This is actually my first post, but I figured it would fit best in this forum.
I just started swimming with USMS about a month and a half ago after years of doing laps and workouts on my own. I love it, but it's also brought out the shoulder issues I've had off and on over the years. I was diagnosed with glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and have been in physical therapy for the past few weeks, with slow progress. My therapist just cleared me to try some swimming again (Well, sort of...I'm allowed to try a couple laps of backstroke only. Have to start somewhere, though!), and I'm hopeful that it will get fully resolved with time. At practices I've just been doing kick sets and limited other things like running/jumping in the pool with shoes, since I was allowed to do lower body work.
My problem is that in addition to my shoulder issues, I also have what my PT has called "floppy knees" - they're a bit TOO flexible, to the point where hyperextended is their normal state. No pain, but it does mean that I occasionally have issues with soreness around my kneecaps and such. After this past week, one of my knees is acting up and my best guess based on past experience and talking with my PT is that I've just irritated some ligament or area around the kneecap a bit, but haven't done any serious damage. My coach had me try some knee tuck jumps in the pool while wearing shoes, just to mix things up, and I'm thinking that may have also played a role in irritating my knee.
Normally this wouldn't frustrate me as much, but since I'm already limited in what I can do at practices, and have just started to see improvement with my shoulder to the point where I can try (some) swimming, I'm feeling kind of discouraged. Does anyone have advice on how to deal with recovery from injuries, especially the mental and emotional frustration that comes with it? I really want to get back to swimming and competition, but it's just not going to happen overnight. Most of my friends are non-swimmers and don't really get how upset this stuff is making me. My coach and team have been great about it, but I'm still feeling a bit isolated and like I'm stuck dealing with it mostly on my own.
I feel your pain! I, too, have been working around injuries for quite some time. Although I don't have the same issues as you (I have low back pain, floppy knee from stretched out ACL, and rotator cuff that flares occasionally), I can offer some advice. Listen to your body! At first, I tried swimming everyday, which proved to be too much, not enough recovery. So I switched to swimming every other day and that helped; after over a year of swimming, I can finally swim everyday. Since I have low back issues I avoid butterfly, but have found that I can do dolphin kick on my back. I use fins and a front mounted snorkel for some drills, which helps keep my neck and back in alignment. If I kick on my front, I will use a snorkel, if my shoulder is sore, then I keep my arms at my side. Some days I just swim to "stretch" or "relax" - this helps my mental state instead of beating myself up about not finishing the workout.
I am constantly experimenting to see what my body can tolerate, and have accepted that I may not be able to do the whole workout or certain strokes. It was especially frustrating when my masters team did a butterfly week, I had to skip the fly drills and actually skipped a couple of days because it was emotionally painful for me. Finally, I am at the point where I can swim around 2000 yards a day if its mostly freestyle. I am working on making my other strokes more comfortable. Be patient! Good luck. :cheerleader:
I know the feeling. First it was shoulder issues. Then it's knees. They each act up in different ways and limit what I can do. It's incredibly frustrating! For me, I need to be more consistent with PT exercises for both. That would certainly help, although I don't think either problem will ever go away completely. Especially my knee issues since it is more a matter of my anatomy. I have found that my weekly yoga class makes a big difference. In the water, I listen to what my body is telling me and I've been trying to build up slowly. Backstroke and *** stroke are hard (I have yet to attempt fly) and I'll start with one easy length during a workout before deciding to do anything additional. My PT people showed me how to tape my knee and that definitely helps too. It helps to keep the knee cap in the right spot.
I think it comes down to working with your PT people, doing the exercises if they help or adjusting them if they do not, and listening to your body in the water. Easier said than done sometimes, but I think it is the only way to build back towards where you were. Good luck!
Since I have low back issues I avoid butterfly, but have found that I can do dolphin kick on my back. I use fins and a front mounted snorkel for some drills, which helps keep my neck and back in alignment. If I kick on my front, I will use a snorkel, if my shoulder is sore, then I keep my arms at my side.
I've been doing a lot of this - I finally broke down and bought a snorkel, after too much time with my kickboard irritated my lower back. I also found that I LOVE doing dolphin kick on my back, though if my knees are off that day I have to skip it as it aggravates them too much. The hardest part through all of this has been not being too hard on myself for not being able to do much. Everyone on my team understands, but it's still hard when they're swimming in the lanes on either side of you, and you're stuck there, just kicking along yet again. There was one day where I held it together during practice, but then ended up crying at PT later that afternoon. Good days and bad days, I guess.
For me, I need to be more consistent with PT exercises for both. That would certainly help, although I don't think either problem will ever go away completely. Especially my knee issues since it is more a matter of my anatomy. I have found that my weekly yoga class makes a big difference. In the water, I listen to what my body is telling me and I've been trying to build up slowly. Backstroke and *** stroke are hard (I have yet to attempt fly) and I'll start with one easy length during a workout before deciding to do anything additional. My PT people showed me how to tape my knee and that definitely helps too. It helps to keep the knee cap in the right spot.
My kneecaps have tracking issues, too - I use kinesio tape to help stabilize them, usually I can manage to keep it on for a couple days before it starts coming off. I have patellofemoral syndrome with my right knee, and I'm a pro at taping that by now. Doing freestyle kick actually helps with tracking issues sometimes (depending on what's causing it), helps strengthen your quads so they can keep the kneecap in the right place. A couple years ago they diagnosed my left knee with something called plica syndrome, so I'm still experimenting with how to tape that one when it flares up.
I've been really good about doing my the exercises my PT gave me...in my head, it's either do the exercises, or give up swimming. Easy choice for me! My entire shoulder was tight, and I've finally gotten to the point where it's loose enough they can start retraining and strengthening the right muscles. I'll have to do stretches for the rest of my life, but eventually won't have to do them as often as I am now. I always end up staying up too late, then when I'm tired and ready for bed think, "Oh man...stretches. Ok, that's another 30min before I can go to bed..."
