A couple questions; Do you use paddles? - Do you have a coach who can watch how your arm exits the water?
The beginning of the pull and the exiting of the hand are the two culprits causing most shoulder problems.
Try rotating the hand so you can look at the palm just as it exits the water. You'll need to rotate the body more but that really means you're going to put your body in a more streamlined position. Next,
When you extend your arm, don't put pressure on the hand until it begins entering the catch phase of the stroke. That means slow the beginning part of your stroke down and try not to press the water with a straight arm. Keep hand-paddles off until the pain is eliminated.
A good coach can help watch you and talk you through these things or give you other important tips to help alleviate that "shoulder pain" (an important sensation that must be avoided).
Good luck
Tomtopo,
Your reply said,
"Try rotating the hand so you can look at the palm just as it exits the water. You'll need to rotate the body more but that really means you're going to put your body in a more streamlined position."
I'm not really sure what this would look like. Can you expound on it a little?
Alos I had been using paddles but have stopped for the time being. I'm also begun a few exercises to stengthen the shoulders and the pain is all but gone.
Thanks for the tips.
stay away from paddles
kick sets and mix strokes to ease the emphasis on the same spot
dry land training wil help espacially with rotating cups exercises
do not do these exercise the same day you are swimming
streamlining is always best to avoid injuries
I had shoulder pain for over 2 years, to the point where I would wake up several times a night. There were several things I tried, and this mine was what they called an active injury. You may have a rotator cup or something else going on so the rest of this is based on the fact that I had an orthopedic rule out everything. An active injury is one that does not show up on MRIs or x-ray, since it only occurs during the motion of the stroke.
1st thing to realize is that this pain is probably similar to a deep bruise. Obviously, everytime you push on, or rub into a bruise you going to continue to hurt it. You will also cause any healing time you may have started, to be erased.
So you will need to let the bruise heal. Here are a couple of alternatives: stop swimming, or stop or greatly minimize stroking. By minimize stroking, you can put on a set of fins and swim such that 70% of or more of your power comes from your legs. Just letting your arms come through but not propelling you.
This greatly help reduce the pain, but only for period of time. I believe I was letting the brusie go down, but not fixing the cause of the problem.
You may need to change your stroke since this is likely the cause. Like you I had a issue with only my left shoulder. I was unfortunate in that I had several coaches look at my stroke, but none were competant to see or understand what was going on. I did get lucky at a state meet a few years ago and ran into Pete Anderson who was an old high school coach, and an accomplished swimmer (master's world record holder). He had one simple instruction for me. This instruction along with taking 2.5 months off to allow the brusie to get heeled are what I think actually remedied the situation. The instruction was to make sure when my left hand entered the water that I always make sure my thumb enters the water first. His reasoning is that most should injuries is a result of not raising your elbow high. He said it is impossible to not have a high elbow if you focus on this thumb entering.
It has been over 1.5 years without pain and I couldn't be happier.
Good luck!
You just described my problem to a TEE. I am sure that my fly is not being executed properly. Howver, this is what helped: The only fly I do in training is through the IM. I also do more back and *** stroke during my laps. I put in 2000yds 5 days/week. Since I started with more back and *** with 2 200 Im's the pain in my left shoulder is 90% gone. Also before I swim a hot pack is applied to my shoulders and elbows. I got that idea from an occupational therapist. By the way I put in more kick yards than I use to.
Go back to basics. Work on drills and technique.
It may be caused by dropping the left arm during freestyle because you are starved for oxygen from upping the yardage and rotating too far to the left to get a bigger breath (if you breath on the right normally.)
Drop the extra fly in large quantities until it is comfortable again. :toohurt:
