I had labrum surgery 8 weeks ago. I struggled with whether it was necessary. PT had minimized the pain, but still every time I swam I hurt, and I couldn't do stroke, thus making my ephemeral goal of a nonperformance art 400 IM elusive, plus I also like stroke.
Did I do the right thing? Too late to know now. I waited a year, and then decided in favor of the surgery because I feared that later in life (10 years from now), I would have wrecked my shoulder and not been able to have the surgery (too old). I want to swim forever.
The surgery itself was not painful (love that Percocet), nor were the 3 weeks post-surgery, except for the sling I had to wear (again, love that Percocet).
But the PT and daily life now are very challenging (I'm 8 weeks post-surgery). I had torn the labrum off the bone, plus torn the back of my labrum (Bankart tear), plus a few other things were ready to go, so everything was tightened and stitched down.
The good news is I will have 100% mobility once I am done with PT.
The hard news is I don't know when that will be, or when I will be able to swim again. I have just started kicking in the pool, and that feels very very good.
The cautionary part of this tale is that had I paid more attention to my technique and posture (I tend to slump), I don't think I would have needed this surgery. During my pre-surgery PT, I did tons of I's, T's, and Y's, prone on the floor, and tons of scapular strenghthening, so that pre-surgery I was swimming my fastest in years, albeit with pain. I wish I had done those scapular strengtheners all along (I can post a silly video of me doing the most important ones).
The other thing I paid attention to was when I pulled with my left arm (the one that had surgery). I noticed with horror that I was pulling with my left arm as I was rotating to the right to breathe. Hmm, that will tear my labrum up!
Leslie (the Fortress?) (someone on this board) is absolutely correct about using your core first and foremost! But what I find (and again, cautionary tale about masters swimming) is that I am very competitive, and want to go fast at practice no matter the price, so I was paying very little attention to technique and just zooming along.
Long posting, but wanted to share that labrum surgery recovery is incredibly painful. Getting stretched, doing the exercises, unbelievably painful. Hoping that next week I progress to above 90 degrees adduction (?) (out to side) and to using weights with PT. Trying not to get depressed when swimming is my main antidepressant as well as social world.
So, valiant masters swimmers, pay attention to your arm entry, how you rotate, and core strength. I wish I had paid more attention to strenghthening my back, especially my scapulae and all those little muscles that keep them moving properly.
Here's the video posting; it's silly, I know, but these exercises, while not for power, did give me a lot of strength when I swam. And the PT noticed this past week that I still have a lot of strength in my scapulae, which I hope will work for my benefit.
Hoping to be moving my arm in a full circle in, uh, 2 months?
Cheers. Isobel.
YouTube - Swimmer shoulder stability exercises, Part 1
I found a new favorite shoulder stability exercise. You take a kettlebell, raise it above your head with one hand, and walk the length of a long room or hallway. Back and forth, then switch hands. Or if you're confined to a small space, just pace slowly with the weight above your head like a caged, deranged animal. Letting your hand sway back and forth slightly causes more shoulder involvement.
Depending on the weight of the kettlebell, you can either hold it pointing straight up with the weight above the handle, or let the weight drape over the back of your hand. The former involves the wrist and forearm muscles, whereas the latter allows for heavier weight and more load on the shoulder and core muscles.
This exercise is called the "waiter" and is primarily used for core stability. A great complementary exercise is the "suitcase" where you try to walk with perfect posture with a heavy kettlebell (for me 62 lbs.) in one hand. keep the other arm relaxed and at your side. It is great for spine stability while your legs are moving. Good for grip strength as well. I like it better than the side plank for you obliques because it is more dynamic.
Rich
I found a new favorite shoulder stability exercise. You take a kettlebell, raise it above your head with one hand, and walk the length of a long room or hallway. Back and forth, then switch hands. Or if you're confined to a small space, just pace slowly with the weight above your head like a caged, deranged animal. Letting your hand sway back and forth slightly causes more shoulder involvement.
Depending on the weight of the kettlebell, you can either hold it pointing straight up with the weight above the handle, or let the weight drape over the back of your hand. The former involves the wrist and forearm muscles, whereas the latter allows for heavier weight and more load on the shoulder and core muscles.
This exercise is called the "waiter" and is primarily used for core stability. A great complementary exercise is the "suitcase" where you try to walk with perfect posture with a heavy kettlebell (for me 62 lbs.) in one hand. keep the other arm relaxed and at your side. It is great for spine stability while your legs are moving. Good for grip strength as well. I like it better than the side plank for you obliques because it is more dynamic.
Rich
