Study of motor nerve conduction velocities of upper extremity in the female archers

Though studies are available delineating musculoskeletal injuries in archery but not much has been reported in literature about nerve injuries sustained in this sport. Upper limb nerves of archers, especially, females, could also be at risk of pathological changes induced by repetitive stresses inherent to game of archery. Present study attempted to identify whether any alteration in functions of nerves (median and ulnar) of both upper extremities (bow arm and drawing arm) of female archers existed by performing Motor Nerve Conduction Velocities (NCV) on sample of 10 archers with mean age 20.9 (1.79) years. Wilcoxon signed rank test revealed that motor nerve conduction velocities of drawing arm were significantly lower than bow arm suggesting presence electrodiagnostic changes in nerves of drawing arm, indicative of peripheral nerves being subjected to physical and physiological stresses in game, that needs to be taken care of or else there would be impending risk of archers developing some asymptomatic neuropathy similar to subclinical entrapment nerve neuropathy.