Shoulder problem - clavicle

[BradMM]

My shoulder problem is not bad but it's persistent and it's not a rotator cuff problem as far as I can tell. It feels more like the vicinity of my collar bone. Is there a repetitive motion problem in that area that comes from swimming that you've heard of or experienced? I've started keeping my arms barely above the water and close to my ear as I pierce during my workout.

Brad

[splashingpat]

Originally Posted by BradMM

My shoulder problem is not bad but it's persistent and it's not a rotator cuff problem as far as I can tell. It feels more like the vicinity of my collar bone. Is there a repetitive motion problem in that area that comes from swimming that you've heard of or experienced? I've started keeping my arms barely above the water and close to my ear as I pierce during my workout.

Brad

Neutral Position
no Internal
or External

that's what I think of while swimming?
any other thoughts


not close to your ear
but nice and wide
where your shoulder should be at shoulder wide!

anyone else
have a better way of stating this...
or with more details.....

my swimming coach
just said he didn't know
why my shoulder was hurting

[BradMM]

When I said "next to my ear," what I really meant was not out in front of... more "in line" with. I'm not doing "high elbows" but trying to keep my arm inline with my body to reduce the shoulder strain but I can't avoid the repetitive motion. I do some lengths with no arms at all - either looking downward with a snorkel or upward on my back - and I may do more of that until I get this figured out better.

My thumbs are always point straight up before and during piercing but rotate 90 degrees to catch the water.

Brad

[atreides]

Originally Posted by BradMM

I've started keeping my arms barely above the water and close to my ear as I pierce during my workout.
Brad

I thinks that's the problem. You might want to review the recent thread on shoulder impingement. I think your problem is in the A/C joint. In the shoulder impingement thread, someone even provided an illustration. I have the same problem and I believe it come from two things:

1. I injured it originally by swimming too much with my arms and not enough with core rotation. When I first started and in order to have enough time to breathe, I used rip right arm stroke in order to provide sufficeint momentum. My balance wasn't very good so I need the extra speed to get a good breath.
Now I provide the power with core rotation. This has greatly reduced the stress on my shoulder

2. I was spearing too far toward my head. I wasn't crossing over but with long arms I should have spear more toward 1:00 to provide in my case very wide tracks. The more consistently I do this, the better my shoulder gets.

So I think you can fix this by making your pulling angle more oblique (wider) and not pulling so much but rotating so that you get TL's "feathery" pull sensation.

[splashingpat]

Originally Posted by BradMM

When I said "next to my ear," what

I really meant was not out in front of... more "in line" with.
I'm not doing "high elbows" but trying to keep my arm inline with my body to reduce the shoulder strain but I can't avoid the repetitive motion.

I do some lengths with no arms at all - either looking downward with a snorkel or upward on my back - and I may do more of that until I get this figured out better.

My thumbs are always point straight up before and during piercing

Brad

but rotate 90 degrees to catch the water.
I rotate my body only!

I think you do Not have to change anything about the way your thumbs are point or change them during the entire swim!

good luck and
hope you find or discover
the change you in search of

splash'n'pat

[BradMM]

I don't pull hard with my arms. I read on the old forum about "anchoring" and I try to do that as much as possible.

I contributed quite a bit to the "shoulder impingement" thread but so I have read it perhaps I'll go over it again.

I do rotate but I can't envision rotating to the point of my arm movement being parallel to the surface of the water which is where I'd have to be to keep my thumb pointing toward the ceiling and maximizing the "catch" of my hand and arm. I can't see the benefit of having the heel of my palm being the leading edge so I rotate it to where I get as much surface area as possible catching the water.

Thanks,

Brad

[splashingpat]

Originally Posted by BradMM

I don't pull hard with my arms. I read on the old forum about "anchoring" and I try to do that as much as possible.

I contributed quite a bit to the "shoulder impingement" thread
but
so I have read it perhaps I'll go over it again.

I do rotate but I can't envision rotating to the point of my arm movement being parallel to the surface of the water which is where I'd have to be to keep my thumb pointing toward the ceiling and maximizing the "catch" of my hand and arm.

I can't see the benefit of having the heel of my palm being the leading edge so I rotate it to where I get as much surface area as possible catching the water.

Thanks,

Brad

and I want to avoid shoulder impingement too!
and I hope you leant
( or "see" )what you needed!