Archery is a game of fitness, strength, and focus. A survey shows there are fewer chances of injury in archery compared to other games. Mainly common archery injury involves shoulder, neck, and arm muscles, because the rest of the body acts like a support system. So, calling it a free-from-danger game is not wrong.
Archery is an exciting game, and it only creates trouble when someone uses poor technique. All the injuries connected with archery are around the shoulder and neck. Today we will discuss the most common archery injuries archers go through.
5 Most Common Archery Injuries
Archery is a fusion of strength, power, technique, and presence of mind. If one of the elements is missing, nobody can achieve their goal. For example, if an archer is not fit and he or she puts a lot of pressure on their shoulder or arm, there is a possibility of strain or sprain. On the other hand, if an archer uses poor technique, he or she might suffer from a rotator cuff tear.
So, it is all about your preparation at all levels. Without proper strength, power, or technique an archer is incomplete. Here are the most common archery injuries archers suffer
Tendonitis
As the name suggests, Tendonitis is a medical condition that involves muscle tendons. It is an inflammation and irritation of any tendon at the level of the wrist, elbow, or shoulder. It is an overuse injury, and the root cause is poor archery. If an archer uses incorrect techniques repetitively, tendonitis appears as a hurdle.
The early symptoms of tendonitis are pain, irritation, numbness, and inflammation. When the muscle tendon is consistently used in overblowing, the result is tendonitis. The elbow tendon frequently gets injured, and this medical condition is commonly known as Archers Elbow.
In severe cases, tears appear as a particular cause of stiffness, pain, and inflammation of the muscle tendon. To fix tendonitis, the first step is to rest. Take a break from archery, visit a doctor, and discuss your condition.
The best way to avoid tendonitis is to correct your technique or learn how to equally distribute weight in bowing. Strengthening exercises also play a key role, as they protect your tendon from regular injury.
String slap
A string slap is an injury that specifically targets archers. It is the result of a bowstring slapping an archer’s hand. A string slap is a bruise that archers get when the bowstring comes back and hits their arm. There are several reasons behind string slaps, like weak archery technique, loose clothing, or inability to handle bowstrings.
Research shows that beginners often snap the bowstring, but there are experienced people who also suffer from string snap. The reason is simple, and so is the treatment. The early symptoms of string snap are pain, bruise, or coloration. In some cases, it is quite painful, and rest is the best option.
The best way to fix string snap is early cold therapy, and rest. For further treatment options, visit a healthcare practitioner. To avoid string snap, wear tight clothes, fix bow string with technique, and practice safe overblowing. Experienced and beginner archers take string snap a string fixing a mistake, but in reality, it is the way you perform overblowing.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff is a strong shoulder muscle, and it supports the shoulder blade in overhead activities. It is a four-group muscle connected with tendons and ligaments. Archery involves repetitive overhead activities, so the chance of rotator cuff injury is high. Sometimes the injury involves tendons, ligaments, or the muscle itself.
In this case, rotator cuff tears and strains are usual injuries archers go through. The best way to diagnose or treat rotator cuff injury is to visit your doctor immediately. Rotator cuff injuries are prone to reinjure, and they demand proper rehabilitation.
To abstain from rotator cuff injuries, work on muscle strengthening and archery techniques. There are overhead activities in archery, so athletes should work on it. They should follow a muscle-strengthening plan to stay safe from rotator cuff strains, tears, and other injuries.
Lacerations and Tears
Lacerations and hand tears in archery are the results of wrong equipment and technique. When archers use a broadhead wrench and bowstring, they end up with hand lacerations and tears. It is not an overuse injury, but a result of the wrong equipment choice.
Lacerations and tears are truly visible injuries, and their symptoms are bruises, swelling, belts, pain, and tenderness. To treat lacerations, get early injury management, and find the root cause. If it is the broadhead wrench, replace it with a narrow head that fits your hands.
On the other hand, if a bowstring is the problem, change it, or get a better one. With a little adjustment, knowledge, and research hand lacerations are handled. The ideal way to get rid of hand lacerations is to equate yourself with the right equipment and archery techniques.
Take part in training courses to learn how to avoid mishandling, or other issues in archery. Proper education and training give confidence and helps archers live an injury-free life.
Muscle strains and sprains
Muscle strains and sprains are the results of overstretching and muscle stiffness. They are one of the most common archery injuries affecting shoulder, wrist and elbows.
The early symptoms are pain, inflammation, and muscle stiffness. Athletes are unable to stretch or move their muscles to perform regular activities. They have a limited range of motion and experience pain in activities of daily living.
Muscle sprains and strains are painful, and they demand proper treatment. In some cases, surgery is the last treatment. The best way to fix a muscle strain or sprain is icing, rest, and early physical therapy.
Muscle strains or sprains occur in faulty posture, limited joint range, or poor muscle health. If an Archer works on them individually, muscle strains or sprains could be avoided.
Conclusion
Archer is a complex game, and it involves a lot of shoulder, hand, and wrist injuries. There are specific reasons like poor posture, wrong technique, and mishandling that lead to archery injuries. To treat or avoid them, work on your skills, equipment quality, and muscle strengthening.