# nerve damage from shooting? is this possible?



## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

So as some of you know, my daughter asked to become a bowhunter this year. As a result she earned up money for a bow, and when dad got to shoot her new bow, he realized what a piece of crap his old one was.

So long story short, I bought a new one that I felt was a great value, and spent the better part of Saturday morning and afternoon shooting. It shoots so much better than my now 18 year old one that i just kept shooting. By saturday night, my right shoulder hurt pretty bad, i'm not gonna lie, i over did it.

Sunday morning comes and I wake up and cant move my arm. At all. I figure I just slept on it or something, and it'll come around. So this morning, I still have big patches in my arm and the back of my shoulder that are numb, and literally none of the muscles in my shoulder work at all. I cant lift my arm. 

I go to my doctor, and she's a little freaked out by it, and she sends me to the E.R....I spend the better part of my day talking to the staff there and a neurologist, where they rule out muscle damage, a stroke and a few other things. Now i've got appointments for physical therapy and another neurologist because they are sure its some kind of nerve damage but have no idea whats causing the problem.

all i know is i cant even lift my arm, much less draw a bow, and they're saying theres no way of knowing how long it will last. Have any of you guys ever heard of somthing like this happening?


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## ntrl_brn_rebel (Sep 7, 2007)

:shock: 

Crazy......

I have never heard of anything like that, hopefully you get it figured out and its nothing serious. 

Good Luck and keep us posted, hopefully this isn't something you are going to fight every time you shoot


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

wow crazy. never heard of that. Good luck get it figured out and get back to shooting the new bow with your girl.


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## hoghunter011583 (Jul 21, 2008)

WOW!! I'll keep my fingures crossed for you, I've had my hand get numb for a day or 2 after working with my hands really hard, like swinging a hammer for 2 days in a row. So maybe it will be something like that. That makes me want to turn my draw weight down but it is already only 50lbs~!

Keep us updated


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

all i know is that im getting really frustrated already. I have no idea at this point if i should even consider putting in for the draws this year or just do a bonus point or what. And the more "specialists" i talk to the less of an idea they have of what is going on or how this happened, much less how to fix it.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

I've never had any sort of bow shooting injury my whole life....Until last spring. I went and shot two carp tourneys back to back with a heavier bow than I'd been shooting at deer for the last five years. Needless to say, after shooting at three hundred carp in two days, two weeks in a row, my shoulder was toast! I let it rest for a month and thought it was all better but when I picked up my bow to start getting tuned up for the big game seasons I really had problems. My shoulder muscles still hurt, but now because Id been compensating for the sore shoulder I'd tweaked all the muscles in my neck and lower back as well. I hate doctors with a passion and wouldn't see one for the longest time but it never got any better no matter how long I rested it. I finally gave in and went to my chiropractor. He did some adjusting and recommended some massage therapy and the problem went right away. I've always been a fan of chiropractics but now I'm a huge fan. I can give you the name of mine if you want, he's the only one I'd go to and I've seen a bunch of em.


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Sounds like an impingement. Take anti-inflammatory drugs and call me in a week. No I'm not a doctor, but have had the same thing from work related stuff. You will come around unless your still caught up in your shoulder area. Then it might require surgery. Take it easy.


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## roper (Sep 27, 2010)

That is really crazy, I hope you find out what the deal is and get back to your normal self, soon.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

That's a bummer deal. Sorry to hear that. I too wonder if a nerve might just might be pinched due to swelling. I'm not a doctor so take this for what it's worth but it seems when ever I cause myself serious injury I know it pretty much right away. If you wake up with it the next morning it seems to be more of a swelling issues that will go away with time or a muscle tear that will heal.

I may be full of it here but if nothing else will hopefully give you some encouragement.


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## c3hammer (Nov 1, 2009)

There can be subscapular nerve impingement where it goes under the clavicle and through the subscapular notch to feed the muscles on the back of the scapula and under the back of the arm pit.

Get ice on the top of the shoulder where the deltoid ends. If you put heat on it after a rough shooting session you can cause severe inflamation that will make the nerve go dead.

Take a look at this and you'll see how it's the one that controls all we do when shooting archery.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/92672-overview

Cheers,
Pete


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## ForkhornKiiller9000 (Jul 27, 2009)

This happend to me last year i was pulled my bow back and i hear a loud tear. for the next month i couldnt move my shoulder up it hurt like H*** then i went for a massage and told them about my problem then 2 days later wala problem fixed i was amazed.


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

The crazy part is that there isn't any pain, at all. There is no sensation, it doesn't respond, my wife can pick up my arm, move it all around, and there isn't an discomfort but if I had my eyes closed I couldn't tell you where my arm was in relation to my body. its the damnedest thing. I'm going back in tomorrow morning for am MRI because they want to rule out the possibility of it being a pinpoint stroke.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Holy crap WasatchO! That really doesn't sound good at all! I hope they can run this thing down for you, it has to be a hellova thing to be going through. All the best to ya bud, and let us know what happens...


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## Mountain Time (Sep 24, 2007)

My friend was just talking to me about this. He is construction and totally believes this has and is helping him with some of his issues.

http://www.amitmethod.com/

Good luck. I hope you get this figured out.


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## Theekillerbee (Jan 8, 2009)

It's actually called the suprascapular nerve, not sure where they got the subscapular nerve from, there isn't one. The SSN mostly innervates the Supraspinatus (lift/push/pull) muscle. Some of the infraspinatus is also innervated, but it is primarily a motor nerve and not a sensory nerve, so it may contribute to the lack of motion, but not the lack of sensation. You likely caused a rotator cuff shutdown by really overdoing the muscles of the cuff. That doesn't explain your lack of sensation. RC shutdown happens a lot in young pitchers who do not watch their pitch count. You'll see them leave the field with the arm hanging down the side. Then it takes some time to "wake" back up again. This is unlikely a cervical spine issue if you have feeling in all of your hand and fingers, as any nerve impingement at the cervical spine will affect the feeling all the way down the arm into the hand. If there is nerve involvement it is probably a thoracic outlet/brachial plexus injury. An MRI will be of little to no use in this area. An EMG study is more appropriate. It's too bad you were sent to the ED and had to waste a ton of hard earned cash. I hope you haven't dropped 1500 on an MRI that will probably not help your diagnosis. You need to see a good sports medicine guy (if you are close to Ogden, PM me). They will get down to the nitty gritty and try to get you fixed up. This will probably resolve spontaneously, but it will take you several months to get your rotator cuff back in shape. Remember you aren't 15 any more, and you will not build muscle like you used to. Good luck and keep us posted.


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

Killerbee,

I think you must have had a conversation with my physical therapist, because you just repeated him word for word. Except instead of ball players he said that he'd seen it with landscapers doing rock walls, (raised elbow, heavy back muscle use) where they continue working after having severe muscle fatigue, and it pulls the nerve to the point of damaging it. He's saying I'm probably going to be months before I'll be able to raise my elbow or lift my arm over my head. 

And unfortunately, yeah, I already dropped the money on an MRI, which didn't tell me anything really, and next they want to do a "nerve conduction study?" I'm not sure what that even is, but I imagine it helps them diagnose for certain which nerve is affected and how badly? But in the end this is going to be something that just has to heal itself isn't it?


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Did you go see Dr Wersland?


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## c3hammer (Nov 1, 2009)

I had something similar in 2007 from over training for the Olympic trials. I had gone to Dr. James Mcintyre who suggested I had this syndrome. I also had the elctro shock testing done at the UofU which showed significant nerve impingement and very slow reaction times.

There is actually a subscapular nerve and I'm sure it can be impinged, but not what I meant to be talking about on the first page 

Here's the article where the label for the picture mentions the "subscapular" nerve. It's probably an incorrect label and sorry for having used it as it was the first article that matched my search for what I had going on.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/92672-overview
"Clinically relevant anatomy of the subscapular nerve (SSN) and the structures it innervates. The SSN is vulnerable to entrapment at the superior scapular notch and the spinoglenoid notch, beneath the inferior transverse scapular ligament. The inset depicts the clinical appearance in an individual with predominantly right-sided atrophy of the infraspinatus muscle due to suprascapular neuropathy."

In any case, I hope you're getting it sorted Wasatchoutdoors.

Cheers,
Pete


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## Theekillerbee (Jan 8, 2009)

Hey WO, sorry I didn't followup on your post. The nerve conduction study or EMG, is a good step. It will tell you what nerve is effected, but not if the nerve will return to good function. If you are improving, you should continue to improve, however if you are not improving, then you should get the EMG. If you are having impingement of the suprascapular nerve, there are a few guys in town that can perform a release through the arthroscope that can relieve the pressure, and if no permanent nerve damage has occurred, you will recover. Remember nerves can get injured quickly, but can take a very long time to recover (think 24+ months). If you are having a true suprascapular nerve impingement, the best thing to do is get that thing freed up. Most average ortho guys wont touch it, let alone do it through the scope, but it can be done. If you are down Salt Lake ways, you should look up Dr. Metcalf (SP???) He trained with one of the best shoulder guys out there. I think he is at TOSH. Don't let anyone at the U do it. Most of the time you would have some resident dinking around with the scope (trust me, they are very hard to use). There is 1 guy in Ogden that can do it. Not sure about the Park City or Provo guys, don't really know them.

There is a subscapular nerve (actually 2 of them) but they only innervate the subscapularis muscle, which is an internal rotator of the shoulder, and wouldn't affect lifting your arm. To impinge this, you would likely have to have some strange brachial plexus impingment caused by a soft tissue mass.

Keep us posted on how things are going.


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

So here's the update. I've been going regularly to TOSH for physical therapy, and it seem slike the nerve in question is starting to wake up. 2 weeks ago I couldn't straighten my arm much less lift it. A week ago I could lift my hand to my face, or raise my arm to where my arm and hand were horizontal at shoulder height but no higher. 

I went to physical therapy on Friday morning and that's all the movement I had, but by 4 oclock that afternoon I could raise my arm out to the side, and all the way up as long as the elbow was out to my side. By saturday morning I could raise it in front of me all the way up.

As of this morning I have probably 85% of the orifinal range of motion. Hardly any strength when my hand is above eye level, but I can at least move it wher eit needs to go. I'm sure the strength will come back in time, and the upper of the two muscles on my scapula is already starting to fill out again (it had significantly wasted and reduced in size in only 2 weeks of non use) the lower one has yet to show signs of fillouot out again, but I think it's just a matter of time. 

I think I'm still a long way away from being able to draw a bow, but on a positive note I was able to put 50 rounds through my 17hmr this afternoon at the Lee Kay center, and apparently I can still shoot pretty well. 

All in all I think I'm going to be ok, i just need to keep working at it and hopefully by september I'll be able to draw a bow. If not, I'm going to be plenty excited watching my daughter try to fill an archery elk tag.


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## roper (Sep 27, 2010)

Hey WO that's great to hear. Just remember "patience Danielson", to quote Mr Meagee (sp) from the Karate Kid. Don't rush it, "K"


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

Just an update. I did it! I was able to actually draw back my bow and shoot a few arrows this weekend. My group has gone all to heck, but at least they all hit somewhere on the target. I'm just going to have to take it easy for a while and no more marathon multi hour shoots. But I"m pretty sure I'll be able to be back in shape in time for the bowhunt this year.... Thanks again for all the suggestions, referrals and support.


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## Theekillerbee (Jan 8, 2009)

Thanks for the update. Glad you are making good progress. Keep it up.


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## Snag32 (Sep 11, 2010)

If you miss a LOT it can wear on your nerves!


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