Has anyone actually dislocated their shoulder while swimming? I swam all through high school, took 6 years off tried bodybuilding then went to powerlifting. After several disk injuries, I decided to quit, and get back into swimming to save my aching body/joints. After about 6 weeks of training I competed in my first Masters meet. The first two events were awesome 50m back then 50m fly. I actually broke the state records in both. The third event 100m I.M. While sweeping outward in the butterfly, my shoulder came completely out of the socket for a split second, then popped back in. I could actually hear things popping and tearing. It has been 6 weeks, and it still hasn't completely healed. All I've been able to do is kick workouts without a kickboard.Does anyone else have a similar experience?
Hello again - more opinions needed please and thank you :)
So went to the doc and have been referred to PT again and the ortho surgeon. While there the doc gave some info that I find quite interesting. She said that 'they' (whoever 'they' are) have seen increases in swimmer shoulder problems as stroke technique has evolved over the years. She said that newer stroke techniques are way more shoulder-driven, focusing more on an outstreched-forward-movement catch. She said that while this makes your stroke more efficient, its much harder on the shoulders.
I found this info quite compelling, since over the past 2 months I have actually been working with my coach to change my stroke in this very way. I actually saw myself swim on camera for the first time not too long ago, and learned that a) my stroke is rediculously straight-armed (yet still faaaar from Janet Evans' stroke lol); b) and I over-rotate, both in the hips and by crossing my arms over in front (I'll be the first to admit that I do not have the strongest core).
So in working to make these changes to my stroke we did a lot of zipper drill (all the way up to the ears for me!) for high elbows and tighter stroke, one-armed drill to prevent crossover, and 'underwater dog paddle' to work on the outstretched scull/catch.
But in doing some brief internet research, I've read that these newer techniques should reduce shoulder injuries! Were the new changes in my stroke enough to stretch out my tendons/weaken my shoulder, even though I was practicing proper technique? Or could this doc be on to something? What do you think?
Hello again - more opinions needed please and thank you :)
So went to the doc and have been referred to PT again and the ortho surgeon. While there the doc gave some info that I find quite interesting. She said that 'they' (whoever 'they' are) have seen increases in swimmer shoulder problems as stroke technique has evolved over the years. She said that newer stroke techniques are way more shoulder-driven, focusing more on an outstreched-forward-movement catch. She said that while this makes your stroke more efficient, its much harder on the shoulders.
I found this info quite compelling, since over the past 2 months I have actually been working with my coach to change my stroke in this very way. I actually saw myself swim on camera for the first time not too long ago, and learned that a) my stroke is rediculously straight-armed (yet still faaaar from Janet Evans' stroke lol); b) and I over-rotate, both in the hips and by crossing my arms over in front (I'll be the first to admit that I do not have the strongest core).
So in working to make these changes to my stroke we did a lot of zipper drill (all the way up to the ears for me!) for high elbows and tighter stroke, one-armed drill to prevent crossover, and 'underwater dog paddle' to work on the outstretched scull/catch.
But in doing some brief internet research, I've read that these newer techniques should reduce shoulder injuries! Were the new changes in my stroke enough to stretch out my tendons/weaken my shoulder, even though I was practicing proper technique? Or could this doc be on to something? What do you think?
