Shoulders And Rowing.

[[old] Johnny]

Hi. I'm a newbie here considering buying a C2 rower. I'm looking for a new arobic activity to alternate with walking/jogging which my knees and hips don't handle well on a daily basis any more, and thinking rowing might be the answer.<br /><br />One of my concerns if it will bother my shoulder. Obviously nobody is an expert on my shoulder so you can't tell, but just in general I am wondering if rowers are prone to shoulder problems. I used to do quite a bit of swimming but was hampered by shoulder problems. A sports doctor said my rotator cuffs muscles were just weak. He gave me exercises which I did consistently for years without much improvement. Now my shoulder generally does not bother me in daily activities (except weightlifting), but occasionally does get painful for a few days. I have not seen much mention of shoulder problems here and am guessing (or hoping) that's not generally a problem.

[[old] erikajas]

Johnny,<br /><br />I'm a rower with shoulder problems myself, and I also happen to be an orthopaedic surgeon, though not a shoulder specialist. I have one shoulder that recurrently dislocates and the other has a rotator cuff tear. Rowing in general is shoulder intensive in that there is significant excursion of the shoulder front to back. However, there is essentially no rotational motion as there is in swimming which is extremely demanding on the shoulders. If I aggravate one or both of my shoulders doing some other activity, then rowing can be a bit painful for a week or so. But I have rarely aggravated my shoulders by rowing itself. In fact I notice a difference in that when I don't row regularly, I tend to aggravate my shoulder problems more easily. I would try a C2 at a gym if you can and see how it feels. My guess is that it won't be a problem.<br /><br />--Erika