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Dislocating shoulder problems. Help ?

So a few weeks ago while shooting my bow , my left arm popped out of socket .I I had surgery on both shoulders for this problem several years ago with no problems until this instance. My arm is now very unstable and I have to be very careful to keep it in. Another surgery is inevitable, but I am going to try to put it off until the end of whitetail season in Missouri and Kansas. I live in Missouri but hunt Kansas just as much or more. Need some help with my options . I have tried a lighter poundage bow “35 lb” with limited success . My arm feels like it could pop out while drawing or at full draw. This is my left arm and I am a right handed shooter. I have found some shoulder braces on the internet that look like they may help. Anyone have any experience with these ? Another option would be buying a left handed bow and shooting with a mouth tab. Any experience with how long it might take to become proficient with this type of set-up? Last option would be to eat a LOT of crow and use a crossbow this season. Thanks for any info and advice.

If your shoulder is popping out of socket from holding your bow means you have a serious problem. That generally isn`t the motion or movement that would cause that for those that are susceptible to this problem. Every time it goes out your shoulder become "looser" and it will continue popping out more frequently.

One to try is the shoulder harness that some rodeo cowboys use. It`s not a "fancy" looking brace....it`s made of leather and has a strap that goes around your bicep area and then straps connected to a belt that goes around your chest. It physically stops your arm from raising up and allowing your shoulder to rotate upwards. It also keeps your arm close to your body. This will leave your bow holding arm tight to your body and your arm bent more. Good luck.

I would think the Doctors office would be a better place to seek medical advice. Hunting advice on Bowsite:)

Hopefully one of Bowsite's Physical Therapists will chime in and give you some exercises, but what you really need to do is see a PT in person. Ask for a referral from your doctor.

I have a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder, dislocated my left shoulder and bone spurs and impingements in both shoulders. Your body is telling you to get to a QUALIFIED MD who truly knows what they are talking about to tell you what your condition is before you increase the severity of your injury past the point of no return. better to loose one season of bow hunting than spend the rest of your days with a choice of Xbows or no bows.

Dislocated my right shoulder last saturday (rh shooter). Worst pain of my life. Out for 7 hours with getting to and thru the ER. Pain gone as soon as it went in. Wearing a brace now - just some soreness with limited vertical range of motion. Going slow till I see my ortho next week. Looking like I might miss 1st bow opener - Oct 1st - in 20 years.

Draw hold device if allowed in your state. A lot cheaper than a crossbow. If your shoulder is that bad you may not be able to carry the crossbow. Also what is your contingency for getting a animal out if you get one?? Have a grounds crew?? Advice on meds, PT, recovery, surgery should come from a physician.

I had similar issues a few years back, before I ever picked up a bow. I had dislocated my shoulder 20+ times while skiing. Had surgery to repair the stretched out ligaments, but it started popping out again. Docs said the ball and socket joint was too worn away, the ball portion was now just floating in the socket instead of fitting snuggly. They sawed off a small chunk of my collar bone and fused it into the joint to act as a blocker. It hasn't popped out since Feb of 2013.

I hope you can hunt this season, but I couldn't imagine drawing a bow when I was going through that. Strategically building muscle via physical therapy is probably your best bet to make it through the season. I sure hope it works out for you.

If I was a compound shooter and lost the ability to draw normally due to an issue with one arm, I would likely go to a mouth tab. I have shot two different set-ups guys had who had lost complete use of one arm and they worked great. They were excellent shots and I was able to shoot well with their set-ups within a few shots. If you still have the use of your arm for getting arrows nocked, It really wouldn't be much of a hindrance. That part is what took both of them the longest to master since they only had one usable arm but they were pretty fast at it.

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