Anyone else had this diagnosis? Doc put me on Anti-inflammatories Nov 11 and gave me the usual stretch band exercises and said it should go away in about a month. Hasn't happened. Guess I should have asked if I needed to stop swimming. I train mostly USRP (free and fly), so only about 2,000-2,500 3-4 days a week. The pain is not bad, as I had been swimming with it since the middle of Sept, but now I am worried if I continue to swim with the inflamed bursa sack that it might do some long term damage. So maybe for the next few weeks just do some fin kick sets and hit the bike at the gym, and more core work (yuck)???
What kind of band exercises are you doing? Are you icing at all? In addition to the anti-inflammatories from the doc, have you tried taking anything else like turmeric?
What's your diet like? Do you consume much dairy? There are many academic studies that point to dairy as an inflammatory, so you might try reducing or eliminating that from your diet to see if that helps.
Lynn -
I had shoulder problems for a couple of years after breaking both shoulders skiing. My doctor told me I would probably only be able to swim breaststroke after I recovered.
I was able to go back to swimming other strokes, but I had a continual pain in my shoulders – especially when I swam fast or long sets. I tried a chiropractor in my building who does “active release technique.” She fixed my shoulders in a couple of weeks and I have not had problem since. I didn't have a diagnosis of bursitis, but I think that is sometimes a catchall diagnosis.
Let me know if you want her name and I will send it to you. She is in North Dallas and treats mainly athletes.
Exercises: 3 x 10 on each arm 1. Internal/external rotations 2. push/pull with elbows at side and forearms extended straight ahead at 90 degrees 3. shoulder raises
Have not done ice nor tried turmeric and do not consume much dairy.
Think I will contact doctor again on if I get the cortisone shot - will it be safe to swim again - or how much swimming he recommends.
THANKS for the input
Years ago I had bursitis so bad I could not lift my arm. I did everything the doctors said. It did not go away. Then someone told me of a home remedy (don't laugh): fruit pectin syrup and orange juice. Yes, the stuff used for canning jams. I followed the directions: One large tablespoon of pectin stirred into three ounces of orange juice twice a day. My bursitis was gone in about a month. I haven't had trouble since. I was told the pectin is an anti-inflammatory and the vitamin C acts as a catalyst to digest it.
Don't shoot the messenger. Honestly, it worked.
John, did you keep swimming for that month or completely lay off? I have been getting in the water twice a week, but just warming up with VERY easy freestyle with fins, also a lot of kicking and backstroke (doesn't bother shoulder) with fins
I would rest the shoulder completely and just kick for a while. I had serious shoulder bursitis starting in January and it took a long time to get better (9 mos in my case). At first I tried to do easy free, etc, but never got better so went to a kick only wo for about 6 weeks, then one arm free, one arm fly, eventually breastroke, then slowly got other strokes online again. I don't think I lost too much ground because I kicked so I am swimming fairly close to my regular times. Take it easy and let your body heal.
