Hi guys, I’ve been swimming for a year now, but this week I started feeling discomfort and pain in my left shoulder while doing freestyle, especially. If I had to rate the pain on a scale from 1 to 10, I’d say it’s about a 4 while swimming and a 2 in the hours after. The next day I usually feel much better. It’s not just freestyle though; I also feel pain when swimming backstroke and breaststroke, but on a scale from 1 to 10, it’s only a 2 too.
I have an appointment with the doctor this Thursday, but I’m feeling anxious and can’t calm down because I have something important related to swimming coming up in April.
Uh oh that sounds like a common technique mistake in freestyle which can lead to shoulder pain and potentially serious injury if you keep doing it. When you swim freestyle, try a catch-up drill. You need to set your catch-up further from your head and rotate more onto your side during your pull.
Maybe just a couple of days, nothing too long. Just make sure you don’t stay completely inactive. Stretch and do something aerobic. If after a few days in the water with a fixed catch it still isn’t better, you can try using a paddle with just the top strap, doing catch-up while holding a kickboard, and if that still doesn’t help, a doctor visit could be needed.
@Flint
Thanks man, that helps ease my worries. I’ll rest and only swim with kicks until my shoulder feels better, then I’ll focus on it again. I appreciate it and sorry for my bad English.
Anik said: @Flint
Thanks man, that helps ease my worries. I’ll rest and only swim with kicks until my shoulder feels better, then I’ll focus on it again. I appreciate it and sorry for my bad English.
Another thing to consider is that when you breathe, you may be letting the arm that stays in the water drop down. That arm should stay on the surface, or else it might cause shoulder issues.
@Anik
Yeah, swimming uses all your muscles in a stressful way, so focusing on your technique while swimming is really important. You can’t just zone out while swimming.
Flint said: @Anik
Yeah, swimming uses all your muscles in a stressful way, so focusing on your technique while swimming is really important. You can’t just zone out while swimming.
Do you have a video that shows this? Your explanation is helpful, but I’m having a hard time visualizing it.
This sounds like swimmer’s shoulder. It’s basically some inflammation that keeps getting worse. It gets inflamed and rubs more when you use it, and that just makes it more inflamed. I experience this when I spend too much time swimming or in the gym.
A low-inflammation diet, a little aspirin, and some rest works for me (just sharing my experience, not advising). It could also be that your catch is a bit off. You might be pulling too deep or having your shoulder in a weird position if you use a high-elbow catch.
Anik said: @Lorin
Should I take a two-week break and then really focus on my technique with a trainer? It doesn’t seem too injured, so maybe two weeks is enough.
I’m not a doctor, and don’t pretend to be one here. It’s best to ask your doctor for their thoughts and listen to them.
What I do is ensure I have enough time off, maybe cut back on my dry land training, take some over-the-counter anti-inflammatories, watch my diet to see if it’s causing inflammation, and check my stroke to avoid more shoulder pain. There are different ways to work on a high elbow catch. Here’s a good video on shoulder position in a high elbow catch.
Anik said: @Lorin
Should I take a two-week break and then really focus on my technique with a trainer? It doesn’t seem too injured, so maybe two weeks is enough.
Two weeks should be plenty of time to get rid of the immediate soreness. Any flaws in your technique should be fixed to stop this from happening again or getting worse.
Post a video of yourself swimming underwater facing the camera. It’s likely that your pull is outside your body line or crossing over. Rest and rehab alone won’t solve the issue. Fixing your technique will help keep you swimming and hopefully injury-free.
@Oaklan
Yes, I know, but if I rest until my shoulder is okay and then work on my technique problem, I’ll be fine, right? I don’t want to risk getting more injured right now.
It’s a bit tricky to explain, but when you do a freestyle arm stroke, you can power your pull with your shoulder strength or keep your shoulder steady and use your core to rotate and pull. Using your core will help take stress off your shoulder.
You could also try not pulling as hard on the injured side, using a more open hand or a shallower stroke to reduce stress.