Extreme elbow pain only when shooting longbows

[Titan_Bow]

A little background. I’m 45 years old and have been shooting a longbow since I was 12. In the last year or so, I started getting pretty bad “tennis elbow” so laid off the longbows and working out, trying to let it heal. I also started shooting a compound a few years ago as my son really wanted one, so I needed to learn that.
Anyways, a year or so later and I find that I cannot shoot a longbow now. After just one or two shots, I get EXTREME pain in my bow arm elbow at the release. However, I’ve got a Hoyt Tiburon that I can shoot all day long with no pain. I have Hill style longbows, reflex/deflex longbows and several self bows. They all cause the same pain. It really bums me out because I love longbows!
Anyone else ever suffer from this? Anything I can do to fix it, or am I relegated to a life of recurves and compounds??


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[Beendare]

Been there done that finally had the epicondrial release surgery.

Nothing against longbows....except the vibration in some really affected me too. Once you have elbow pain you have to stop....and alleviate the pain. Ice, antiinflamatories. You can't let it get chronic...there is no circulation in the elbow to heal it.

 

[oldgoat]

Bow quiver and heavier arrows if not doing them already, different grip style maybe. Three piece longbow with recurve style riser

 

[Rich M]

I have a comment. Every now and again my elbow and shoulder will act up. Shot 70+ pounds from 12 til 35 and then dropped to 50#.

Anyway, shoulder, elbow, and gout wee related. Not enough water and something is gonna hurt due to body saying I needed more water.

Might work for you. Might not.

Good luck.

 

[alexanderg23]

Are you getting a bone spur in there? That happened to me from shooting my longbow so much. I had to have it removed.

 

[HERD CHALLENGER]

Happened to me also. Shoot 80# longbow for years, can’t anymore. To much pain in the elbow. I’m shooting around 60# recurves with no problem

 

[Titan_Bow]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I dont think its a bone spur, from everything Ive read, it sounds like tendonitis. Ive been trying those voodoo bands, and just backing off doing stuff that would aggrevate it, but man, its like 1 shot from a longbow wrecks a weeks worth of progress LOL . I guess for now, I am relegated to shooting my recurve.

 

[william schmaltz]

Go to a PT. My wife is a DPT and was able to rehab this issue on my BIL with a combination of working the muscle, dry needling, and exercise/stretching. Sounds like you’re assigning too much work load to a weak and tight muscle/joint.

Take that at a high elevation. I don’t even have a Facebook medical degree. But a PT is worth a shot. I’d try anything to avoid surgery.