The shoulder is one of the most movable joints in the human body and has a dynamic range of motion. It is also the most potentially unstable joint in the body due to this ability to move in almost any direction. The repetitive overhead motions of swimming can make you susceptible to a whole host of injuries related to instability or impingement problems.
Anatomy
The shoulder joint is composed of three bones -- the clavicle or collarbone, the upper arm bone or humerus and the scapula commonly referred to as the shoulder blade. All of these bones are held together by muscles, tendons and ligaments. Tendons attach muscles to bone and ligaments attach bones to other bones. The rotator cuff muscles hold the ball of the humerus in the socket of the scapula. The subacromial bursa cushions and protects the rotator cuff from the bony arch of the acromion.
Types and Causes
The sharp pain in your shoulder when swimming can be the result of several different shoulder issues such as a dislocation; the removal of the humerus bone from its normal position that occurs as a result of weakened tendons and ligaments. Rotator cuff diseases such as tendinitis or bursitis can a cause inflammation of the tendons or bursa of the shoulder and are caused by overuse of the joint during activities such as swimming.
Treatment
If you encounter a shoulder injury while you are swimming you should follow the RICE protocol or rest, ice, compression and elevation to the shoulder. Do not perform any activities that aggravate the injury for at least 48 hours. Follow an icing schedule of 20 minutes with ice on the shoulder and 20 minutes without ice on the shoulder for the first 24 to 48 hours. Compress the shoulder with elasticized bandage to help stabilize the shoulder. Elevate the shoulder above heart level when resting.
Prevention
To prevent shoulder pain during swimming, there are a couple guidelines that you should follow. Do not increase your swimming workload by more than 10 percent on a weekly basis. It is important that you include exercises in your workout schedule that strengthen the stabilizer muscles of the shoulder including the inner and outer muscles of the rotator cuff, as well as the abductor muscles of the shoulder.
Posted in: Exercise and Fitness