I had surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, torn biceps tendon, and torn scapular muscle 3 weeks ago. I can't believe how stiff I've become and how little movement I have in my shoulder. Plan to get back in the pool on Monday but know it will be a LONG time until I can swim again. Anyone have any good "workouts" for someone rehabbing a shoulder? something more fun that jogging in the water or kicking for laps on end? Any advice from a swimmer who's been through this would be appreciated.
Former Member
Don't go back to the water until the doctor says you can!!!! You probably will be in PT for a number of weeks due to the torn rotator cuff and the other injuries.
I've had shoulder surgery a total of 6 times--The last one, for the lax shoulder and rotator cuff--I wasn't allowed to SWIM for upwards of 3 months--I WAS allowed to use the kickboard. After a subacromial decompression I was allowed to breaststroke for a limited amount of yardage but that was it. Even sidestroke isn't advised as you have to stretch one shoulder out way in front of the other.
Ask your therapist for a list of water exercises you can do for your shoulder--I KNOW that won't satisfy you standing on the side of the pool and doing internal and external rotations and pendulums BUT if you want the surgery to actually work--that's what you're faced with.
Give yourself a few weeks more and face the fact that any meets this summer aren't gonna happen.
As a physical therapist, I agree: "Listen to your therapist!" : ) Yes, you are pretty much limited to water jogging and kicking. And water jogging is one of the most boring things in the world. Can you get one of those in-the-pool radio headsets to listen to? That might help. As for kicking, kick with fins and without....do all the strokes...and work it HARD!. You could try vertical kicking for a little variety. As for out of the water, you should be able to run, and do any sort of stationary aerobic equipment, such as elliptical trainer, bike, and stairmaster. Good luck!
Peggy,
I've just undergone my third shoulder surgery in 17 months - 2 were rotator cuff repairs. I echo the previous respondent - don't try to get back too fast. The first time I was not back kicking for 6 weeks and it will be the same this time. Six weeks minimum before PT starts and hopefully kicking in the pool - although I have not used a kickboard in 3 years! It was 3 months before I took one stroke and then it was one stroke, then a couple, then half a lap, then a whole lap. It was awhile before I tried 50s.
If you overdo and have to recover and heal, it's very discouraging - and things don't heal quickly at this point. I was very fortunate to have a physical therapist who quickly understood my personality and drive to compete again and set me up with a program that accomplished my goals yet did not allow me to overdo. Unfortunately, more full-thickness tears developed and I will start over again.
You will have setbacks - everyone does. Minimizing those setbacks is a goal you need to keep a priority. You can maintain a good level of fitness kicking. (And it sure beats the walking and stationary biking I am doing now.) I incorporated fins in my "workouts" and they added variety. After I time I had some benchmarks for times and distances and could make up some productive and interesting workouts. The fact that I like to kick certainly helped. At first I kicked on my back with my arms by my sides. Then I kicked with my unaffected arm in a streamlined position with the repaired arm by my side. Every so often I would lift the affected arm up as in the start of a backstroke cycle. When I could do that pain free, I would go a little further until I could kick on my back with both arms in a streamlined position. I would also kick on my side with the unaffected arm streamlined and the repaired one by my side and rotate. I also kicked fly on my stomach with my arms by my side underwater - you can get really tired doing that!
When I could kick on my back with both arms overhead, I tried some backstroke, breastroke was the least painful at first. My progression to freestyle began with dogpaddle - the recovery of the affected arm was difficult at first. ANY pain was a signal to stop. The first surgery was 10/4/01, I got back in the pool (to kick) just before Thanksgiving, my first stroke was 1/1/03 (or thereabouts), and I swam a 1650 2/12 before the second surgery on 2/14/02.
Hope this is of some help. At least it's a summary of what was done by one person with rotator cuff surgery. Good luck! Let me know how you're doing.
Nancy Ridout
