Swimming is a low-impact but high-intensity sport that uses practically every muscle group in the body. While swimming has numerous health benefits, it also comes with its fair share of common injuries.

One of these injuries is swimmer’s shoulder, which is caused by repetitive overhead motions of the shoulder. This article will discuss the causes and treatment of swimmer’s shoulder injuries.

What is swimmer’s shoulder?

Swimmer’s shoulder refers to a set of shoulder injuries that result from the repetitive motions of front crawl swimming strokes. It is a condition that is most common in competitive swimmers, triathletes, and long-distance swimmers.

The injury arises from the repeated strains on the tendons, muscles, and ligaments within the shoulder complex, leading to inflammation, pain, and occasional infections around the shoulder joint.

Causes

Swimmer’s shoulder results from an overuse of the serratus anterior muscle that helps to facilitate scapular movement.

Repetitive overhead movements in swimming strokes result in repetitive microtrauma to the shoulder joint and rotator cuffs, which can lead to inflammation and pain. The major causes of swimmer’s shoulder include:.

1. Poor swimming technique

The most common cause of swimmer’s shoulder is faulty technique. This is when there is an inadequate movement in the shoulder blade which compromises the shoulder joint.

It can happen from the head being lifted too high or the presence of a strong lateral movement of the head. This leads to unnecessary stress on the rotator cuff muscles and the biceps tendon.

2. Overuse

Overuse is the most common cause of swimmer’s shoulder. When the shoulder is overused through repetitive motions, it can lead to damage and inflammation of the tendons and muscles in the shoulder joint.

The overuse of the shoulders can be due to overtraining or an increase in the intensity or amount of swimming done over a short period.

3. Muscle imbalance

Swimming requires proper balance and coordination of muscles surrounding the shoulder joint. If one muscle group is stronger than the other, muscle imbalances and poor coordination can arise, leading to swimmer’s shoulder.

For instance, a weak rotator cuff muscle can lead to excessive shoulder movement, and the swimmer is forced to compensate by overusing other shoulder muscles.

4. Incorrect equipment

Incorrect equipment like paddles, hand-paddles, or resistance bands with different tensions can lead to swimmer’s shoulder. Paddles put extra pressure and strain on your shoulders as they increase the resistance against the water.

Symptoms of swimmer’s shoulder

The signs and symptoms of swimmer’s shoulder can vary depending on the extent of the injury. Some common persistent symptoms of swimmer’s shoulder include:.

1. Pain

The shoulder is a painful place when you have a swimmer’s shoulder. The pain may be sharp or dull and may occur precisely at the back of the shoulder or the top of the arm.

2. Limited range of motion

If you feel stiffness, loss of motion, or limited mobility of your shoulder, you may have swimmer’s shoulder. When you lift your arm, it becomes difficult to complete the full overhead movement as your shoulder joint becomes stiff.

3. Shoulder weakness

Shoulder weakness can cause you to have difficulty in performing overhead movements in your swimming strokes. This can reduce the effectiveness of your swim workout, which can impact your overall performance or cause you to stop swimming altogether.

4. Popping or clicking noises

If you hear a popping or clicking noise every time you move your shoulder, it may be due to swimmer’s shoulder. This can be caused by movement and friction from the underside of your shoulder blade.

Treatment

Treatment for swimmer’s shoulder typically involves taking measures to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and rest. Below are treatment options for swimmer’s shoulder:.

1. Rest and modify

Reducing or avoiding the activities that are painful for a few days up to two weeks can help with the painful symptoms associated with swimmer’s shoulder.

This may include modifying swim techniques and taking time off your swimming routine or training to rest the inflamed muscles and joints adequately.

2. Physical therapy

Physical therapy helps to treat swimmer’s shoulder by using exercises targeting the rotator cuff muscles to help strengthen the muscle and reestablish the balance between the muscle groups surrounding the shoulder joint.

Your physiotherapist will design a personalized exercise program that is specially tailored to your needs and goals. This way, you can get back to swimming as soon as possible.

3. Anti-inflammatory medication and ice

To reduce inflammation and manage pain from swimmer’s shoulder, your doctor may prescribe an anti-inflammatory medication to reduce the swelling and pain. Ice or cold therapy using an ice pack can also help reduce swelling and pain.

Use these in short bursts of 15-20 minutes, several times a day, and never leave an ice pack on for longer than 40 minutes.

4. Surgery

Surgery may be the final resort in severe cases of swimmer’s shoulder where non-surgical methods like physical therapy and rest have failed to manage pain effectively.

Arthroscopy may be carried out as an outpatient procedure to cut, release, and remove the damaged tissue in the shoulder joint, enabling the use of surgical tools to exercise the shoulder joint fully.

Preventing swimmer’s shoulder

Preventing swimmer’s shoulder is much better than treating it. Here are some preventative measures:.

1. Proper technique and posture

Proper swimming technique with good body posture minimizes shoulder injuries from swimming. This means keeping your head steady and swimming in proper intervals.

Keeping your hands and forearms vertical and stroking appropriately will reduce your chances of developing swimmer’s shoulder.

2. Gradual progression to high training intensity

A gradual increase in the intensity and amount of your swimming can help you avoid swimmer’s shoulder. Do not increase your training intensity above what your body can handle, as it can put unnecessary pressure on your shoulders and cause injury.

3. Balanced muscle development

Developing balanced muscle groups in your shoulder and upper back is essential in preventing swimmer’s shoulder from developing. Strengthening your rotator cuff muscles and the serratus anterior muscle is vital for keeping your shoulders healthy.

Including a selective strength training regimen can help balance muscle development and prevent swimmer’s shoulder.

Conclusion

Swimmer’s shoulder is a common injury that results from repetitive strokes in swimming. The injury can cause pain, weakness, reduced mobility, and even inflammation and infection around the shoulder joint.

The good news is that swimmer’s shoulder is preventable and treatable. Proper swimming techniques, rested and healed muscles, and appropriate training intensity and gradual progression can help prevent swimmer’s shoulder from developing.

When treated, most people can get back to swimming and enjoy all the health benefits swimming has to offer.