Swimmers rely heavily on their shoulders. In fact, every major swimming stroke requires significant shoulder mobility and strength. For this reason, any swimming injuries that involve the shoulder can be devastating for a swimmer’s career.
If you’ve been experiencing shoulder pain after swimming, you should get it treated quickly by your chiropractor. In this article, we’ll review the topic of shoulder pain due to swimming and demonstrate how your chiropractor can help you recover from this issue.
The Shoulder Explained
To start, let’s talk a bit about the shoulder itself. The shoulder joint is actually an amalgam of a few different joints. For instance, the ball-and-socket joint of the shoulder is made up of the union between the shoulder blade and the upper arm bone. Additionally, the union of the collarbone and the shoulder blade is considered another joint of the shoulder.
Surrounding and between the bones of the shoulder region, we find various structures that allow for support and movement. These include ligaments, tendons, muscles, and capsular structures, to name a few. When any one of these tissues is damaged, the swimmer can experience significant pain and dysfunction in the shoulder.
Common Swimming Shoulder Injuries
Swimmers suffer a variety of injuries to their shoulders. Below are some of the most common shoulder ailments these athletes experience.
Rotator Cuff Tears
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that all provide stability and mobility to the shoulder. These muscles are very small and one of them, the supraspinatus, is particularly susceptible to injury due to its position.
Rotator cuff tears are very painful, and some of them may require surgery. However, small tears can often be treated without operative intervention.
SLAP Tears
Within the shoulder, there is a structure known as the labrum. The labrum serves to deepen the socket of the shoulder, which allows for increased mobility of this joint.
Unfortunately, many athletes who perform overhead movements (such as volleyball players and swimmers) will tear this structure. A SLAP lesion refers to the particular part of the labrum and the direction in which it is torn. Specifically, SLAP stands for Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior. This means that the labrum on top of the shoulder was torn from front to back.
Much like rotator cuff injuries, very small issues with the labrum can be treated without surgery. But other, bigger tears, may require an operation.
Dislocations
Dissolacations, or partial dislocations, refer to issues in which the bones making up a joint are no longer in perfect union. Swimmers can often suffer dislocations due to the repetitive overhead motion required by their sport.
Sometimes, healthcare providers can “reduce”, or correct, dislocations simply by using their hands. However, some dislocations may be so severe and the tissues may be so damaged that the person will have to be put under anesthesia to correct the issue.
Chiropractic Care and Swimming Shoulder Injuries
Chiropractors treat tons of swimmers for a variety of different issues. For instance, some swimmers will have instability and pain in their spines, requiring frequent treatment to correct the issue. Others may suffer from hip pain due to the kicking motion required for their sport.
Of course, per the topic of this post, many swimmers will experience shoulder pain. Chiropractors can quickly and permanently fix many shoulder issues by addressing the underlying cause of the patient’s symptoms. By manipulating particular parts of the spine, your chiropractor can get you feeling better in no time at all.
Are you nervous about getting back in the water due to recurrent shoulder issues? Let our team take a look! All of us at Keystone Chiropractic, your go-to Plano chiropractors, are here to help. Book your appointment now!
