I read an interesting article in The Physician and Sports Medicine which is relevant to those of us with swimmer's shoulder. Apparently the term chronic tendinitis is a misnomer in that there is very little inflammation in this condition; the preferred term is tendinosis (or tendinopathy). The cause is thought to be repetitive activity and microtrauma (as well as age related tendon degeneration).
Why is this distinction important? If it is not an inflammatory condition, antiinflammatory drugs are not necessary and may be detrimental by interfering with the healing process. Tylenol may be preferable as an analgesic (and has fewer side effects). Also recommended: (relative) rest, since tendons require more time to heal and the repair process needs to keep pace with the microinjuries, and strengthening exercises (added later) as these seem to accelerate and optimize the repair process.
The journal has a website (physsportsmed.com); this particular article is not available on line yet, but a similar article is:
www.physsportsmed.com/.../stovitz.htm
Thanks Susan and Craig for the excellent articles.
Shoulder pain has been an ongoing problem for me since April with the worst pain occurring about three weeks ago. At that time I decided to give the shoulder a complete rest from swimming and it is somewhat better but not completely pain free. I am trying everything I can think of before I resort to a trip to the doctor.
I am bummed out because I miss swimming SO much. Even though I had been doing all of the rotator cuff strengthening exercises that were in the TI book I was not immune to this injury.
Tomorrow I think that I will go to practice and do some kick sets just to get in the water again. Is there any other kind of drills I could do that would not aggravate a shoulder injury?
You should probably limit yourself to kicking for awhile if it was that bad. When you try swimming again, avoid paddles and butterfly. You might try swimming with fins to relieve some of the stress on your shoulders. And, as they say on TV, if pain persists consult your physician.
My sports doc told me recently, tendons take longer to heal because they have a lesser blood supply, as compared to the muscles. (if I remember correctly) I think he said about twice as long. So, if you have muscle soreness 2-4 days, your tendons will hurt 4-8 days.
In addition to analgesic, he recommended deep tissue massage, and hot/cold compresses. Both are supposed to promote circulation, and speed up the tendon healing process.
He also recommended pilates and isometrics to strenghten the tendons and small muscles, after they heal up, so they can keep up with the pulling and tearing that the bigger stronger muscles can cause. Told me that one of big causes of tendon strain (other than disease) is unbalanced muscle development.
Great info to know. I stopped swimming 9 years ago because of tendenitis in my right shoulder. I haven't ahd any pain since I stopped.
Something to think about since I am back to H2O now.
TY
yea, I have something close to he onset of arthritis.
It's not real arthritis, but they tell me it's a cross between Gout and Arthritis. It attacks and calcifies tendons rather than what arthritis does on bones. I hear it's pretty common (hereditary) in Slavic people (which I am) and not so common in US and anglo origin.
Anyway, keeping the tendons moving and flecible not only helps with the swimming, but it also makes it difficult for the body to leave the uric acid deposits on things that move, and slows down the process.
That's oversimplified version of what the doc's tell me.
I just got a DVD (they have it on video too) Pilates, Beginning Mat Workout with Ana Caban.
I don't know how good it is, but being a beginner, I'm sure it's better than nothing.
One neat feature that I noticed is that it shows 2 intensity levels for each exercise. One for people who are flexible and in shape already, and a modified (easier) version for beginners. I like that.
Oh, and I just ordered a book for a workout with, I think they're called strength balls? Written by my doctor's friend, Marv Morenovich. (Remember Todd Morenovich, football palyer... his dad wrote this book)
My doc showed me some exercises out of it. They're great. I just ordered the book.
A friend of mine, a competetive masters swimmer was doing that exercise program for a season, 2 years ago, and her rankings went from 33rd to 4th nationally. Next year she is planing on going to Masters World Campionship in Italy :)
oh, here it is, the proper title:
ProBodX : Proper Body Exercise: The Path to True Fitness
by: Marv Marinovich and Edythe Heus
I noticed they have it on Amazon.
