Swimmer's shoulder is an inflammation of the tendons of the shoulder that is often caused by the repetitive overhead arm motion of the freestyle stroke. The result is pain and weakness in the shoulder. MedlinePlus recommends that rehabilitation includes exercises to strengthen the muscles of your rotator cuff, particularly the external rotators.
Lying External Rotation
The lying external rotation exercise isolates the external rotator muscles of your rotator cuff. Lie on your side with your affected side up, your upper arm resting on your side, elbow bent at 90 degrees, and your forearm draped across your stomach. Hold a light weight in your hand. Slowly rotate your shoulder so that your hand and weight move up towards the ceiling. Keep your upper arm tucked into your body and your elbow frozen at 90 degrees throughout the movement. Carefully return to the starting position. Complete 10 to 20 repetitions daily.
Weighted Shoulder Roll
The weighted shoulder roll works all of the muscles of your rotator cuff and improves range of motion in your injured joint. Stand with your arms at your side and hold a dumbbell in your affected hand. Roll your shoulder forward, up toward your ears, back, then down again. Move your shoulder through the greatest possible range of motion without causing pain. Alternate one front-to-back rotation with one in the opposite direction until you have completed five to ten in each direction.
Side Raises
Side raises strengthen your rotator cuff muscles in a dynamic fashion. Stand with your feet slightly apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Leading with your little fingers, slowly lift the weights out to your sides until they reach shoulder-level. Pause here, then carefully return to the starting position. This exercise can be performed with a resistance band. Complete 10 to 20 repetitions of the exercise.
Abduction with Retraction
This exercise is designed to encourage correct biomechanics of the shoulder joint. Stand or sit tall with your back straight. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as much as possible and bend your elbows to 90 degrees. Keeping your shoulder blades together, lift your bent arms straight out to the sides until they reach shoulder-height. Pause here and then lower your arms back to your sides. Complete 10 to 20 repetitions.
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