SHOULDER INJURIES AND SWIMMING

As a regular swimmer you are no doubt aware that front crawl is the fastest stroke. However you should also note it is frequently associated with shoulder injuries. This article will explain why and how you can reduce the risk of sustaining a shoulder injury. The repeated overhead action of front crawl coupled with rotation of your arm means there is a high risk of impinging the supraspinatus tendon that is situated between your upper arm and shoulder blade. When the arm is lifted overhead the shoulder blade rotates upwards and the small rotator cuff muscles that surround the shoulder ensure the arm does not elevate excessively. These two processes mean the supraspinatus tendon does not impinge against the shoulder blade and cause an injury. However when swimming front crawl the risk of this injury occurring are higher because: 1) The large chest and back muscles used to propel you forward in the water also elevate your upper arm. These muscles are much stronger than the rotator cuff muscles and might dominate them resulting in excessive elevation of the upper arm. 2) The rotator cuff muscles fatigue quicker and therefore are unable to hold the arm in the correct position. To avoid this you need to do specific exercises for your rotator cuff muscles and ensure your shoulder blade is in the correct position. The most important muscle that rotates the shoulder upwards is the lower trapezius. A good exercise for this is to lay on your side holding a very light

weight at arms length, level with your eyes. Lift the arm up to the ceiling so the weight is over your head and then lower. Perform at least 20 reps. The main rotator cuff muscle that should be exercised is the subscapularis. A good exercise for this is to use tubing. Hold the tubing at one end and tie the other end to a door handle. Standing with your elbow bent at 90 degrees and your upper arm by your side, rotate your forearm in towards your stomach whilst keeping the upper arm still. You should ensure that neither your shoulder blade nor the upper arm move forward. These specific exercises should then be progressed so they are incorporated with the big muscles you use when swimming. An example would include performing standing chest press on a cable machine with the cable above head height. This will automatically recruit the subscapularis which will pull the upper arm posteriorly and inferiorly away from the shoulder blade. A second example is a standing row with the cable above your head. This will again automatically recruit subscapularis which will pull the shoulder blade into a position of pure retraction and indirectly activates the lower trapezius to ensure the correct position is attained.