Tendonitis and Archery
Tendonitis and archery often go hand in hand thanks to the excessive tension that is placed upon the body during this sport. However, this is not the only type of injury that is common for archers.
In order to be an excellent archer, one must exhibit superb upper body control. Additionally, the muscles within the upper body must be in a constant state of flex during the sport. Some very common injuries include digital nerve and artery damage; forearm contusions; bilateral medial epicondylitis; nerve compression; de Quervain’s tenosynovitis; winged scapula; and shoulder injuries (in addition to tendonitis and archery). As you can see, this sport is anything but easy on the upper body as a whole.
If you enjoy the sport of archery, it is important that you keep your upper body in top condition in order to combat any strain. Additionally, archers must exercise all muscles within the body in order to increase stamina. Simply pulling back that bow takes a lot of muscle concentration, which can be rather difficult for the body to take. Archers should combine lots of weight lifting with cardio activity if they wish to keep all injuries away from their bodies.
When dealing with tendonitis and archery, there is really very little that you can do other than to rest. Keep away from that bow and arrow for at least two weeks, and try to give your body time to heal. Additionally, there are many over the counter pain relievers that may help with this injury, though you should not be tempted to continue the sport while injured. Some people find that topical pain reducers also help. Also, you may want to contact a sports therapist for some specific ways to relieve the pain. Far too many archers feel that they can continue to practice once their body feels better, though this is not enough.
Unfortunately, this is one injury that simply takes time. The more you aggravate it, the more that you will have to take a longer amount of time off from the sport. In short, if you want to keep practicing, you must allow your body to rest.
Although tendonitis and archery tend to go hand in hand, this doesn’t have to happen to you. Remember to keep working on all parts of your body in order to remain in top shape.