Swimmer’s shoulder is an umbrella term used to describe a variety of injuries commonly encountered by swimmers. Some of the common injuries included in this term are:
– Sub-Acromial Bursitis (SAB)
– Shoulder Impingement
– Shoulder Instability
– Shoulder Subluxation
As is common with swimming injuries, all of them are overuse injuries. In fact, it is quite uncommon to suffer a muscle strain, joint sprain or bone damage in swimming (which is why it is commonly viewed as one of the gentlest sports and great for maintaining strength in an aging body).
It is best to classify these as an umbrella term as each of the above-mentioned injuries shares many similarities in causation terms. That is to say, biomechanics and muscular inadequacies/imbalances play a huge role in each of these injuries.
Addressing these biomechanics and muscular dysfunctions is key to returning pain free ROM initially and then returning to work/sport thereafter.
Your Physiotherapist is perfectly equipped to assess, diagnose, treat, manage and rehabilitate your “swimmer’s shoulder” injury.
