17 Common Archery injuries (Prevention & Treatment)

All 17 common archery injuries, from archer’s elbow and rotator cuff impingement to string slap, chest bruising and muscle strains.

Drawing the bow again and again also causes wrist, hand and finger trouble, back strain and overuse injuries, with eye injuries, sunburn and heat exhaustion covered as range hazards.

It also offers valuable insights to help you stay safe while perfecting your shot.

Injury Rates and Numbers

The figures below come from injury surveillance data and peer reviewed studies. Each row names the population it was measured in, because rates from elite athletes and from recreational players are not comparable.

Finding	Measured in	Source
A review of the NEISS database found 43,083 archery related injuries treated in US emergency departments from 2013 to 2022, about 4,308 per year.	US patients treated in emergency departments for archery related injuries, 2013 to 2022	Archery Related Musculoskeletal Injuries (NEISS database study), Orthopedic Reviews
Males accounted for 82 percent of archery injuries in US emergency departments, an injury rate 4.4 times higher than in females.	US patients treated in emergency departments for archery related injuries, 2013 to 2022	Archery Related Musculoskeletal Injuries (NEISS database study), Orthopedic Reviews
The finger was the most commonly injured body site among male archery patients, making up 66.2 percent of their reported injuries.	male US patients treated in emergency departments for archery related injuries, 2013 to 2022	Archery Related Musculoskeletal Injuries (NEISS database study), Orthopedic Reviews
Lacerations were the most common archery injury diagnosis among men at 58.1 percent of cases, followed by fractures at 12.7 percent.	male US patients treated in emergency departments for archery related injuries, 2013 to 2022	Archery Related Musculoskeletal Injuries (NEISS database study), Orthopedic Reviews
Among 62 elite archers surveyed, 52 of their 58 reported injuries were overuse injuries, and 52.9 percent of those were located in the shoulder.	recreational and elite archers, career injury survey at German and European championships, 2018 publication	Niestroj, Schoffl, Kupper, Acute and overuse injuries in elite archers, Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness

Overview

Injury	Body area	Typical time out
Shoulder – Rotator cuff injuries/impingement	Shoulder	4 to 12 weeks, months after surgery
Tendonitis – Archer’s elbow and Tennis elbow	Elbow	6 weeks to 6 months
String slap	Forearm	0 to 2 weeks
Chest bruising	Chest	0 to 2 weeks
Muscle strain injuries	Shoulder and upper back	2 to 12 weeks, longer if complete
Hand cuts or punctures	Hand	Days to 2 weeks, months if tendon cut
Wrist injuries (sprains, strains)	Wrist	2 to 12 weeks, 3 months if fractured
Back injuries (muscle strains)	Back	1 to 8 weeks
Finger injuries (blisters, calluses, nerve damage)	Fingers	3 days to 2 weeks, longer if numb
Hand injuries (sprains, strains)	Hand	2 to 12 weeks
Overuse injuries (from repetitive motion)	Shoulder and arm	4 weeks to 6 months at reduced load
Eye injuries (from stray arrows or ricochets)	Eye	Days to months if penetrating
Knee injuries (sprains, strains)	Knee	2 to 12 weeks, months after surgery
Foot injuries (sprains, strains)	Foot and ankle	1 to 8 weeks, months for heel pain
Neck injuries (muscle strain)	Neck	Days to 3 weeks
Sunburn	Skin	0 to 7 days
Dehydration / Heat exhaustion/heat stroke	Whole body	Hours to days, weeks after heat stroke

Shoulder – Rotator cuff injuries/impingement

The rotator cuff is a group of four tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis) that hold the head of the upper arm bone centered in the shoulder socket. In archery the bow shoulder holds the arm out in front for every shot while the draw shoulder pulls back and rotates outward, so the supraspinatus tendon and the bursa above it get compressed under the bony roof of the shoulder again and again. Repeated shooting without enough recovery irritates the tendon, thickens it and can lead to partial tearing over the years.

Symptoms

• A dull ache deep in the shoulder that builds over a training session
• Sharp pain when you raise the arm to shoulder height or above
• Weakness at full draw, so you cannot hold the anchor as long as usual
• Pain when lying on that shoulder at night
• A catching or grinding feeling as the arm passes through the middle of the movement

How serious it is: The mild form is a painful but intact tendon that only hurts during and after shooting, and it settles with load management and strengthening. The severe form is a partial or full thickness tear, where the arm feels weak even outside of archery and lifting it against resistance fails.

Typical time out: Four to twelve weeks for irritation without a tear, provided draw weight and shot volume are cut back rather than pushed through. After a repaired full thickness tear, expect four to six months before full draw is allowed again, because the tendon has to heal onto bone before it can carry load.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if you cannot lift the arm to the side at all, if the arm gives way when you lift something light, or if the pain wakes you at night in a resting position.

What helps

• Drop draw weight and arrow count for a few weeks instead of stopping completely, staying inside a pain level you can tolerate
• Progressive strengthening for the external rotators and the muscles that hold the shoulder blade in place, done slowly and with control
• Check the shot: an overdrawn stance, a bow arm raised too high or a draw weight above your current strength all crowd the joint
• Physical therapy if pain and weakness persist beyond a few weeks, so the program is matched to what is actually failing
• A cortisone injection can calm severe pain for a few weeks, but it does not repair the tendon and repeated injections are associated with worse tendon quality, so it stays an exception

Tendonitis – Archer’s elbow and Tennis elbow

Tennis elbow is a degenerative irritation of the common extensor tendon where the wrist and finger extensors attach to the outer bump of the upper arm bone, and the counterpart on the inner side involves the flexor tendons. In archery the bow hand holds a steady grip against the push of the bow while the drawing forearm resists the string, so these small tendons are loaded statically for every shot. Because the tissue change is degenerative rather than purely inflammatory, the modern term is tendinopathy.

Symptoms

• Point tenderness on the bony bump at the outer or inner side of the elbow
• Pain when gripping the bow, a doorknob or a coffee cup
• Pain that starts after shooting and later begins during the session
• A weaker grip on the bow hand
• Stiffness in the forearm in the morning that eases after moving

How serious it is: Early tendinopathy hurts only after loading and settles overnight. The advanced form hurts during everyday gripping, has lasted months and takes correspondingly longer to turn around.

Typical time out: Six weeks to six months of modified rather than stopped shooting. The wide range exists because tendon tissue adapts slowly and the timeline depends mostly on how consistently the loading program is done, not on how long you rest.

See a doctor if: Get it checked if the fingers go numb or tingle, if the elbow locks, or if the pain followed a single sudden snap rather than building up gradually.

What helps

• Isometric holds and then slow, heavy eccentric loading of the wrist extensors, done daily and progressed by adding weight
• Cut arrow volume and draw weight for a block of weeks instead of taking full rest, since unloaded tendon gets weaker
• Loosen the bow grip: a tight, clenched hand loads the extensors on every shot
• Physical therapy if there is no change after six to eight weeks of consistent loading
• Cortisone gives short term relief and worse outcomes at one year in tendinopathy, so it is reserved for cases where nothing else allows the rehab to start

String slap

String slap is a soft tissue contact injury: the bowstring, travelling at high speed, strikes the inner forearm along the flexor muscle belly and the skin over it. The result is a bruise from bleeding into the muscle and the layer under the skin, and sometimes a broken skin edge or a raised welt. It happens when the bow arm elbow is rotated so the joint sits in the string path, or when the grip is too tight.

Symptoms

• A sharp stinging line on the inner forearm right after the shot
• A red welt that turns into a bruise over the next day
• Tenderness when you press the area or rotate the forearm
• Flinching on the following shots because you expect the hit
• Broken skin or a shallow cut in harder hits

How serious it is: Most cases are a surface bruise that fades on its own. It is more serious when the skin is broken, when the swelling is firm and growing, or when the same spot is hit repeatedly over weeks.

Typical time out: No time off in most cases, with the bruise fading over one to two weeks. Allow two to three weeks if the skin broke and needs to close before an armguard sits on it again.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if the forearm becomes tight, hard and increasingly painful over hours, or if a wound reddens, warms and starts to weep.

What helps

• Fix the cause first: rotate the bow arm elbow out of the string path and keep the grip relaxed rather than locked
• Check bracing height and string clearance, and make sure sleeves and jacket cuffs cannot billow into the string
• Wear an armguard that actually covers the point of contact, not just the wrist
• Short cooling in the first hours is fine for pain relief, then gentle movement of the arm rather than immobilizing it
• Cover a broken skin surface with a clean dressing and keep it dry until it has closed

Chest bruising

The string strikes the soft tissue over the pectoral muscle and, in women, over breast tissue, bruising the skin and the fat layer beneath it. It occurs when the string path crosses the chest, usually because the draw is too long for the archer, the shoulders are rolled forward or the stance is too square to the target. Beginners get it most often because their draw length is set before their form has settled.

Symptoms

• A stinging slap felt across the chest at release
• A tender red line that darkens into a bruise
• Pain when a bra strap, seatbelt or backpack strap crosses the spot
• Anticipating the hit, which shortens the follow through
• Soreness for several days when the same area is hit again

How serious it is: Usually a superficial bruise. It matters more when the same spot is struck session after session, since repeated bruising of breast tissue can leave a firm lump that needs to be looked at.

Typical time out: Usually none, with the discoloration gone in one to two weeks. A deeper bruise that hurts on breathing deserves a week of lighter shooting.

See a doctor if: Have it checked if a firm lump remains after the bruise has faded, or if breathing in deeply hurts sharply over a rib.

What helps

• Wear a chest guard that lies flat and holds clothing against the body
• Have your draw length measured properly, since a draw that is too long puts the string on the chest by design
• Open the stance slightly and set the shoulders down and back so the chest moves out of the string path
• Short cooling in the first hours for pain, then normal movement
• Avoid loose jackets and hoods that the string can catch

Muscle strain injuries

A strain is a tear of muscle fibers at the point where muscle meets tendon, most often in the rhomboids and mid trapezius between the shoulder blades, the rear deltoid, or the forearm flexors. Archery loads these muscles in a held, near maximal contraction at full draw, and the tear usually happens when the archer pulls through fatigue or jumps up in draw weight. The tissue is torn, not merely tired, which is why it hurts on contraction rather than only after training.

Symptoms

• A sudden pulling or tearing sensation during the draw
• Local pain that you can point to with one finger
• Pain when you tense the muscle, even without moving the joint
• Stiffness and soreness that is worst the morning after
• Loss of drawing strength on that side

How serious it is: Grade 1 is a minor tear with mild pain and near normal strength. Grade 2 involves a partial tear with clear weakness and often bruising, and grade 3 is a complete tear with a palpable gap and loss of function, which needs medical assessment.

Typical time out: Two to four weeks for a grade 1 strain, six to twelve weeks for grade 2, and considerably longer for a complete tear that may need surgical repair. The range is wide because a muscle can be reloaded early while a torn tendon attachment cannot.

See a doctor if: Seek assessment if you felt a pop and cannot contract the muscle at all, if a visible dent or lump appeared, or if bruising spreads widely down the limb.

What helps

• Start gentle pain free movement within the first days rather than resting the arm in a sling, since early loading guides the healing fibers
• Rebuild with light resistance bands, then progress to shooting with a much lower draw weight before returning to your normal bow
• Increase arrow count in steps of about ten percent per week instead of jumping back to your previous volume
• Look at what caused it: a draw weight above your current strength, a long tournament block or a season restart after a break
• Physical therapy if strength has not returned after four to six weeks

Hand cuts or punctures

These are wounds to the skin, and sometimes to the tendons and nerves beneath it, caused by arrow points, broadhead blades or fletching edges while nocking, pulling arrows from a target or handling equipment. A broadhead can cut deeply enough to divide a tendon or a digital nerve without much pain at the moment of injury. In the emergency department data for archery, lacerations are by far the most common diagnosis in men, at 58.1 percent of cases.

Symptoms

• A clean, often surprisingly painless cut that bleeds freely
• Numbness along one side of a finger, which suggests a nerve was cut
• Inability to bend or straighten a finger fully after the cut
• Deep pain when you grip something
• Increasing redness, warmth or throbbing in the days after, which points to infection

How serious it is: A shallow cut through skin only needs cleaning and covering. A cut that reaches tendon, nerve or joint is a surgical problem, and puncture wounds are the ones most likely to become infected because they seal over dirt.

Typical time out: A few days to two weeks for a simple skin laceration. Three months or more if a flexor tendon or nerve was repaired, since repaired tendons need a staged, supervised return to gripping.

See a doctor if: Go to a doctor the same day if you cannot fully bend or straighten the finger, if part of the finger is numb, if bleeding does not stop with ten minutes of pressure, or if your tetanus protection is not current.

What helps

• Rinse the wound thoroughly with clean running water and cover it with a sterile dressing
• Test finger bending, straightening and sensation before you decide it is minor
• Pull arrows straight out of the target with a puller and one hand behind the shaft, never with a fist wrapped around the point end
• Keep broadheads capped until the moment you shoot them and store field points separately
• Check tetanus status, especially after a puncture from a dirty point

Wrist injuries (sprains, strains)

A sprain is a stretch or tear of the ligaments that bind the small carpal bones, most often on the thumb side or between the scaphoid and lunate. A strain affects the flexor or extensor tendons crossing the wrist. In archery the bow wrist takes the full recoil push in a fixed position, so a wrist held bent rather than straight or a sling used incorrectly loads the joint at an angle for every shot.

Symptoms

• Pain on the back or thumb side of the bow wrist during the shot
• Aching that lingers after practice and worsens with pushing movements
• Swelling on one side of the wrist
• A clicking or clunk when you rotate the wrist under load
• Weakness when you push against a wall or open a jar

How serious it is: Grade 1 is a stretched ligament with pain but a stable joint, grade 2 a partial tear with swelling and instability under load, and grade 3 a complete tear or an associated small fracture, which needs imaging. Wrist pain on the thumb side after a fall should always be checked, because a scaphoid fracture can look like a sprain.

Typical time out: Two to six weeks for a grade 1 sprain, eight to twelve weeks for a significant ligament tear, and three months or more after surgical repair or a scaphoid fracture, which heals slowly because its blood supply is poor.

See a doctor if: Get an x ray if there is pain in the hollow at the base of the thumb after a fall, if the wrist looks deformed, or if you cannot bear any push through the hand.

What helps

• Set the bow hand so the wrist is straight and the pressure runs through the base of the thumb into the forearm, not through a bent wrist
• Use a proper bow sling so you can keep the grip loose instead of clamping the bow
• Short term wrist support during practice while you rebuild grip and forearm strength
• Grip and forearm strengthening once the sharp pain has gone, since the tendons stabilize the joint
• Imaging if pain persists beyond two to three weeks despite lighter shooting

Back injuries (muscle strains)

The common archery back complaint is a strain of the muscles that run alongside the spine and between the shoulder blades, since the draw is powered by pulling the shoulder blade toward the spine rather than by the arm. Standing still in a slightly extended posture for hours also loads the small joints of the lower back. Fatigue in these muscles at the end of a long shooting day is when the fibers tear.

Symptoms

• A band of tightness between or just beside the shoulder blades
• Lower back ache that builds over a session of standing and shooting
• Pain on turning the torso or reaching across the body
• Muscle spasm that grabs when you move suddenly
• Relief when you sit or bend forward, return when you stand upright again

How serious it is: Most cases are grade 1 or 2 muscle strains that hurt on movement and settle in weeks. It is a different problem when pain radiates down a leg, which suggests a nerve root rather than a muscle.

Typical time out: One to three weeks for a mild strain with reduced shooting, four to eight weeks for a more significant one. If the cause is postural rather than a single tear, the pain often reappears until the strength and volume problem behind it is fixed.

See a doctor if: Seek help promptly for pain shooting down a leg with numbness, weakness in a foot, or any change in bladder or bowel control.

What helps

• Keep moving and keep shooting at reduced volume, since bed rest makes back pain last longer
• Build strength in the mid back and the muscles that hold the shoulder blade, so the draw is not carried by the same tired fibers
• Break long shooting sessions with walking and position changes rather than standing still for an hour
• Use a bow weight and stabilizer setup you can hold without leaning your upper body backwards
• Physical therapy if the pain recurs every season or has lasted more than six weeks

Finger injuries (blisters, calluses, nerve damage)

The string sits on the pads of the index, middle and ring fingers and presses the skin, the flexor tendons and the small digital nerves that run along each side of the finger against the bone. Friction lifts the skin layers apart and forms a blister, repeated pressure thickens the skin into a callus, and sustained pressure on the nerve produces numbness and tingling. The finger is also the single most commonly injured site in archery patients seen in US emergency departments, accounting for 66.2 percent of injuries in men.

Symptoms

• Burning or stinging on the finger pads during a long session
• A fluid filled blister or a torn flap of skin at the string groove
• Hard, thick skin that cracks and becomes painful at the edges
• Tingling or numbness in the fingertips that outlasts the session
• Deep aching in the knuckles after high arrow counts

How serious it is: Blisters and calluses are cosmetic and mechanical problems that resolve with better equipment. Persistent numbness is the serious end, because a nerve compressed for months can be slow to recover even after the pressure is removed.

Typical time out: Three days to two weeks for a blister, depending on whether the skin stayed intact. Numbness needs the pressure removed for weeks to months, and recovery is measured in months rather than days once the nerve has been irritated for a long time.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if numbness or tingling persists between sessions, if a finger loses strength, or if a blister becomes red, hot and increasingly painful.

What helps

• Use a finger tab or glove that fits, with a spacer if the string pinches the arrow between the fingers
• Distribute the load evenly across three fingers instead of letting one finger carry the string
• Leave an intact blister unopened, cover it with a padded dressing, and take a couple of days off the string rather than shooting through it
• Keep calluses filed level and moisturized so they do not build into ridges that crack
• Stop shooting for the day when the fingers first go numb, and consider a release aid or a lower draw weight if it keeps happening

Hand injuries (sprains, strains)

This covers sprains of the small joint ligaments of the fingers and thumb and strains of the intrinsic hand muscles and long finger tendons. In archery the bow hand takes the recoil push through the web of the thumb, while the drawing hand holds the string against the full draw weight through the finger joints. Jammed fingers also occur from equipment handling and dropped bows rather than from shooting itself.

Symptoms

• Pain and swelling around one finger joint
• Difficulty forming a full fist
• Pain at the base of the thumb when pushing the bow
• Aching in the palm after long sessions
• A joint that feels loose or unstable when you press sideways on it

How serious it is: Grade 1 sprains are painful but stable and settle in a few weeks. Grade 2 and 3 involve partial or complete ligament tears with joint instability, and thumb base ligament tears in particular can need surgery to restore a usable pinch grip.

Typical time out: Two to six weeks for a simple sprain with the finger taped to its neighbor. Eight to twelve weeks or more for a complete ligament tear, and longer if it is repaired, since the joint has to be protected before it can take the string again.

See a doctor if: Get it examined if the finger is visibly crooked, if a joint feels unstable sideways, or if you cannot straighten the fingertip actively.

What helps

• Buddy tape a sprained finger to the neighboring one so it can move while being protected
• Keep the bow hand relaxed with a sling instead of gripping, so the recoil is not absorbed by the finger joints
• Start gentle bending and straightening within days, because stiff finger joints are far harder to fix than swollen ones
• Lower draw weight and arrow count while the joint settles, rather than shooting through it
• X ray if there was a direct blow, an obvious deformity or persistent pain over a bone

Overuse injuries (from repetitive motion)

Overuse injuries are not a single structure failing at once but tendon, bursa and muscle tissue accumulating micro damage faster than the body repairs it. In archery the same shot is repeated hundreds of times per session with a load that never changes, so the rotator cuff tendons, the shoulder blade stabilizers and the forearm tendons take the same stress at the same angle over and over. In a survey of elite archers, 52 of 58 reported career injuries were overuse injuries, and 52.9 percent of those sat in the shoulder.

Symptoms

• Pain that first appears only after practice and gradually moves into the session
• Stiffness the morning after a heavy shooting day
• Scores dropping late in a session because the hold gets shaky
• The same spot hurting again every time volume increases
• Soreness that no longer clears with a single rest day

How serious it is: Early on the pain is a warning that clears within a day and responds to a lighter week. The advanced form persists between sessions, is present in daily life and takes months rather than weeks to turn around.

Typical time out: Rarely full time off. Expect four to twelve weeks of reduced volume and weight for an early problem, and three to six months when the pain has already been present for a season, because tendon adapts slowly.

See a doctor if: Get it assessed if the pain is present at rest, wakes you at night, or is joined by weakness rather than only discomfort.

What helps

• Track arrow counts and change them by roughly ten percent per week, since it is the jump in volume that causes the injury, not the volume itself
• Plan lighter weeks into the season instead of shooting the same load until something hurts
• Strength train the shoulder, shoulder blade and trunk twice a week so the tissue can carry the load
• Vary the stimulus with blank bale work, lower poundage limbs and off season cross training
• Get a physiotherapy assessment as soon as pain persists between sessions, rather than after a season of it

Eye injuries (from stray arrows or ricochets)

The eye can be struck by a fragment of a broken arrow, a bounced arrow off a hard target face, a piece of a failing string or nock, or debris from a dry fire. The injury may be a scratch to the transparent front surface, bleeding inside the front chamber, or a penetrating wound through the eye wall. The eye also aches without any impact when an archer strains to focus on the sight ring for hours.

Symptoms

• Sudden pain, tearing and an inability to keep the eye open after an impact
• Blurred vision, a dark spot or flashes of light
• A visibly irregular pupil or blood in the front of the eye
• Strong sensitivity to light
• In the strain variant, a dull ache and blurring at the end of long sessions that clears with rest

How serious it is: A surface scratch heals in a couple of days. Any suspicion of a penetrating wound or bleeding inside the eye is a same day emergency, because sight can be lost permanently.

Typical time out: Two to seven days for a simple corneal scratch. Weeks to months after a penetrating injury or surgery, and the return to shooting is decided by the eye specialist, not by comfort.

See a doctor if: Go to an emergency department immediately for any change in vision, a misshapen pupil, blood inside the eye or a suspected object in the eye, and do not rub or press on it.

What helps

• Wear impact rated eye protection on the range, since it is the only measure that prevents these injuries
• Inspect arrows for cracks by flexing and listening, and retire carbon shafts that have hit anything hard
• Replace worn strings, serving and nocks, and never dry fire a bow
• Shield the eye with a rigid cup rather than a pad if an object may be embedded, and go for assessment
• For eye strain rather than impact, shorten focus time per shot, take breaks and have your vision checked

Knee injuries (sprains, strains)

Knee complaints in archery come less from a single twist than from standing still on a locked knee for hours, which loads the kneecap tendon and the ligaments at the sides of the joint. Field and 3D archery add the real sprain risk, since ligaments are stretched by an awkward step on uneven ground or a shooting stance on a slope. The affected structures are the collateral ligaments at the sides and the tendons around the kneecap.

Symptoms

• Aching around or under the kneecap after long standing sessions
• Pain on the inner or outer side of the joint after a twist
• Swelling that appears over hours after the event
• A feeling that the knee might give way on uneven ground
• Stiffness after sitting, which eases after a few steps

How serious it is: Grade 1 is a stretched ligament that is painful but stable, grade 2 a partial tear with some sideways opening of the joint, and grade 3 a complete tear with clear instability. Swelling within the first hour after a twist suggests bleeding in the joint and needs assessment.

Typical time out: Two to six weeks for a grade 1 sprain, six to twelve weeks for grade 2, and six to nine months if a cruciate ligament is reconstructed. Archery specific return is often earlier than for running sports because the shot itself does not load the knee much.

See a doctor if: See a doctor if the knee swelled up within an hour of a twist, if it locks or cannot be straightened, or if it gives way when you put weight on it.

What helps

• Keep the knees soft rather than locked in the shooting stance, and shift weight between feet during long ends
• Strengthen the quadriceps and hip muscles, since they take load off the joint surfaces and control the knee on uneven ground
• Wear boots with ankle support for field and 3D courses
• Return to weight bearing early within pain limits rather than resting a sprained knee for weeks
• Physical therapy or imaging if instability or swelling persists beyond two to three weeks

Foot injuries (sprains, strains)

Two different problems sit here. Standing still for hours loads the plantar fascia, the thick band under the arch, and the small foot muscles, which produces heel and arch pain. Walking a field or 3D course over roots and slopes rolls the ankle and sprains the ligaments on the outer side. Neither is caused by the shot itself, both are caused by what surrounds it.

Symptoms

• Sharp heel pain with the first steps in the morning
• Burning or aching in the arch at the end of a long shooting day
• Pain and swelling on the outer ankle after a roll
• Bruising that spreads toward the toes a day or two after a sprain
• Difficulty putting full weight on the foot

How serious it is: Grade 1 ankle sprains involve stretched ligaments with mild swelling and are walkable, grade 2 have partial tearing with marked swelling and bruising, and grade 3 are complete tears with instability. Plantar fascia pain is graded by how long it has lasted rather than by tissue damage.

Typical time out: One to three weeks for a grade 1 ankle sprain, four to eight weeks for grade 2, and three months or more for grade 3. Plantar heel pain typically takes three to twelve months to fully settle, which is why it is worth starting the loading work early.

See a doctor if: Get an x ray if you cannot take four steps on the foot, if there is bone tenderness on the ankle knobs, or if the foot looks deformed.

What helps

• Start walking and loading a sprained ankle early within pain limits, which restores function faster than immobilizing it
• Balance work on one leg for several weeks after a sprain, since the reflex control is what actually prevents the next one
• Supportive, cushioned footwear on the shooting line and boots on rough courses
• Slow, heavy calf raises with the toes elevated for stubborn heel and arch pain
• Move between ends instead of standing on one spot for the whole session

Neck injuries (muscle strain)

The upper trapezius and the small muscles at the base of the skull are strained because the archer turns and holds the head toward the target while the drawing hand anchors against the jaw. That position is held for every shot, so the muscles on one side work statically for the whole session. Repeated rotation with load can also irritate the small facet joints of the neck.

Symptoms

• One sided tightness running from the neck into the top of the shoulder
• A headache that starts at the base of the skull after a long session
• Pain when turning the head to the shooting side
• The head feeling heavy or the anchor being hard to hold late in a session
• Tender knots you can feel along the muscle

How serious it is: Most cases are muscle strain and postural overload that settles in days to weeks. It is a different situation when the pain radiates into an arm with tingling, which suggests a nerve root and needs assessment.

Typical time out: Days to three weeks for a simple strain, longer if the underlying cause is a head position that has to be retrained. Ongoing neck pain in archery is usually a posture and volume problem, so it recurs until that is changed.

See a doctor if: See a doctor for pain radiating into the arm with numbness or weakness, for neck pain after a fall or blow, or for a stiff neck with fever.

What helps

• Turn the head only as far as needed and bring the bow up to the line of sight instead of dropping the head onto the string
• Strengthen the deep neck flexors and the lower shoulder blade muscles, which take load off the upper trapezius
• Break up long holds and set the bow down between ends rather than staying in the shooting posture
• Check the anchor point and peep height, since a low peep forces the head down for every shot
• Gentle range of motion and heat for a tight neck, and physical therapy if it keeps returning

Sunburn

Sunburn is radiation damage to the DNA of the outer skin cells caused by ultraviolet light, followed by an inflammatory response that reddens and swells the skin hours later. Outdoor archery exposes the neck, ears, forearms and the back of the bow hand for whole days, often with little shade on the shooting line and with reflection off grass and water adding to the dose. The damage accumulates over seasons and is the main preventable skin cancer risk in the sport.

Symptoms

• Skin that turns red and feels hot several hours after exposure
• Tenderness when clothing or a strap touches the area
• Tight, itchy skin followed by peeling after a few days
• Blisters in severe cases
• Headache, chills or nausea when a large area is burned

How serious it is: A first degree burn affects only the outer layer, reddens and peels. A burn with blisters reaches the deeper layer, can scar, and widespread blistering with fever or faintness needs medical care.

Typical time out: None in mild cases, with redness fading over three to seven days. Take several days off outdoor sessions with blistering, and keep the area covered for weeks while the new skin is fragile.

See a doctor if: Seek care for widespread blistering, fever, confusion or faintness, and have any mole that changes shape or color after years of sun exposure examined.

What helps

• Get out of the sun and cool the skin with cool water or a damp cloth
• Apply a plain moisturizer or aloe gel to the intact skin and drink extra fluids
• Leave blisters intact and cover them loosely
• Prevent the next one with broad spectrum sunscreen reapplied every two hours, a wide brimmed hat and a long sleeve on the non contact arm
• Use the shade between ends rather than standing on the line all day

Dehydration / Heat exhaustion/heat stroke

These are three points on one line. Dehydration means the body has lost more fluid than it took in, so blood volume drops and the circulation struggles to both cool the skin and supply the muscles. Heat exhaustion is the stage where that fails and the person becomes weak, nauseous and clammy, and heat stroke is the point where the core temperature rises high enough to disturb the brain, which is a life threatening emergency. Archery tournaments are long, largely stationary days in the open, which makes them a classic setting for it.

Symptoms

• Thirst, dark urine and a dry mouth
• Headache, dizziness and a heavy, weak feeling
• Heavy sweating with cool, clammy skin and nausea
• Cramping in the arms or legs
• Confusion, slurred speech or unusual behavior, which signals heat stroke rather than exhaustion

How serious it is: Mild dehydration causes thirst and reduced performance. Heat exhaustion causes weakness, nausea and collapse but a clear mind, while heat stroke adds confusion or loss of consciousness and requires emergency treatment.

Typical time out: Hours for mild dehydration once fluids are replaced. One to several days after heat exhaustion, and weeks with medical clearance after heat stroke, because heat tolerance stays reduced for some time afterwards.

See a doctor if: Call emergency services if the person becomes confused, stops making sense, has hot dry skin or collapses, and start cooling them immediately while you wait.

What helps

• Drink regularly across the day rather than only when thirsty, and add electrolytes on long hot tournament days
• Get into shade between ends and use a hat and light, breathable clothing
• Move a person with heat exhaustion into shade, loosen clothing, cool the skin with water and give fluids if they are fully alert
• For suspected heat stroke, cool aggressively with cold water immersion or wet cloths and fans while emergency help is on the way
• Watch the least acclimatized archers first, and plan for extra shade at events early in a hot season

First Aid for Soft Tissue Injuries: PEACE and LOVE

Sports medicine has moved on from RICE. The current guidance, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2019, splits care into the first days after the injury and everything that follows.

PEACE, the first two to three days

• Protect: unload the area and limit movement that hurts, but only briefly.
• Elevate: keep the limb above heart level when you can.
• Avoid anti-inflammatories: they may blunt the healing you need.
• Compress: a bandage or taping limits swelling.
• Educate: your body heals this on its own; passive treatments rarely speed it up.

LOVE, from day three onward

• Load: return to movement as pain allows, early loading builds tissue.
• Optimism: expectations shape recovery more than most people assume.
• Vascularization: easy cardio that does not hurt brings blood to the area.
• Exercise: restore strength, mobility and balance before returning to play.

Ice still helps with pain in the first hours. What changed is the evidence that long icing and routine anti-inflammatory drugs slow tissue repair.

How to Lower Your Risk in Archery

• Set draw weight by what you can pull smoothly with the shoulder down and hold at anchor for several seconds, and raise it in small steps rather than jumping to the poundage you want to shoot.
• Count your arrows and change weekly volume by roughly ten percent, because the sudden increase before a competition is what most shoulder and elbow problems trace back to.
• Strength train twice a week for the rotator cuff, the muscles that hold the shoulder blade and the trunk, so the tissue can carry hundreds of repeated draws.
• Fit the protective gear to the actual contact points: an armguard over the string path, a chest guard that flattens clothing, a finger tab or glove that is not worn through, and impact rated glasses on the range.
• Treat points and broadheads like knives, keep them capped, use an arrow puller with your hand behind the shaft, and inspect carbon shafts for cracks before shooting them.
• Plan for the environment on long outdoor days: sunscreen and a hat, shade between ends, fluids with electrolytes, and supportive footwear on the line or boots on a field course.

When to Stop and Get Medical Help

Most of the injuries on this page are treated at home. These signs are not.

• A visible deformity, an obvious bend in a finger or limb, or a joint that will not move at all.
• Any change in vision, blood inside the eye, an irregular pupil, or a suspected object in the eye after a broken arrow or ricochet.
• Numbness, tingling or loss of strength in a hand or arm, especially after a cut from a point or broadhead.
• A wound that keeps bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, or a puncture wound when your tetanus protection is not current.
• A blow to the head with confusion, memory gaps, vomiting or loss of consciousness.
• Confusion, slurred speech, collapse or hot dry skin on a hot day, which points to heat stroke and needs emergency help while you start cooling.

Sources

• Archery Related Musculoskeletal Injuries (NEISS database study), Orthopedic Reviews
• Niestroj, Schoffl, Kupper, Acute and overuse injuries in elite archers, Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are hurt, a doctor or physiotherapist who can examine you is worth more than any web page. Last reviewed: August 2026.

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