I was shooting my bow about a month ago and it felt like something tore in my shoulder while I was drawing my bow. It has hurt ever since, more so lately. I finally went to the doctor yesterday and had some x-rays done and it turns out that I have a bone fractured all the way through in my shoulder. I can't think of any other incident that would have caused it. I've had to turn my bow down 10 pounds and can just barely get it back. This really sucks.

I wouldn't think so pj.

Like most injuries, it's usually something that happens in our lifetime and only manifests itself later in life. That's probably something in your case. You might have done something years ago you don't recall the repeated wear manifested itself now shooting the bow...

I can't imagine any other reason.

I just don't know. The doctor said it is where 3 different muscles/tendons connect. I wonder, since you don't normally use the muscles required to draw a bow, if those muscles could pull enough to cause a fracture. I go for a MRI tomorrow, hopefully that will give some answers.

Good luck pj, I'm glad tho that it sounds like you still shooting and can get out. When's your opener? By the sounds of things, I'm going to miss a week or two of mine.

I guess it could be possible to get a stress fracture from shooting an awful lot, but highly unlikely. Tendons or muscle tears would be more common.

October 1 here. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to hunt. My arm would have to fall off for me to miss season, On second thought, Both arms would have to fall off to miss season. I can still shoot, just can't shoot an hour or more like I like to. It just really hurts a lot. I thought about checking into a draw-lock. I'm not sure if they are legal though. I'll have to do some research.

Were you shooting a Mathews?[8D]

That really sucks. Unless you have some bone weakness I'd think it impossible. Have they done bone scans to check the condition of your skeleton?

I could possibly see someone stretching a ligament or partially tearing your rotator cuff from pulling back a bow.

I had a bad elbow/shoulder injury while wrestling in college and everytime I pull my bow back my shoulder pops and cracks three or four times.

I agree with Rob on this one, it was something else that is just now showing up. Muscle and tendon would give before bone, I would think... then again, I'm not a MD. Good luck.

I happen to work in Orthopedics.
What poundage were you pulling?
A stress fracture is a possibility, but a complete fracture is definitely unusual.
There are 4 muscles that attatch to the top of the humerus(arm bone), these are the Rotator cuff muscles, which can definitely tear, and take a piece of bone with it. This is an avulsion fracture.
Often, there can be a cyst in the bone that can weaken the bone, and you would not have any symptoms prior to the bone breaking.
Keep us informed as to what they find on the MRI