For the past couple of months, my shoulder has been feeling "loose" or instable. I have some moderate pain and mostly the very odd feeling that it just is about to fall out of its socket. It usually feels okay while swimming but very bad afterwards. I've taken the past week off from swimming in the hopes that things would feel better, but no dice. I do have a call in to my doctor, but I've done some Googling around and it seems like it might be multi-directional instability of the shoulder. Does anyone have any experience with this? I am physically unable to participate in most other cardio (running, step aerobics, anything with any level of impact) so the idea of not being able to swim is very depressing.
Definitely see the doctor, but it sounds like if it isn't hurting during swimming, only after, that it might be an imbalance of some kind. My shoulders were great for freestyle, but since the majority of my cardio was running for so long I didn't have a lot of stability in the muscles around the ones I used primarily for freestyle... so any little exertion outside my normal range of motion was "dangerous." Swimming the other strokes has helped and doing some stability exercises has helped too. Good luck.
A good PT who has worked with swimmers should be able to help you with some rehab exercises to tighten up the muscles surrounding the tendon capsule that keeps your shoulder from popping out. Do not do stretching exercises as this will only make things worse. Some strokes are also harder than others on the shoulder capsule. Backstroke is hard.on the joint for lots of people. Don't worry. You won't have to quit but you will benefit from PT with chords and remarkably lower weights to tighten up the rotator cuffs and scapular stabilizers. Females fo tend to have looser connective tissue than men.or perhaps to say it different. We're less flexible. You need more strength. We.need.more flexibility. Sorry if typos...typing on phone. Goog.luck!
I have this problem in my left shoulder. I have dislocated it before and i even dislocated it once while racing when I started back in swimming 10 years ago.
There is a set of exercises you can do with shock cords that strengthen your rotator cuff. I have had good success using these exercises when I have problems with my shoulder. I will see if I can find the sheet that shows them and post it. If you see a doctor or physical therapist, they will give you something similar.
A couple of years ago I broke both shoulders in a skiing accident and the exercises they gave me after I healed were basically the same. I think you will find that with strengthening, it should not interfere with you swimming.
Agree with others, sounds like some PT is in order. If you shoulder is just loose and you haven't actually dislocated it before, then you have a good chance with PT. An MRI might help to determine if it truly is multi-directional and the extent of the looseness, ie, if you have fraying or small to large tears in the labrum. Several years ago I fell and dislocated my shoulder, but unfortunately the damage was severe enough that multiple rounds of PT could not help. My shoulder kept popping out doing random daily things like putting on a shirt or reaching out to close my car door. Finally I got sick of constantly dealing with the painful aftermath so I went through with the surgery 5 months ago. But PT first, for sure!
Jim has some excellent points. It sounds like the shoulder needs to be strengthened to help it become stable. A bit of KT tape would probably help as well. A good PT can apply it well.
Evaluation by a physical therapist and diagnostic imaging (MRI) sound indicated in this scenario. For instability, improving the stability of the scapular stabilizing muscles (lower and middle trapezius) is likely more important than the rotator cuff muscle. Also, band exercises as indicated in one response treat the rotator cuff muscles are primary movers, which is not their main role! This is a common rehabilitative mistake, don't fall into the trap! Instead exercises of requiring the rotator cuff muscles to stabilize the humerus into the glenohumeral joint are needed to complement the exercises targeting the shoulder as the primary move (ie band exercises).
Here is a link to a piece I presented at the NorCal Coaches clinic:
www.swimshop.com/.../SwimmersShoulderNorCal.pdf
For more examples, check out www.swimmingscience.net or you can purchase the swimmer's shoulder system www.corswimmershoulder.com, however an in-person evaluation by a licensed also sounds indicated in your scenario.
My left shoulder first dislocated anteriorally, fully, 20 years ago mountain biking in Moab. A Md passing by on a bike eased my suffering and popped it back in socket. The following decade it dislocated about ten more times where I learned to pop it back in myself.since I have started lifting weights, and more recently swimming, it has not happened in ten years. It does however feel loose at times, but usually following long distances with bad form or overuse. I have to live with this limitation but stability strength training DONE CORRECTLY and proper form seem to keep my arm held tight against its socket.
Continue to avoid whatever is making it loose but just be assured there is hope doing what you enjoy without making it worse or even helping it . Many of the PT movements are excellent, but listen to how your shoulder responds specifically
See your doctor, follow your doctors' orders. In the event they Rx PT and your insurance plan rejects it (it happens), here is a great video with exercises specific to swimming and shoulder stability. USMS' Dr. Jim Miller put this together with a couple of others.
I hope this helps.
www.youtube.com/watch
Thank you all for the advice! I have an appointment with my PCP on Thursday now, but I'm sure she'll refer me either to PT or a specialist for anything helpful. I will definitely look into the strengthening exercises mentioned here. Is KT tape something that I could apply myself (after being shown how to do it)?
