Shoulder Pain

[metalbassman]

I started rowing spring my sophomore year of high school and and now about to start my sophomore year of college. During the fall of my freshman year of college I was rowing port and was having a nagging shoulder pain in my outboard arm. It started bothering me on an erg as well and developed to the point where it hurt too bad for port so I switched to starboard, which helped somewhat because the majority of the leverage was taken off of that shoulder. I rehabbed through some late season back/rib injuries over the summer and am now returning to training for the upcoming fall season and have found that the shoulder pain is returning. We only sweep during racing season so I am taking advantage of the summer to scull in a single to work out imbalances and do physical therapy for my back.

The pain is a very sharp sensation that right now is bothering me most while erging. It is very concentrated in my left shoulder in the lower posterior Deltoid area. It is a hot sharp pain in that region as soon as I start my drive. It almost feels like the ball of my humerus is being jerked out of the socket and there is nothing holding my shoulder joint together. After a few minutes of of it hurting only in the back of my shoulder I start to feel pain all around the joint where my arm attaches to my body.

My coach told me it was because that shoulder was not relaxed down and I was not engaging that lat properly and that is why the switch to starboard helped because I started dropping my inboard more. It still bothers me on the erg and there are some positions/engagement of my lats and shoulder blade that take tension off my shoulder which help but that is only when I row with a consciously tight upper shoulder which is not good.

I was wondering if anyone has experienced the same thing or has any ideas as far as stretching or strengthening exercises go.

[NavigationHazard]

As someone currently rehabbing a reconstructed shoulder, allow me to suggest that you should get yourself looked at by a sports orthopedist. I mean no disrespect to your coach, but s/he does not have x-ray vision. You should have a professional evaluation to make sure you haven't torn your labrum, damaged a tendon, given yourself bursitis, or otherwise done something more serious than irritate a muscle by hunching your shoulder. Pain is your body's signal to your brain that something is wrong. Do yourself a favor and make sure it's nothing serious, or that you're not turning something minor into something serious by continuing to row. If you're in the US it's off-season right now so you should have the time for the checkup....

[lindsayh]

100% agree Jon - must see an "orthopod" now.

[mbucherl]

I'm going in for surgery on 1/28 for a SLAP tear (superior labral tear) of my shoulder. Maybe 12 million erg meters in 15 years contributed. The surgery http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00627 involves cutting the bicep tendon from the top of the shoulder and inserting it into the bone in a channel created near the top.

Any rowers here experience and get back to rowing ok? Thanks!

[markinnb]

OP is gone.
sounds like a tough injury. I don't have any info on surgery other than the stuff Ive read about baseball pitchers having this surgery. best of luck

[ecduffy]

I have been experiencing pain in right shoulder. Right Lower neck to shoulder blade through shoulder. Began when trying to introduce two exercises, maybe to fast. I row 13000 mpd. (jump rope and hand weights)
Not impairing rowing, but pain becoming an issue. Can feel when I row, but rowing through.

After laying off the two introduced exercises and continuing to row, the pain subsided. Recently I lowered my foot setting on the rower and pain has come back. Have appointment scheduled with Dr. for next week. I am treating with Aleve now. Not the greatest relief if any. Have found relief when holding a water bottle waist high, pointed up at 45 degree angle and squeezing with thumb and index finger.

Any similar issues?

[ecduffy]

Had a Dr look at my issue. He advised a strained/pulled Trapeze Muscle on right arm side. Should subside, and 4 days later, after continuing to row, it has. Used a golf ball to deep muscle massage, and that helped. I am going to discontinue the 2000 meter challenges for the foreseeable future, and just row my daily hour of 13000 meters. Also started to take magnesium vitamin.

[ElinViking]

Had a Dr look at my issue. He advised a strained/pulled Trapeze Muscle on right arm side. Should subside, and 4 days later, after continuing to row, it has. Used a golf ball to deep muscle massage, and that helped. I am going to discontinue the 2000 meter challenges for the foreseeable future, and just row my daily hour of 13000 meters. Also started to take magnesium vitamin.

Glad it's nothing more serious. I have a torn labrum in my right shoulder from tennis many years ago. It's got to the point where I cannot sleep on my right side, so I might end up needing to get some work done there if it gets any worse (I hope not). I try to go easy on it when rowing just in case that aggravates it.