A Simple Guide to Swimmer’s Shoulder

Updated November 2021

With swim season lasting year-round, it’s easy to find yourself with an injury if not maintaining the proper form. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, shoulder injuries make up 40-90 percent of all swimming-related injuries.  

Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need to miss out on competition or your love of swimming for longer than you’d hoped. Swimmer’s shoulder is not inevitable, though. It can be avoided with the right behaviors added to your routine. Combat swimmer’s shoulder and enjoy your season with these tips.

What is swimmer’s shoulder?

Swimmer’s shoulder is used to describe inflammation that can occur in any muscle group associated with the rotator cuff due to overuse or misuse. 

It most commonly affects the gap between the bone that sits on top of your shoulder (the acromion) and the muscle connecting your upper arm to your torso. Swelling in this area narrows that gap, pinching the tendon between the muscle and the acromion, which causes discomfort and pain.

Swimmer’s shoulder is a repetitive stress injury. During a swimmer’s workout, each arm is put through thousands of strokes. Stress injuries due to overuse, misuse, or poor technique mean the shoulder is being put through the same discomfort repeatedly. Gradually this kind of misuse leads to swelling of the muscles and the following symptoms:

• Pain radiating from the front of the shoulder to the side of the arm
• Sudden pain when lifting or reaching
• Minor pain present, even at rest

Many individuals who are affected by shoulder inflammation also note pain when lying down in bed.

Preventing Swimmer’s Shoulder

Repetitive stress injuries are typically caused by a lapse in technique, though a sudden increase in your training regimen could also be at fault. Listen to your body and let it rest when it gets tired. 

It is also important to analyze your swimming. Record your workout, or have someone else watch you to look for the following:

Is your chest rotating enough?

Your arm isn’t built to rotate with your chest flat to the water. Rotating out will allow the correct muscle groups to function correctly.

Is your hand going into the water properly?

Make sure your hand is facing the water and that your finger tips enter the water first. Over-rotating the arm so that your thumb goes in the water first places additional strain on the rotator cuff.

Is your arm bent during the pull-through? 

Keeping your elbow at a good angle under the water engages more powerful muscle groups that support the arm better and keep extra strain off the shoulder.

Be sure to include proper warm-ups and cool-downs in your workout. Failing to stretch before and after a workout is a leading factor in athletic injuries. Taking good care of your body is the best way to keep it happy and healthy.

Taking Care of Swimmer’s Shoulder

If you catch the inflammation early, ice, ibuprofen, and rest may be all you need to calm it down. If this isn’t enough, make an appointment with your doctor to have your shoulder evaluated. 

Your doctor may recommend physical therapy, and in some cases, surgery. A physical therapist will treat the inflammation and offer exercises to rebuild shoulder support and help prevent future relapse. Waiting too long to address the swimmer’s shoulder can result in structural damage to the shoulder, requiring surgery to correct. 

Listen to your body. It’s always better to prevent an injury than to have to treat it.