I sustained an injury toward the beginning of my year round season. I dislocated my elbow, and I'm a freestyler (for the most part). My extension and contraction has been significantly reduced, although my physical therapist and I are trying to regain what was lost. I swim unevenly (you know what I mean, off balance) and I have lost strength in that arm. I have been kicking, and I still kind of stink at that - I never was a good kicker - but it's improving. My upper body has lost some stamina in races, due to the fact that I have been kicking since the beginning of September to just a few weeks ago, when I started using my arm.
Does anyone know how I could regain strength, flexibility, endurance, and mobility in my left elbow, after such an accident? Has anyone sustained a bad accident such as this?
Thanks.
--Arojekt.
Parents
Former Member
One of the reasons that I started swimming masters is an injury similar to yours. While mountain biking a few years ago I went over the bars and dilocated my left elbow and broke a chunk of the radial head off. I went through very painful physical therapy for about 8 months. After all of that, my Extention was only about 120 degrees (180 being straight) and my flexion was about 60. And I could only rotate my wrist a few degrees either way.
Eventualy I got a second opinion, and an MRI to find that the piece of bone that broke off was blocking my range of motion. I then had surgery to remove it and most of my range of motion came back fairly quickly. Now I can completely straighten my arm, but can only bend my arm enough to barely touch my shoulder with my thumb. And my wrist rotation is better but probably only 120 degrees of rotation where 180 is normal. And of course with the missing piece of bone in that elbow it is arthritic.
By the time I started swimming I could not make a muscle in my bicep or tricep from the atrophy. So my first month or so of swimming I just focused on swimming smooth and easy (and balanced). I found that paddles would really give me fits initially so I did not use them for the first 6 months at all. And there were days that it would bother me so much that I would have to get out early. It just took time. But in the long run my elbow is far better off today and feels a heck of lot better than when I began swimming. My doctor had told me that my Range of motion would only deteriorate over time and so far I have only improved it, if only slightly, with swimming.
The best advice is to be patient and take it slow. Focus on better technique initially rather than trying to swim fast. That seemed to work for me.
Kevin
One of the reasons that I started swimming masters is an injury similar to yours. While mountain biking a few years ago I went over the bars and dilocated my left elbow and broke a chunk of the radial head off. I went through very painful physical therapy for about 8 months. After all of that, my Extention was only about 120 degrees (180 being straight) and my flexion was about 60. And I could only rotate my wrist a few degrees either way.
Eventualy I got a second opinion, and an MRI to find that the piece of bone that broke off was blocking my range of motion. I then had surgery to remove it and most of my range of motion came back fairly quickly. Now I can completely straighten my arm, but can only bend my arm enough to barely touch my shoulder with my thumb. And my wrist rotation is better but probably only 120 degrees of rotation where 180 is normal. And of course with the missing piece of bone in that elbow it is arthritic.
By the time I started swimming I could not make a muscle in my bicep or tricep from the atrophy. So my first month or so of swimming I just focused on swimming smooth and easy (and balanced). I found that paddles would really give me fits initially so I did not use them for the first 6 months at all. And there were days that it would bother me so much that I would have to get out early. It just took time. But in the long run my elbow is far better off today and feels a heck of lot better than when I began swimming. My doctor had told me that my Range of motion would only deteriorate over time and so far I have only improved it, if only slightly, with swimming.
The best advice is to be patient and take it slow. Focus on better technique initially rather than trying to swim fast. That seemed to work for me.
Kevin
