General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Shoulder pain while swimming Rss Feed  
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2006-06-01 12:18 PM

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Long Beach, Ca
Subject: Shoulder pain while swimming
I recently started having shoulder pain while swimming. The pain is rt shoulder, front of shoulder. I feel good when I start, but after about 700 yds or so, the pain starts up. I have average range of motion with pain when I extend my arm above my head.
I have always been a swimmer and never had this problem before.

Has anyone ever had this before or any ideas what it might be? I figure I can limp/sidestroke through my next race (July), but would like to get this thing fixed (or at least figured out).
Any suggestions would be greatly appreaciated.


2006-06-01 4:05 PM
in reply to: #440388

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Westminster, Colorado
Subject: RE: Shoulder pain while swimming
Sounds like it could be your rotator cuff. That is a fairly common injury for swimmers. I recently injured mine by doing too heavy of weights doing dumbell flyes. It takes a bit to heal, but what I did, and I got this information from a friend who has his degree in kinesiolgy and is the coach of a university basketball team, is take 2 Aleve 3 times per day for 4-5 days. If you can't handle Aleve, then ibuprofen will also work, just not as quickly.

I also did strenghthing exercises for it. Take a soup can and do front raises, side raises, and 45 degree angle raises. You want the weight to be light. No more then 2-3 lbs. You can also do cable pulls. At the gym go to the cable machine. Put the pull at elbow height. Clamp your elbow to your side and pull the weight toward you. Also do it opposite so you are pulling the weight away from you in a rotating motion. Use the lightest weight you can. And only swim breast stroke until it's healed.
2006-06-01 8:10 PM
in reply to: #440388

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Harvard, Illinois
Subject: RE: Shoulder pain while swimming

I have had shoulder problems for the last 21 years so hopefully I can help.

First: stop doing any weightlifting that requires you to push any weight over your head. No upright rows or dips either. They lead to shoulder impingement.

 Second: I like the shoulder matrix at www.ronjones.org If you look under photographs or pictures of exercises you will find it.

Third: Best exercise I have ever found for the rotator cuff. It has done wonders for mine over the last two weeks. It is called the side lateral abduction. Lay on your side, lets say your right side. Put a 2lb DB in your left had, your arm should be straight with your hand near your left thigh. Now raise the DB to 45 degrees. Two weeks ago I could only do this with a can of vegetables. Now I am up to a 5lb and 8lb DB. It has been scientifically proven to work all of the rotator cuff muscles equally.

 Back in March I tripped while running and landed hard on my hands. My left shoulder is my bad one because I had rotator cuff surgery 21 years ago. I developed bursitis and was on anti-inflammatories. The bursitis went away but the muscles in my shoulder still hurt like a mother fu****. My shoulder muscles were so weak they were being strained. I started the Ron Jones stuff and the SLA and my shoulder is about 95% better in a couple of weeks. I can't say that you will heal that quick. My time in the pool has been way down but recently I have begun to get back in and swim some decent yardage. I haven't done any sprint work yet but will try soon.

Make sure you also stretch your shoulders real good before getting into the pool. I do the SLA with a 5lb. DB before hopping in the pool and my shoulders don't feel bad at all. Just a slight amount of pain for me right now.

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