What is swimmer\u2019s shoulder?<\/strong><\/h2>\nSwimming, while relatively low impact, puts your shoulder joint through a huge range of repetitive motion, which can lead to a\u00a0cumulation of stress and sometimes results in pain and dysfunction. As a result, it\u2019s very difficult to pin the cause of shoulder pain down to one specific part, and it\u2019s instead important to take a global approach to the shoulder and torso.<\/p>\n
Swimmer\u2019s shoulder symptoms<\/strong><\/h2>\nSymptoms of swimmer\u2019s shoulder can include:<\/p>\n
- Pain in and around your shoulder<\/li>\n
- Noticeable weakness or fatigue in your arm and shoulder<\/li>\n
- Impacted range of motion<\/li>\n
- Swelling in the shoulder<\/li>\n<\/ul>
The anatomy of the shoulder joint<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe shoulder is a complex joint with a\u00a0fantastic range of motion, as lots of structures work closely to each other, overlapping in their roles\u00a0and responsibilities.\u00a0However this is at the cost of stability, and is the reason shoulder injuries are fairly common, even though it\u2019s not a weight-bearing joint.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> The anatomy of a shoulder joint<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n\n
The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, which \u2013 unlike the hip joint<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 has a very shallow socket. A good way of imagining what it looks like is by thinking of a golf ball on a tee.<\/p>\nThe bony part of your shoulder that you can feel sticking out at the end is called your acromion and this is where your collar bone meets your shoulder blade. When you lift up your arm above your head there is potential for the top of your humorous (upper arm) to knock and cause irritation against the under surface of your acromion.<\/p>\n
There are a number of tissues that could be inflamed and causing pain. One is the bursa which is a flat sack that acts as to encourage smooth gliding of two tissues against each other. The bursa is likely to become inflamed if the shoulder is fallen on.<\/p>\n - Nine tips for dodging injury and illness as a triathlete<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- How can I strengthen my shoulders for swimming front crawl?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Shoulder bursitis: What it is and how to treat and prevent it<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Another common one is the supraspinatus tendon. This is a small muscle that runs along the top of your shoulder blade and the tendon passes under the acromion and attaches onto the top of the humerous.<\/p>\n
There is a part of the tendon called the critical zone where the blood supply is poor and this increases the chances of it becoming irritated due to its inability to heal itself quickly.<\/p>\n
A healthy shoulder should not have any problems going through a full range of motion without any issues. It\u2019s when poor posture (such as excessive kyphosis in thoracic spine), lack of thoracic mobility, or even poor diet contribute to the mix that things can start to get irritated and under-repaired.<\/p>\n
How do I test to see if I have swimmer\u2019s shoulder, aka subacromial impingement?<\/strong><\/h2>\nA simple and fairly accurate way to know if your shoulder pain is due to swimmer\u2019s shoulder (subacromial impingement) is the painful arc test. To perform this test simply stand and raise your arm out to the side all the way above your head.<\/p>\n
Symptoms of swimmer\u2019s shoulder can include:<\/p>\n
- Pain in and around your shoulder<\/li>\n
- Noticeable weakness or fatigue in your arm and shoulder<\/li>\n
- Impacted range of motion<\/li>\n
- Swelling in the shoulder<\/li>\n<\/ul>
The anatomy of the shoulder joint<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The shoulder is a complex joint with a\u00a0fantastic range of motion, as lots of structures work closely to each other, overlapping in their roles\u00a0and responsibilities.\u00a0However this is at the cost of stability, and is the reason shoulder injuries are fairly common, even though it\u2019s not a weight-bearing joint.<\/p>\n
![\"""\"]( "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>The anatomy of a shoulder joint<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n \n
The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint, which \u2013 unlike the hip joint<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 has a very shallow socket. A good way of imagining what it looks like is by thinking of a golf ball on a tee.<\/p>\n
The bony part of your shoulder that you can feel sticking out at the end is called your acromion and this is where your collar bone meets your shoulder blade. When you lift up your arm above your head there is potential for the top of your humorous (upper arm) to knock and cause irritation against the under surface of your acromion.<\/p>\n
There are a number of tissues that could be inflamed and causing pain. One is the bursa which is a flat sack that acts as to encourage smooth gliding of two tissues against each other. The bursa is likely to become inflamed if the shoulder is fallen on.<\/p>\n
- Nine tips for dodging injury and illness as a triathlete<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- How can I strengthen my shoulders for swimming front crawl?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Shoulder bursitis: What it is and how to treat and prevent it<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Another common one is the supraspinatus tendon. This is a small muscle that runs along the top of your shoulder blade and the tendon passes under the acromion and attaches onto the top of the humerous.<\/p>\n
There is a part of the tendon called the critical zone where the blood supply is poor and this increases the chances of it becoming irritated due to its inability to heal itself quickly.<\/p>\n
A healthy shoulder should not have any problems going through a full range of motion without any issues. It\u2019s when poor posture (such as excessive kyphosis in thoracic spine), lack of thoracic mobility, or even poor diet contribute to the mix that things can start to get irritated and under-repaired.<\/p>\n
How do I test to see if I have swimmer\u2019s shoulder, aka subacromial impingement?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A simple and fairly accurate way to know if your shoulder pain is due to swimmer\u2019s shoulder (subacromial impingement) is the painful arc test. To perform this test simply stand and raise your arm out to the side all the way above your head.<\/p>\n
- How can I strengthen my shoulders for swimming front crawl?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Nine tips for dodging injury and illness as a triathlete<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
![\"""\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2019\/02\/anatomy-of-shoulder-joint-6b5f098.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"\"\\"\/")
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