Will I ever swim again?

Just a short note. A couple of days ago, my PT stretched my arm fairly aggressively. The next morning I was able to put my hand on top of my head to wash my hair:banana: So I decide to ask (again) about getting back in the pool. He looked at me and told me to lie on my stomach with my arm dangling off the table. He then put a 3 lb!!!!!! weight in my hand and told me to bring my arm backwards until I touched his hand. :shakeshead: oh well not yet.

Can't you get in and kick? I really think just being in the water again would do wonders for your mood. If you have to, just go in the deep end and do vertical kicking with your arm by your side. SDKs are now widely considered the second fastest stroke (after freestyle, and I think even this is in jeopardy.) You don't even need your arms to do SDKs. A great skill to learn, and a shoulder injury presents a great time to learn it!

I've asked about that Jim, about a month ago, but I have a tibia plateau fracture and kicking was nixed then. It is probably time to ask again about kicking. Thanks for reminding me. Lainey

I tore my shoulder badly two years ago. I couldn't move my arm. I used the water to float my arm up and the side of the pool to stretch. I did a lot of kicking. A lot of rotating, what I call kick and roll, with both arms at my side. At first, I was only able to do arms down, then I graduated to streamline kicking. I then did kick and scoop. I worked a lot on breaststroke. It took more than six months before I could bring my arm around in a freeestyle recovery and even longer before I had enough strength in the arm to get much of a pull. Don't give up. I am 68. I can be an active old lady of just get old. I like active better.

Nora, thank you! It is good to hear from someone my age who over came a similar injury. I had much the same idea about letting the water lift my arm, kicking and rolling, but I'm still getting no's. I can actually feel my arm move around in the joint when I do certain things--roll over in bed, for example. I guess that is what they mean when they tell me my shoulder isn't stable enough yet. Guess they are afraid I will dislocate it or injure the soft tissue. I'm hanging in there. I will get back in the water!

So sorry to hear about your injury. Good luck with your recovery and I am sure you will be able to get back into the water. Take your time and again, good luck

When my PT walked into the room he just stood there. I asked, "What?" he said, since it is so hot (it is really hot here today)I thought it was about time that you ask again. I almost jumped off the table! I can get into the pool--water up to my neck, and do a breaststroke pull while walking. No free, no back, no fly, AND I have to use the steps to get in and out--no ladder.:bouncing: Hey, it's start!

Go Lainey!

Hi guys - I'm a late onset adult swimmer, meaning I hadn't been in a pool for decades but a few years ago got turned on to open water swimming. For the past couple of years, I was swimming 2 miles/day freestyle about 3 or 4 days/week, with a few open water lake/river/ocean swims in the summer. Not that I go fast (those 2 miles take me just shy of an hour) but it felt so good! But now my 50 yr old shoulder evidently has decided that may not be such a good idea, and I've got a massive rotator cuff tear and have been advised to have surgery. Does anyone have thoughts on this? MRI is unequivocal about the tear, so is surgery inevitable? Does anyone know a good rehab (post surgery) in Westchester County or NYC with someone who knows about swimming? I really need to get back into the water... I'm getting fat and sad! All suggestions very very welcome!

thanks... and best to you too!