Swimmer's Shoulder

Swimmers have their own spectrum of injuries they are susceptible to due to the nature of their sport. The shoulder is the most commonly injured area, due to the various types of strokes, and also the high repetitions of strokes.

Swimmer’s shoulder is an umbrella term that encapsulates a wide range of shoulder injuries a swimmer sustains. This includes, but is not limited to

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• Rotator cuff tendinopathies

• Biceps tendinopathies

• Labral injuries

• Nerve entrapments

• Glenohumeral joint Instability

• Functional instability / weakness

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To make this more complex, as swimming is a “whole body” activity (like running for example) and there is often compensatory pain and injury that occurs if the injuries above remain untreated for a specific length of time. Eg lower back pain.

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At 20/20 Sports Physiotherapy, a sports physiotherapist will be able to

• Diagnose and assess your injury

• Advise the best management for the injury – strengthening, load management, warm-up habits,

• Liaise with your coach regarding the best modifications to help you remain in the pool whilst you are recovering

 

If you are not injured, you may be interested in a swim screen, which is a sports specific screening for injury prevention. This targets your deficits as a swimmer (eg shoulder range of motion, core/hip strength) and a tailored program is given to you to improve your performance and reduce your injury risk.

 

If you are concerned about your shoulder pain that is interfering with your swimming, please contact us for an appointment.