What Is Swimmer's Shoulder?

Swimming shoulder is a general term used to describe a swimmer's shoulder injury caused by overuse of the shoulder. It is a chronic inflammation of soft shoulder tissue (tendons, muscles, ligaments). This is also called Impingement Syndrome. Take the 25-yard freestyle as an example, if the right arm is to be stroked 8 times (pull water and recover). Then swim 4,000 yards and the right arm will rotate 1280 times. If you have a small problem with your right shoulder, after 1280 rotations, you can imagine that this problem will become more serious.

Swimming shoulder

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Swimming shoulder is a general term used to describe a swimmer's shoulder injury caused by overuse of the shoulder. It is a chronic inflammation of soft shoulder tissue (tendons, muscles, ligaments). This is also called Impingement Syndrome. Take the 25-yard freestyle as an example, if the right arm is to be stroked 8 times (pull water and recover). Then swim 4,000 yards and the right arm will rotate 1280 times. If you have a small problem with your right shoulder, after 1280 rotations, you can imagine that this problem will become more serious.

Chinese name

Swimming shoulder

Foreign name

no

Category

General terms

Also known as

Pincer syndrome

Symptoms can vary depending on the cause. However, there are general rules to follow. Symptoms of backstroke are generally the most painful, and breaststroke is the least painful (unless the biceps tendon is the main culprit). Freestyle depends on the stage of occurrence, and the diagnosis will be different in different stages (that is, if the pain is aggravated during the recovery phase, there may be a problem with the rotor cuff, and if it is aggravated during the initial pull, it may be two-headed Tendon (biceps tendon) problems. Sleeping on an injured shoulder can also make the pain worse. When the problem worsens, it can also hurt if you don't swim, and your shoulders become painful when you touch them.

'Swimming shoulder' is not an accurate diagnosis. In order to diagnose accurately (what muscles and tendons are injured), you should seek professional help from sports medicine experts (massage therapists, orthopedics doctors). The subject should bring a detailed swimming history and should understand the mechanics of swimming (see below). This check includes, at a minimum: an assessment (pain and weakness) of all your shoulder movements with and without resistance. X-rays are usually not required.

The reasons will vary depending on the specific problem. If your problem is the most prevalent pinch syndrome, then this is usually related to muscle imbalance.

Freestyle uses large 'internal rotation muscles' (pectoralis, latissimus dorsi) in the 'pull phase' and smaller and weaker 'external rotation muscles' (e.g. rotator cuff) Muscle group). Your problem may be one of the two, but the problem is usually with the weaker external rotation muscles.

Some of the causes of pincers are:

-Insufficient body rotation during freestyle (should be 40 ° -60 °). Insufficient body rotation in backstroke can cause more serious strain on the tendon.

-Overdeveloped pectoral muscles, and underdeveloped rhomboid muscles, middle and upper trapezius muscles, scapularis levator muscles, and upper latissimus dorsi (causing shoulder instability)

-Weak rotator cuff muscles. These are dynamic stabilizers for the shoulder.

-Excessive inner rotation during "catch": the middle finger should enter the water first, not the thumb and forefinger.

-Excessive adduction on the 'pull stage' (your hand should not cross the midline).

-If the internal rotation muscles and adductors (pectoralis, latissimus) are not strong enough, the elbow position is lowered.

-Over training and insufficient recovery time. Especially when doing a rigorous weight training and swimming program without giving the body enough time to recover. Overtraining also happens, for example, trying to make up for months of laziness in two weeks (the same reasoning can be inferred)!

-Non-respiratory 'cantilevering', which is common when breathing unilaterally. If the elbow is not "lifted" at the start of the catch, it is prone to cantilevering, which can exacerbate or accelerate the pinch syndrome.

A proper diagnosis (identifying 1. the injured muscle and tendon and 2. the stage and severity of the problem) is the most appropriate treatment. A good treatment plan includes:

-Apply ice to shoulders for 20 minutes after training (if training is appropriate) to reduce inflammation. Use anti-inflammatory drugs in the first few days. Long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs may affect the stomach, kidneys and liver. It is not recommended to stop pain and continue swimming.

-Take a break and rest flexibly depending on the severity of shoulder pain. This may mean a complete rest (no swimming), or reduce the number of yards in backstroke and butterfly strokes, or kick your legs with both hands. It is wise to resume swimming training at least two or three days after waiting for shoulder pain.

-Professional care: may include ultrasound, interference wave electrotherapy, cross friction massage of tendons, triggerpoint work (if triggerpoints are found during diagnosis), post-isometric relaxation of related muscles, shoulder and / Or neck adjustment.

-Rehabilitation exercise: to strengthen weak muscles (usually the external rotation of the shoulder). These exercises are not done in the gym. They are exercises performed with a small weight (3-5 pounds) under a specific and highly controlled exercise. See these leaflets for these exercises. If you have had a shoulder problem, it is smart to do these exercises at least a few times a week. It is said that it usually takes a day of rehabilitation time for each day of swimming with an injured shoulder.

-Correct your training: I can write an article 'Why paddles are bad for shoulders' ... On the other hand, Zoomers or other fins can lift your body in water, so if your shoulder Start giving you small questions during the exercise, they may help. Ask the instructor to check your posture (rotate to the body) and arm position. If there is no coach, ask a friend to record your swim. Tapes often reveal the truth completely. Best: Have a coach record your swimming and watch your stroke mechanics with you.

Recovery method:

1. When the palms are drawn backwards, avoid raising the elbows; before the palms enter the high elbow to catch water, do not start the strokes with your arms too early;

2. Do more shoulder stretching exercises before swimming or usually, such as "towel exercises" to increase the flexibility of the shoulders.

3, first reduce the amount of exercise, do not wear palm strokes that are much larger than the hand to swim.

4. Apply wet painkillers or physical therapy to the painful part of the shoulder. The shoulder pain will be reduced or disappeared.