Ortho Doc Shares Some Shoulder Tips for Swimmers
 | Triathletes know how exhausting swimming can be on the shoulders and as an orthopedic surgeon I have seen its effect on many a rotator cuff. Without any doubt, few types of exercise are better for you than swimming. The benefits are obvious when it comes to strengthening muscles and improving aerobic capacity while reducing impact on the joints. But that doesn't suggest swimmers are injury-free.
Up to 70% of competitive swimmers are influenced by a wide-spread condition called"swimmer's shoulder". This is an ailment that may involve the rotator cuff and sometimes emerges from over-exertion. Believe it or not, collegiate level swimmers can log north of five-hundred thousand strokes in a single year. Swimmer's shoulder involves muscular fatigue, rotator cuff degradation, and uneasiness in raising the arm above the joint. Since the shoulder is inherently an unstable joint, even tiny changes to its mechanics can bring problems. Over-worked shoulders will recruit other muscles for compensation which frequently leads to a state of imbalance. There are a few factors behind swimmer's shoulder: Simply overdoing it in the pool, lake, and/or weight room. Tendonosis in which any of the four rotator cuff tendons begin to degenerate. Wrong stroke technique that may impinge the rotator cuff. Exaggerated looseness in the shoulder that could cause instability leading to injury. Luckily there are some steps you can take to avoid swimmer's shoulder: If you feel sick or atypically tired, stay out of the water. Don't dive in till you have stretched out and gotten warm. Be cognizant of your stroke technique. Mix swimming with resistance training and other exercises to develop strength, endurance and flexibleness. If you start feeling uneasiness in your rotator cuff, stop swimming before you cause more damage. Apply ice to the shoulder and take anti inflammatory medicine as needed. Once the uneasiness has started to reduce, take a gentle approach to getting back into the water. If the pain from swimmer's shoulder does not relent inside two weeks of rest, call my office for a consultation. Swimmers should know that rotator cuff surgery is not the single option! Doctor"O" has been a Castro Valley orthopedic surgeon for over 30 years. He continually shares his knowledge on procedures like rotator cuff surgery on the internet. Orthopedic surgeon |
