try shooting . The recoil from the shot may hurt your elbow , so work your way into shooting .
Don't attempt to rush into shooting in one day , because you might hurt yourself even more in the long run . Take it easy , just one day at a time .
 
When I was prescribed pain killers for my shoulder, I also didn't feel I needed them. When I told the doctor I wasn't taking them, he firmly told me the pain killers weren't for the pain in my shoulder while at rest, they were so I could stand a more vigorous physical therapy. You may want to ask your doctor about that. I would also talk to him before shooting. You wouldn't want to do something that might put you out for longer.
 
Thanks for the responses, guys. I've been putting weight on it and it feels pretty good so far. The doc told me to use the pain pills if I felt I needed them. Also to use my left arm as much as normal and that it would let me know where the limits were. The therapy is fairly rigorous but not mind blowing, and I'd rather not use the drugs if I don't need them, so... Anyway I'll keep you posted on the recovery.
Thanks again to all.
 
I got a little "sperience" with those elbows. I broke my right elbow years ago. Unfortunately it will never straighten fully again. But I'm right handed so the left elbow is the one I need to straighten out to shoot. Still works out. :cool:

But as for therapy. MAN! When I came out of the cast, I had to carry my right arm with my left! Ungodly pain! Over time I increased the length I could straighten it with stretching therapy. Hurt like CRAP!

When I was sitting at home watching TV or whatever and not doing much, I wrapped a heating pad around my arm with moist cloth to relax the muscles and started out with nothing in my palm, just lay my arm out extended across the arm of the couch with from the elbow to fingers hanging mid air. Then moved up to a small "ankle weight", used for jogging, velcroed on my wrist/forearm and hung my arm out extended as best as possible. Then later moved it further out my arm and eventually draped across my palm. (The further out it went the more weight/pressure it put on the joint and tendons like a lever) Then used both ankle weights doing the same thing moving them out over time.

Just left it there and let that small weight slowly stretch the tendons. Sometimes 15 minutes, sometimes an hour. When I would stop and remove the weight and try to bend my arm it felt like it was broken all over again. Pain stretching it out over the previous 30 minutes - hour, then pain contracting it back.

The ankle weights were ideal because I could wrap them on my arm or palm and leave my fingers extended as well. Holding something kept my fingers contracted and sorta defeated the purpose of stretching all the tendons.

Long process over weeks, pain everytime, but slowly increased weight to a few pounds. Got most of the mobility back that way but long hard road. Take it easy and don't screw it up. Ask the Doc about the bow beforehand.
 
I've hurt mine picking a piece of pipe up at work hurts like heyl to draw a bow back gonna have to get summin done after deer season is over dreading it
 
Well, no problem drawing my son's bow at 45 lbs, though I haven't loosed an arrow yet. Draw and let-down were both smooth and controlled with only slight discomfort. I think I've read in the past about an exercize item that works out the muscles (arms, back, etc) used to draw one's bow. I think it consisted of a grip with several sizes of interchangable rubber bands. Anyone ever heard of this thing and/or know where to get one, or something similar?
 
Loosened the limb bolts on my Diamond Black Ice by about a turn and a half (was set right at 70 lbs.). No problem drawing or letting down. Felt REAL good! I need to keep exercising with it, as well as the therapy.
 

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