I've been swimming workouts with a masters group for several
years. I don't compete, instead I just do the workouts. We
swim in a yard pool where I will take about 12 - 14 pulls
for the length of the pool and I can swim 500 yards in about
6 minutes.
Two weeks ago we took a break while the recreation center
was closed for seasonal cleaning, etc. During this break I
did something that gave me a sharp pain in my neck. Moving
my right arm was very painful to my upper shoulder and neck.
After a couple of days the pain went away and everything
seemed back to normal, except I couldn't raise my right arm
above shoulder level. There was no pain involved, rather it
was like there was no muscle to lift it. I also noted that I
can't put dishes back in the cupboard with my right arm, or
when I try I don't have much control over my right arm above
a certain height and I end up banging stuff - like the
dishes weighed 20 pounds or something. I also cannot pull my
seatbelt on with my right arm anymore, I have to tuck my
left arm under the belt to push it across where my right
hand can then take it and buckle it in.
I went back swimming and I can still do 14 pulls per length.
I haven't timed myself but I do feel slow and my right arm
recovery is all messed up. I feel like I have to shrug my
shoulder to try and propel it forward and my biceps and
triceps are trying to help get my arm forward. I'm also
wiggling sideways a bit to help. It's like my body knows
that the arm isn't moving forward so every muscle is going
to pitch in to help. The result is that a 200 yard swim made
my right chest, back and arm feel like I'd just finished a
fast paced 5000 yard workout while my left side wasn't even
warmed up yet.
I first thought that it might be a pinched nerve, but when I
saw a sports docter about this he had me do a simple
resistance test - hold my arms at my sides bent at the
elbow. Then resist as he pushed them down, up, out and in. I
was able to resist as he pushed down, up and out, but when
he pushed in my right arm was completely ineffective - no
pain here, just no muscle to resist. He suggested that this
probably means that the problem is not a pinched nerve but
it could be a rotater cuff problem.
The problem with this, he told me, was that there is
currently no pain lifting the arm (which he explained would
suggest a strain or partial tear) and there was no 'pop' or
sharp pain in my shoulder and he couldn't feel anything that
suggested a complete tear. He said there is another
possiblity that there could be another nerve under the
rotater cuff that could be pinched causing the numbness just
at that location and not effect the rest of my arm.
Has anyone else experienced similar problems where you can't
move your arm correctly, but it doesn't cause pain you just
can't do it?
What did you do for such a problem? Will swimming make it
worse?
Thanks for any thoughts! -Mark