SWIMMER'S SHOULDER
Now is the time to start preparing for an injury free season. By far the most common injury suffered in these good old aquatic days is "Swimmer's Shoulder." Get it and you'll dread it. Fortunately, it is preventable with a little knowledge and a wee bit of preparation.

UNITED, WE SHOULDER ON

The shoulder is a very mobile joint complex that needs a highly coordinated group of muscles to control and protect it. These muscles include those in the shoulder itself, the neck, upper arm, back, abdomen and pelvis.

Each part of this system is critical for maintaining stability and allowing proper painless function. Lack of a proper get-together when in the pool and you've got swimmer's shoulder.

OVERUSE EQUALS ABUSE
Another cause of swimmer's shoulder is simply overuse. In one practice, the swimmer's arm can go overhead more than 800 times per 1000 meters. With practices up to 5000 meters that's 4000 full overhead arm swings, the shoulder can easily be fall victim to an overuse injury.

SOLVING OVERUSE ABUSE
Proper build up is essential to avoid overuse problems. For the average summer swimmer, this means beginning practices at the start of the season and attending a minimum number of practices per week to achieve the strength and fitness needed to avoid excessive fatigue and muscle soreness. For a senior swimmer, this means a minimum of approximately 5 practices per week, depending on other activities. As the season progresses, attending more practices becomes vital to keep up with the rest of the swim team.

IMPROPER TECHNIQUE
Poor technique is also a common cause of swimmer's shoulder. It may involve lack of or excessive body roll in freestyle putting additional strain on the shoulder, turning the hand to enter the water thumb first causing impingement in the shoulder, or allowing the hand to enter the water across the midline causing more problems in the shoulder. Problems of posture, mobility, stabilization, and strength can be addressed.

IMPROVING...

POSTURE
Swimming with the chin and shoulders poking forward and the upper back rounded is a recipe for injury, and not just swimmer's shoulder. Posture correction is the start of good biomechanics for any one, he or she be athlete or not.

Mobility by specific stretches for areas like the mid to upper back, front of the chest and anterior shoulder. These stretches need to be done specifically and carefully to avoid over stretching.

Stabilization of the shoulder, essentially involves doing balance exercises for the lower extremities. The relative hypermobility of the shoulder complex must be controlled to prevent injury. A host of exercises utilizing weight-bearing through the arms can be used to achieve good control of the entire upper body.

Strength is essential for the rotator cuff muscles, as these are the prime muscles that stabilize the shoulder. Also of importance is the strength of the "core" Æ that is, the muscles of the back, abdomen and pelvis.