Back Pain

[fezza]

Hi All.

Recently since I have started shooting more regularly, I have started to experience some lower back pain/discomfort when on the shooting line (right-hand side). I was wondering if anyone else seems to get the same type of thing, or is it probable not due to shooting at all?

I am hoping it is just due to the fact i'v only been doing this sport for 10 months and it’s my body getting used to it .

Has anyone got any advice on the matter or some exercises I could do to help strengthen the back?

Thanks

Paul

[simon m]

I get some back pain(dull ache in the lower back) If I don't sit down throughout a whole shoot. Basically cause my posture standing isn't great.

Get a shooting stick and take a load off your back every few ends and see if that helps.

[Tom]

Could you be twisting your torso too much? You might want to play around with different feet/stance positions to see if anything feels better.

[Macbow]

Archery is a bit like golf in that the sport is one side dominant often leading to dysfunction throughout the body. Back pain is simply a symptom of dysfunction so the usual advice of rest, cold packs and analgesics only treat the symptoms and not the cause. The usual next step is a visit to the doctor where they will prescribe stronger pain killers, cortisone and a trip to the physio dept where they will tell you to work on your abs and major back muscles. When that doesn't work you may try massage, chiropractic, accupuncture etc which will all give short periods of relief but unless you get to the root cause it's a downward spiral.
I suffered nearly 10 years of chronic lower back pain and tried EVERYTHING. I truly understood the meaning of "spineless" as for weeks at a time I was useless and very depressed as I felt physically unable to protect myself or my family. Much of my problem I put down to terrible training advice in the early macho days of taekwondo as well as moving to a desk job after years of manual work.
I would strongly urge you to get two books by a guy called Pete Egoscue - Amazon has them (Pain Free... and The Egoscue Method health through motion). The Egoscue method completely changed my life and I am now fitter and stronger at 44 than I was at 24. The system makes it clear that your pain is YOUR pain and that only YOU can take responsibility for dealing with it. Once you grasp that the rest is easy. I can still get the very occasional twinge but they last a couple of hours tops instead of four days off work unable to move. If that happens I just go back to remembering to do my exercises again.
Do not listen to anything about getting older, wear and tear or that pain is part and parcel of sport.
Funnily enough, field archery played a huge role in my rehabilitation as walking around very difficult terrain and trying to shoot while keeping my balance helps to work the smaller deeper muscle groups that can atrophy through lack of use.
Good luck with your back!

[Little Miss Purple]

Is your quiver belt too tight??? I found this problem when shooting my wheelie bow... and it was the belt

[Rhys]

Like Tom i was going to ask about your stance. I suffer fromback pain quite often and which i switched to open stance it did give me quite a bit of pain.

After doing some regular exercise and stretching for my lower back and abs things are a lot better.

[Papalazaru]

Originally Posted by fezza

Hi All.

Recently since I have started shooting more regularly, I have started to experience some lower back pain/discomfort when on the shooting line (right-hand side). I was wondering if anyone else seems to get the same type of thing, or is it probable not due to shooting at all?

I am hoping it is just due to the fact i'v only been doing this sport for 10 months and it’s my body getting used to it .

Has anyone got any advice on the matter or some exercises I could do to help strengthen the back?

Thanks

Paul

Some times I find when shooting at my club I get a pain in the neck.....
and my heart bleeds
have you tried manning up???

[Erika]

Lower back pain is usually a symptom of poor posture in your shooting. There are multiple threads and sites that can help you with that.

But the basic principles

- taking it all on the abs rather than the back (koreans have a wacking stick to ensure you do it properly)
- keep your rib cage low
- tuck your pelvis under
- your back should be straight before you start drawing the bow and should stay that way
- draw with your lats/scapula and not with your biceps
- make sure your weight is even between your feet and 70% on your toes

I have three splits in my lower discs and I can shoot with no problems because my abs do all the work.

And go and see a physio (or practitioner of choice).