Hi Swimmers
Sorry to post another shoulder injury message. I have been suffering with a chronic shoulder problem for some time and have been working hard to get it under control this year. The pain develops around the right shoulder region. It moves around a bit but settles in the soft tissue between the spine and shoulder blade. It develops 1-2 days after swimming freestyle. Once the pain develops I have had to stop swimming for up to two months before it disappears. The last time it subsided I joined a techique class but it reoccurred after about 7 weeks. I then went to see a physiotherapist for who has been great. He has conducted deep tissue massage of the area, dry needling and electro (something or other) which makes the muscles spasm. He has given me excersices with Therra Bands and has monitored the progress. His work cleared up the pain a lot quicker than previously.
I have to have an MRI of my chest area on an unrelated matter shortly and was wondering whether I should ask the doctor to extend it to the shoulder region. Perhaps one of you good swimmers out there has had previous experience with MRI's and shoulder issues.
Thank you in anticipation.
Parents
Former Member
I had a light muscle pull in the back of the shoulder which occured last year, probably due to insufficiant warm up (and not enough sleep). I continue to train and was on the way to get a shoulder tendonitis.
I drastically reduced the training volume hoping the shoulder will have enough time to heal. After a month, the mild shoulder pain is still showing. I went to a physiotherapist who diagnosed the pain as a minor impingement and advised me to do strengh exercise targetting the shoulder.
I didn't want to take any risk. I stopped swimming for 2 months, while doing the exercises which look very similar to this: www.svl.ch/.../shoulder_strengthening.pdf
Take care, please use light weight, otherwise this could make the problem worse. Ideally, a balanced upper body strenthening would be more beneficial. Because your rotator cuff muscles work in conjunction with other muscles (traps, lats, pecs).
My shoulder pain was gone. And I now keep the habit to complement my swimming with resistance training.
I had a light muscle pull in the back of the shoulder which occured last year, probably due to insufficiant warm up (and not enough sleep). I continue to train and was on the way to get a shoulder tendonitis.
I drastically reduced the training volume hoping the shoulder will have enough time to heal. After a month, the mild shoulder pain is still showing. I went to a physiotherapist who diagnosed the pain as a minor impingement and advised me to do strengh exercise targetting the shoulder.
I didn't want to take any risk. I stopped swimming for 2 months, while doing the exercises which look very similar to this: www.svl.ch/.../shoulder_strengthening.pdf
Take care, please use light weight, otherwise this could make the problem worse. Ideally, a balanced upper body strenthening would be more beneficial. Because your rotator cuff muscles work in conjunction with other muscles (traps, lats, pecs).
My shoulder pain was gone. And I now keep the habit to complement my swimming with resistance training.
