"Jim Haselmaier" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:W8%db.634764$o%2.291947@sccrnsc02...
Quoted message said:I started swimming a couple of months ago as an alternative to running.
My
Quoted message said:previous sports (running and biking) required no upper-body work, so my
arms
Quoted message said:and shoulders are pretty scrawny. I've been swimming 4-5 times / wk. I started out doing about 600
yds/session and have recently gotten up to
about
Quoted message said:1,200/session. When I started I breathed right-side only, but have been breathing bilaterally for
the last 4-6 weeks.
I've developed pain in the front of my left shoulder. The point in the stroke where I probably
feel it the most is as my arm is exiting the
water.
Quoted message said:It tends to be sore throughout the day on swim days, although is less on days I don't swim.
Is it possible to determine in a forum like this is from over-use or bad technique? I have a
friend that is going to look at my stroke. But I suspect I increased distance too quickly so I
need to let things rest, and then get back into it at a more moderate ramp.
Any comments?
Jim
Overuse, stroke technique, lack of conditioning, possibly a bit of tendonitis. Your muscles getting
tight, and squeezing the tendon that attaches the top of the bicep. The pain is most likely your
upper bicep attachment getting irritated and inflamed. Considering that you mentioned that
previously you haven't done a lot of upper body work, in addition to the irritation, you may be
straining that tendon. As your arm is in a position down next to your body, and swinging upwards, is
when there is the most tension in that part.
Breathing on both sides helps your shoulders, because it works your sides more evenly. Also, do a
lot of stretching, so that the muscles aren't close to spasms, and pushing on that tendon even more.
Check your stoke technique, make sure you're not twisting your shoulder and arm in an unnatural
position, and adding stress to that area, that is very tight to begin with (anatomically). Your
tendons in your upper body could also be little weaker than your muscles, and tendons take longer
time to heal and strengthen, so give your shoulders plenty of rest.
Find an anatomical chart online, and study up how the bicep attaches at the upper end, you'll see
the tendon snaking under couple of other muscles. When you throw your arm too far back, you pinch
the tendon between the bone and the muscle that is on top of it (I think it's the pec attachment
that is above it). Do that few hundred times every other day, it's gonna get irritated and hurt,
even more so if the tendon is being strained by the new exercise.
Watch the way your arm enters the water, are you placing your hand thumbs first? Don't do that. Hand
should go in middle finger first. Thumbs first adds to the 'unnatural' position strain in your
shoulder. If you never swam before, exercise related aches and pains in the upper body do feel
different than the muscle pain from lifting weights. Lot of smaller muscles at work, and a lot of
tendon action. They need extra time to build up strength.
