Shoulder pain

Rotator cuff tendinitis usually arises from impingement, a situation that is created at least in part by muscle imbalance. As Fort posted, you need to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles with specific exercises (nicely described in the USA Swimming article). Otherwise the problem will become chronic. I think of those exercises sort of like brushing my teeth. Just basic maintenance for an essential system. If you have a desk job (or if you like to watch TV) you can do several of the exercises while using your eyes and brain for something else.

The bare minimum: 1. rotator cuff muscles with stretch cords or 1 or 2 lb weights. if you can only do one exercise, it should be external rotation 2. our coach says not to do any weight lifting that requires weights going over the head--swimming exercises these muscles enough as it is 3. ice after practice 4. fins or zoomers to "de-weight" your shoulders 5. avoid excessive ibuprofen and other NSAIDs (it's called tendinitis but it's really tendonopathy--there is no inflammation going on here, and drugs/cortisone injections designed to reduce inflammation most likely weaken the tissues, mask the pain, and retard healing) 6. pinkies enter water first, not the thumbs 7. don't sleep on your shoulders! and cut out unnecessary and overly provocative activities, like volleyball spking, tennis serving, and being hung by your thumbs in an S & M dungeon. 8. try to keep hysteria in check: the vast majority of these shoulder issues heal on their own if given time to settle down

Are you doing much Fly? I just learned a simple trick from the Stanford guy Richard Quick and his Butterfly video with Shelley Ripple. Phelps doesn't even follow it (according to the poster on that cereal box!). When the hands get thrown out of the water, keep the plane of the hands parallel to the plane of the body. (no thumbs pointing towards the water!) The simple lack of arm twisting takes a lot of strain off the shoulders, and the arm recovery into the water goes a lot faster. It works quite nicely.

Rotator cuff tendinitis usually arises from impingement, a situation that is created at least in part by muscle imbalance. As Fort posted, you need to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles with specific exercises (nicely described in the USA Swimming article). Otherwise the problem will become chronic.

In February, I severly strained my left shoulder cuff. It's taken almost nine months but I've found what exercises I can and cannot do. I can perform lat pulls/chin-ups infront of my head but not behind the neck. I cannot perform push-ups or bench press but can do flys. I can do curls with dumbells but not preacher-bench curls. The rotator-cuff rehab exercises are also a must and I've found that missing more than three days sets me back. I'm not 100% but I'm getting there. Good luck and keep experimenting on you personal do's and dont's.

. Are you doing rotator cuff exercises at the gym? What weights are you doing? I I've said it before, but I also find ART pretty effective for tendonitis, if yours keeps acting up. www.activerelease.com. If it worsens, consider kicking or using fins for awhile in practice while you strengthen the RC muscles. Unfortunately last week I was doing the dips and bench presses and overhead pulls. :mad:That's probably what sent me over the edge. I did some RC exercises today. I'm going to check out all these wonderful links and get proactive on this thing. I don't want to miss time in the water. I don't do much fly. just the occasional 25 yards now and then for kicks. Mostly freestyle and no paddles and only the bouy occasionally. I'll add the fins and see if that helps take the pressure off. I do switch it up between free, back and *** in the workout. Thanks for all the info!!! Everyone here is so great! :applaud:

7. don't sleep on your shoulders! and cut out unnecessary and overly provocative activities, like volleyball spking, tennis serving, and being hung by your thumbs in an S & M dungeon. 8. try to keep hysteria in check: the vast majority of these shoulder issues heal on their own if given time to settle down LOL! Seriously...thanks for #8 (and the others too!) I was getting a little panicky today about it.:sad:

Another newbie bites the dust ... Sorry you're in pain, Mary. Very common for new swimmers. Does sound like tendonitis. Ice if fine, but you can't spend your life icing. Are you doing rotator cuff exercises at the gym? What weights are you doing? I have a cranky left shoulder, and am constantly managing it. RC exercises and weights help me tremendously. However, I stay away from overhead weights (e.g. bench press). Check out this thread, which references other shoulder threads and discusses RC exercises. forums.usms.org/showthread.php I've said it before, but I also find ART pretty effective for tendonitis, if yours keeps acting up. www.activerelease.com. If it worsens, consider kicking or using fins for awhile in practice while you strengthen the RC muscles. This is great information in the thread listed above! I wish you the best, and thank you, Fortress, for posting this!

I am experiencing some mild shoulder pain on the front of my right front shoulder. It hurts if I press on it with some firmness. I feel it when I swim but it's not overwhelming. I'm laying off the weights in the gym until this feels better. I haven't done anything in the gym since Wednesday last week so I don't think this is recent. I swam on Friday but it didn't start bothering me until late Saturday. Any suggestions? Sounds like tendonitis. I suffer from chronic mild tendonitis in both shoulders. All it takes is a little management. When I start to notice it (and sometimes when I don't), I alternate 10 minutes on/10 minutes off with an ice pack for three cycles. For me, that is usually all I need to do.

I am experiencing some mild shoulder pain on the front of my right front shoulder. It hurts if I press on it with some firmness. I feel it when I swim but it's not overwhelming. I'm laying off the weights in the gym until this feels better. I haven't done anything in the gym since Wednesday last week so I don't think this is recent. I swam on Friday but it didn't start bothering me until late Saturday. Any suggestions? Another newbie bites the dust ... Sorry you're in pain, Mary. Very common for new swimmers. Does sound like tendonitis. Ice if fine, but you can't spend your life icing. Are you doing rotator cuff exercises at the gym? What weights are you doing? I have a cranky left shoulder, and am constantly managing it. RC exercises and weights help me tremendously. However, I stay away from overhead weights (e.g. bench press). Check out this thread, which references other shoulder threads and discusses RC exercises. forums.usms.org/showthread.php I've said it before, but I also find ART pretty effective for tendonitis, if yours keeps acting up. www.activerelease.com. If it worsens, consider kicking or using fins for awhile in practice while you strengthen the RC muscles.