Shooting with injuries?

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MB21

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First, a little backstory. I dislocated my shoulder back in March while longboarding. I am extremely active in the martial art of Kung Fu San Soo (black belt) and Parkour. Since March, I have re-dislocated my shoulder 4 other times, two of them being major, two minor during these activities.

I have surgery on Dec 7 (Pearl Harbor Day) and the recovery time is 3-6 months. My two best friends just got some Romanian WASR-10s, and we had planned on setting up a tactical range with some steel I have welded into targets. I have an AR-15 and SKS, and obviously had planned on joining in the action.

Well, tonight I managed to have my 3rd major dislocation in Kung Fu, so that might screw my plans over. Honestly, this is probably the worst one yet, as I am in excruciating pain whenever i move my shoulder (I did re-locate it). From former experience, I am not able to hold up a rifle for at least 2 or 3 days, and that is with a minor-ish dislocation.

Are you starting to see my predicament? I suppose I should add that my friends are leaving for college in January, and I know for a fact I won't be able to hold a rifle up for a long time after the surgery.

I am thinking about just popping 4 or 5 Ibuprofen or maybe a Hydro (have some left over from a previous surgery) and icing the hell out of it beforehand. This really means a lot to me as it could be the one and only time I get to do any kind of tactical shooting before they leave for college.

So my questions are, in my situation, would you go shooting too? And what kind of injuries have you pushed through to shoot?
 
I've had shoulder surgery myself and certainly feel your pain. Regarding your questions, I'm not sure if your asking about shooting before or after your surgery, but would offer the following advice from my own experience. First, I wouldn't take drugs like hydrocodone and go out shooting period because I'm super drug sensitive and that just doesn't seem like a good, safe idea. Second, I wouldn't spend the money to have surgery and then go out and push myself hard afterward and risk damaging things further after surgical repair. But if what your considering is doing some shooting between now and the surgery date, I wouldn't hesitate in the least bit to take some OTC meds and push yourself as and as you are able. Once my surgery date was set for my shoulder I pretty much threw caution to the wind and did everything I was physically able to do. There's no reason after all to hold back if they're going to surgically repair it anyway. Just my opinion, YMMV. :cool:
 
Go ahead and shoot whatever you want whenever you feel like it. The most that can happen is permanent damage to the shoulder which is inevitable at the rate you are going anyway.
 
Scsov - What I mean is I want to go shooting this Saturday (should have added that), but without medication and other methods I won't be able to hold a rifle up.

My father is a Physican's Assistant (pretty much a Doctor without the title or the pay) and he told me to be careful this next week until my surgery - as another injury could result in the bone being damaged and a bone graft being mandatory.

JHenry - My goal is not to have permanent damage that surgery can't repair, but I don't want to limit myself in my last week of freedom too.
 
Go ahead and go shooting. May be your last.

Your college bound friends should get first crack at your guns, at a reduced price. They are your friends, arent they??
 
I broke my right (shooting side) collar bone in a motorcycle accident 7/2006. Not just a simple break, the collar bone broke into four pieces, and one of the middle pieces turned 90 degrees. Needless to say the healing process was long because I elected to let it heal and avoid surgery / steel plate and screws. Shooting a gun was the farthest thing from my mind until late fall of 2006. Even then, 50 rounds from a .22 was about enough for me. In 2007 I found a felt recoil generator on the internet. Sorry, I didn’t save the URL, but it may still be out there. I entered the required info for my largest rifle and it gave me the foot pounds of felt force on my shoulder. I printed it and took it to my doctor for approval. Even a year after the accident, the doctor said no way. In late 2007 I stepped up to a .223. Then in 2008 jumped to my large caliber rifles. So far so good, but have yet to try a 12 ga shotgun, so my turkey hunting days are over. My advice, ask your doctor before getting too crazy.
 
MB21 said:
...I dislocated my shoulder back in March while longboarding. I am extremely active in the martial art of Kung Fu San Soo (black belt) and Parkour. Since March, I have re-dislocated my shoulder 4 other times, two of them being major, two minor during these activities.

I have surgery on Dec 7 (Pearl Harbor Day) and the recovery time is 3-6 months. ....

... tonight I managed to have my 3rd major dislocation in Kung Fu, so that might screw my plans over. Honestly, this is probably the worst one yet, as I am in excruciating pain whenever i move my shoulder (I did re-locate it)....
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From an old guy almost three times your age, let me suggest that five dislocations since your initial one in March should be considered what is called a "clue": you are not letting your injuries properly heal before re-stressing the joint. When a joint dislocates, muscles stretch, ligaments and tendons stress and often begin to develop small tears which can enlarge until they become major rips. The joint is weaker until it heals completely. And healing a dislocation takes time and care.

You are obviously not taking care of yourself, and that could leave you with a permanent disability. Joints are tricky. I dislocated my knee doing judo when I was in high school, and it can still occasionally give me trouble now -- some fifty years later.

Don't go shooting immediately after your surgery. Take the three to six months to recover. Do what your doctors suggests. Get some physical therapy as recommended by your doctor.

Or do what you want and wind up with a disability in a few years. It's your choice.
 
As a young college guy with a half bum knee and a half bum back, don't push yourself because you think you will be able to bounc back at a later date.

I was invovled in a negative helicopter-ground interaction as a result of enemy fire and missed up my lower back and subsquently did even worse damage by not waiting until I was 100% by going out and doing stupid things.

Patience is a virtue.
 
Injuries incurred while young have an evil way of saying "hello" again down the road, when one gets older.

They heal, but their effects linger, and sometimes increase over time.

I'm only in my mid-40s, but I get reminders of injuries from my 20s whenever I over-exert, or sometimes when the weather changes.

So, no, I wouldn't go shooting rifles with your buddies; I'd also take a break for a while from MA training. Then again, I still have goals of being relatively mobile when I get really old.
 
hate to break it to you, but if you are getting surgery your injury is more than likely already permanent. It is unlikely you will not lose some range of movement and not have any long term pain/arthritis in the join. Anything you do from here on out just makes it worse. If you are continuing Kung Fu you might as well shoot though.

You can always go and be the designated re-loader.
 
Sounds like a good opportunity to learn to shoot from the off shoulder.

A small square of scotch tape over the 'off eye' (your old shooting eye now) where it tries to look at the sights will help the transition.

Learning now will help later on in life as the shoulder starts to cause old injury problems for you.

Same thing for handguns. Learn now to shoot with the off hand. The heavy calibers transfer some of the recoil to the shoulder.


JT
 
I had a very severe rotor cuff injury back in 2006, I was seen by five specialist and they all were in agreement that surgery was not an option for me, what I had was a complete tear off and retraction where the torn tendon retracted across my back and could not be repaired. I was forced to take a disability retirement by my employer and my employers doctor. I lost $6000.00 per year on my retirement since I had to retire four years early. What I am trying to say is do not force yourself to do what you shouldn't be doing, it will bite you big time.
Listen to your Dr and do as he says or pay the price. Since you have dislocated it four more times, I guess you are willing to pay the price.
 
So my questions are, in my situation, would you go shooting too? And what kind of injuries have you pushed through to shoot?
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Yes - I'd go.
Injuries I've had and ignored because I was stupid enough to go ahead any way?

Got a week or so for me to list them?

I'm 60 and if I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken a lot better care of the old body.

One real constructive piece of advice I can give you....keep up with the martial arts. It'll get harder and harder to do as you get older and have more things to do with your life,,,,but,,,take it from a "crippled up old guy"...if you don't it will come back to haunt you later in life.
 
So my questions are, in my situation, would you go shooting too? And what kind of injuries have you pushed through to shoot?

If had a lefty bullpup, I might. I might also shoot pistols with my left hand - which I frequently do anyway just for practice.
 
The injury is the Labrum, the ring of cartilage that holds the arm bone in socket that is commonly mistaken for a rotator cuff. I have an anterior tear and have a bunch of ligaments torn up. The surgery should, since we got it early on, restore normal function. Should being the operative word.

Also, I should mention that it is my left shoulder, the arm that holds up the rifle. I shoot off of my right shoulder. I am pretty much limited to a pistol.

And my question isn't whether or not to go shooting after surgery, the question is shooting tomorrow while today I can barely move my arm. I also have to work today.
 
I agree with what the other Frank said. I have had shoulder surgery. The physical therapist over did some of my treatments and I'll have to have a second. Listen to your doctor and your body, do not overdo any exercises. Allow yourself to heal. I shoot traditional muzzle loaders and can no longer properly hold one of my favorite rifles, the strength is gone.
My son, a doctor, did martial arts and, like you, ruined a shoulder and had to have two surgeries. But, he was wise enough to give up the marital arts to avoid more, and permanent injuries. It is time for you to take up another avocation, you are destroying your body. I understand that, in martial arts, the quest for perfection is addictive. It is past time for you to give up that addiction. Really, no one can help you except yourself.
Take your time with recovery and healing. Do not try shooting or martial arts until you are COMPLETELY heald and recovered.
Frank
 
MB21 said:
...And my question isn't whether or not to go shooting after surgery, the question is shooting tomorrow while today I can barely move my arm. I also have to work today.
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And the answer that you've been getting is basically "no." I get the feeling that's not the answer you want, but it really is the right answer. With an orthopedic injury, the first priority is to take care of the injury.
 
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