SATURDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) -- Swimming may be easy on
the joints, but it can be tough on the shoulders.
The most common injury among those who practice the sport is
called swimmer's shoulder, which affects up to 70 percent of
competitive swimmers, said Dr. Scott A. Rodeo, co-chief of the
Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service at Hospital for Special
Surgery in New York City, who recently spoke at a hospital
conference on endurance athletes.
Typically, swimmer's shoulder is caused by an overuse injury,
said Rodeo, who is also chairman of the USA Swimming Sports
Medicine Committee. "If you think about a competitive swimmer's
number of stroke revolutions per day, per week, per month, per
year, it's phenomenal. We're talking about half a million stroke
revolutions per year."
Shoulder pain from swimming is most often triggered by tired
muscles, deterioration of the rotator cuff tendon (tendonosis),
pressure on the rotator cuff as the arm is raised, or looseness in
the shoulder muscles and ligaments.
"Changes in the way the muscles work due to overload or fatigue can alter shoulder mechanics and cause problems," said Rodeo in a hospital news release.
When the shoulder isn't working properly, pain may result. To
minimize the risk of shoulder injury from swimming, experts
recommend the following:
- Avoid swimming when very tired, sick, cold or overheated.
- Warm up.
- Focus on proper swimming techniques.
- Supplement swimming with weight training and a general exercise
routine to build muscle strength, endurance, balance and
flexibility.
Swimmers who develop shoulder pain should address the problem
early on to prevent more serious harm, noted Rodeo. Take a break
from swimming so the shoulder can rest and avoid strokes and
exercises that exacerbate the pain, he advised.
Also, use ice and anti-inflammatory medication as needed, and as
pain improves, return to the pool or ocean gradually, he said.
If shoulder pain persists despite rest, consult a doctor, Rodeo
said. He also advised those with swimmer's shoulder to seek the
help of an experienced physical therapist.
More information
The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information
on
swimmer's shoulder.