After 20 years of no exercise at all - I've recently started swimming again. It's been about 6 months since I re-started swimming, and I'm up to 3000 yards a day, about half of that is IM.
The problem: About three weeks ago my left shoulder started popping. I'd say that it's popping out of it's socket, but it's more like when you crack your knuckles (or whatever you like to crack) :) Pretty much it does it all day long. If I straighten my arm to the side and twist my wrist - my shoulder pops/cracks.
In the pool I've noticed (during crawl mostly) that my left shoulder (when I breathe to the right) feel like it's hyper extending. I've been trying to compensate by breathing to my left more, but it seems like it's getting a little worse over the last few weeks.
Obviously I don't expect professional medical advice. But, it would help me to know if anyone else has similar problems or advice as to what exercises, stretches, swimming technique, or anything else that I might consider doing.
All I can come up with is stretching more (I don't do very much), but I'm slightly worried that it's possible to hyper-extend it more (if that's what it is). I'm also considering spending more time on drills, and less on sprints for a while.
I'm not in allot of pain. Mostly my shoulder is just uncomfortable all day long. The most pain, and it's not that severe, is in the pool. When it happens (and it's happened only three or four times) I stop swimming and start my warm down.
Thanks.
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Former Member
I just got back from swimming. I kept it nice and easy and my shoulder actually feels better than before I swam. I still did a 3000 yard workout, but I left out the butterfly. I also stretched in between sets.
The patient knows his body better than the doctor. Forgetting the fact that there no way I can afford the worst case scenario (no job, no insurance, no money). I mentioned that I'm having some popping in my shoulder. I also mentioned that it doesn't really hurt. And you guys want me to see a doctor right away? I think you're being a little overly cautious. My inquiry is completely preemptive. I was noticing that wasn't quite right and wanted to know if other people have techniques to help this kind of thing. If everyone's technique is "see a doctor" then... I don't know what to say. That's not what I was looking for.
If it felt like a tear, I couldn't move my arm, or it felt like something was out of place I would stop swimming until it healed or I could find someone to look at it. I don't think it's any of that. It's uncomfortable, seems to heal with two days rest, but isn't nearly as uncomfortable as a even a strained muscle. I don't think it's even 1/10th of what 330man describes. It may be the beginning of the same problem, but I don't see that there are many options. I should pay attention to it... that's what I'm doing right now. But I'm not someone who goes to a doctor for every sniffle.
Really, I feel that I may have pushed myself a little too quickly. Within six months I'm already knocking on the door of some of my high school swimming times (Well, they're at least in sight). I've also changed my stroke so that I'm reaching forward more. I believe the extended stretching toward the wall in freestyle is the cause of the irritation. That, and today I found that when I was reaching I tend to push slightly downward with my hand as I breath. This is the moment of most discomfort: just after the hand enters the water, palm slightly down, pushing slightly toward the bottom of the pool as I breath.
I swim a pretty good forward quadrant now - something I never did in high school. So, the whole technique is probably putting strain on parts that have never felt it. I may also be exaggerating it a bit, or maybe I don't have the breathing stroke correct.
It's been 20 years since I worked out at all. What do I expect? I'll try not to put any downward pressure on my hand when I breath. This alone (and no fly) seemed to work with today's practice. Not to mention that downward pressure is wasted energy. I should be pulling myself forward, not pushing myself upward.
I think I'll bring my camcorder to the pool tomorrow.
BTW: I really do appreciate the concern.
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Former Member
I just got back from swimming. I kept it nice and easy and my shoulder actually feels better than before I swam. I still did a 3000 yard workout, but I left out the butterfly. I also stretched in between sets.
The patient knows his body better than the doctor. Forgetting the fact that there no way I can afford the worst case scenario (no job, no insurance, no money). I mentioned that I'm having some popping in my shoulder. I also mentioned that it doesn't really hurt. And you guys want me to see a doctor right away? I think you're being a little overly cautious. My inquiry is completely preemptive. I was noticing that wasn't quite right and wanted to know if other people have techniques to help this kind of thing. If everyone's technique is "see a doctor" then... I don't know what to say. That's not what I was looking for.
If it felt like a tear, I couldn't move my arm, or it felt like something was out of place I would stop swimming until it healed or I could find someone to look at it. I don't think it's any of that. It's uncomfortable, seems to heal with two days rest, but isn't nearly as uncomfortable as a even a strained muscle. I don't think it's even 1/10th of what 330man describes. It may be the beginning of the same problem, but I don't see that there are many options. I should pay attention to it... that's what I'm doing right now. But I'm not someone who goes to a doctor for every sniffle.
Really, I feel that I may have pushed myself a little too quickly. Within six months I'm already knocking on the door of some of my high school swimming times (Well, they're at least in sight). I've also changed my stroke so that I'm reaching forward more. I believe the extended stretching toward the wall in freestyle is the cause of the irritation. That, and today I found that when I was reaching I tend to push slightly downward with my hand as I breath. This is the moment of most discomfort: just after the hand enters the water, palm slightly down, pushing slightly toward the bottom of the pool as I breath.
I swim a pretty good forward quadrant now - something I never did in high school. So, the whole technique is probably putting strain on parts that have never felt it. I may also be exaggerating it a bit, or maybe I don't have the breathing stroke correct.
It's been 20 years since I worked out at all. What do I expect? I'll try not to put any downward pressure on my hand when I breath. This alone (and no fly) seemed to work with today's practice. Not to mention that downward pressure is wasted energy. I should be pulling myself forward, not pushing myself upward.
I think I'll bring my camcorder to the pool tomorrow.
BTW: I really do appreciate the concern.
