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.
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
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
