How swimming affects the shoulder
Swimmers Shoulder refers to a broad variety of shoulder conditions which swimmers commonly experience.
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Swimming involves a lot of shoulder movements and the condition results from an overuse of the shoulder muscles and leads to fatigue in the muscles and eventually causes changes in how the shoulder functions. The condition may worsen as you continue to swim.
The function of your shoulder is greatly dependent on the coordination of the muscles around your shoulder and your torso. Example of these muscles includes muscles that control your shoulder blade, back and abdominal muscles.
Individuals with this condition may have pain or tightness in the shoulder, neck or around the shoulder blade area. Some individuals have pain radiating or passing into one arm.
The Shoulder Joint
The structure of the Shoulder joint as a ball and socket joint creates an environment for complex movement patterns. Your shoulder joint allows you to reach out for objects above your head, swing at a ball, zip or button up your clothes behind you.
The joint allows movement of your arm in all directions. The joint obtains its stability from the surrounding muscles and tough cords around the shoulder.
There are key muscles that surround the shoulder joint, and when they are overworked or placed under too much strain, injury occurs.
The individual may experience pain whenever he/she raises the arm away from the body or when he/she reaches behind his/her back.
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Causes/Predisposing factors
Swimmers shoulder pain may occur as a result of a physical limitation in the individual, poor swimming skills or methods and also from a rigorous training regime.
The individuals may have some physical restrictions such as extreme muscle tightness around the shoulder, neck or torso, a decrease in shoulder or hip movements and poor trunk rotation.
These limitations gradually lead to the individual using a poor swimming method and eventually experiencing pain in the shoulder.
Another factor that contributes to this condition is an overuse of the shoulder muscles which leads to fatigue. The fatigue may lead to shoulder instability and result in shoulder pain.
Individuals who also swim for long periods without having inadequate warm-ups may also develop shoulder injuries. You need to ensure that your training programme (including durations) takes into consideration the state of your muscles and your overall fitness so that you do not end up with shoulder injuries. Sometimes the condition still persist inspite of proper training.
Poor posture also plays a role in contributing to Swimmers shoulder. When there is tightness around the shoulder joint especially in the front muscles of the shoulder, it may cause the individual to slouch for extended periods of time, affecting the way in which the individual swims.
Symptoms
The symptoms of the condition for each individual depend on the severity. There is an early onset of discomfort around the shoulder joint whenever the individual swims.
The pain persists and causes a disruption in the training or swimming sessions such that you need to take breaks from swimming.
The pain is usually felt around the shoulder (usually the side and front aspects). The individual may also have shoulder stiffness and reduced muscle strength. The pain may also increase and be present throughout the day when performing your daily activities and at night while you sleep.
The Writer is a Senior Physiotherapist at the 37 Military Hospital.
(panierus@live.com)