Rotator Cuff Injury And Rowing

[[old] emma]

Hi,<br /><br />I have my Concept 2 now for four years and have done very little rowing on it. I have a rotator cuff injury in one shoulder that doesn't really bother me that much in every day life and surgery is therefore not recommended. It does start to bother me every time I start to row and I don't know whether that is due to bad technique and/or could be avoided by better or different technique. In theory rowing should strengthen the shoulder muscles and therefore actually help with the injury, but so far I haven't been able to get beyond the pain and had to give up after 1-2 weeks every time. I used to row in college (16 years ago), love rowing and therefore want to give it another try. Maybe if I change the arm movement I could avoid aggravating the injury? I'm grateful for any suggestions!<br /><br />Emma<br /><br />P.S.: After reading the first few posts, here is some additional information. I'm 39 years old and went through physical therapy for the injury a few years ago. The pain subsided after rehab but I still couldn't row. Neither the therapist nor a personal trainer at the gym could help me as they didn't really know anything about rowing technique. I discontinued the excercises as the pain was gone and I utterly dislike these kinds of excercises, I just find them boring. They were all for strenghtening the shoulder muscles.<br /><br />I just started to row two days ago and so far the shoulder is not hurting while rowing but every now and then during the day. The pain is in front only. I'm trying to keep my shoulders down and back and not to roll them forward during the recovery phase and as relaxed as possible. I'm trying not to exert too much power with my arms but mainly use my legs and upper body for rowing.

[[old] gaffano]

I have had left shoulder pain for 20 years after an untreated sports injury. In 1998 it was diagnosed as "impingement". I got a cortisone shot, and the major pain went away, but since then I have always re-aggrevated it with certain shoulder movements. This year I have been very active rowing and surfing. Between the 2,( with 90% emphasis on surfing) I aggrevated it so much that certain overhead motions are extremely painful. BTW, the rowing motion is pain free. I went to an orthopedic surgeon today and he thinks there is probably a small tear in the RC. I am going for an MRI soon, and was given a sports oriented Physical Therapist to see. I especially mentioned that I row. Apparently this PT is familiar with proper mechanics with ergs to prevent problems. Hopefully he can tell me if row movement causes, prevents, strenghtens, etc. So I will keep you posted to what happens. I hope I do not need surgery, which will surely prevent me from using the erg for many months I assume..

[[old] Alissa]

<!--QuoteBegin-emma+Dec 12 2005, 01:43 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(emma @ Dec 12 2005, 01:43 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I have a rotator cuff injury in one shoulder that doesn't really bother me that much in every day life and surgery is therefore not recommended. It does start to bother me every time I start to row and I don't know whether that is due to bad technique and/or could be avoided by better or different technique. In theory rowing should strengthen the shoulder muscles and therefore actually help with the injury, but so far I haven't been able to get beyond the pain and had to give up after 1-2 weeks every time. I used to row in college (16 years ago), love rowing and therefore want to give it another try. Maybe if I change the arm movement I could avoid aggravating the injury? [right] </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hi Emma,<br /><br />No suggestions yet, but can you tell us if the pain you experience is while you're rowing, or only after? If while you're rowing, which movements or portions of the rowing stroke cause you pain? If only after, where on your shoulder do you experience the pain--front, top, back of shoulder or some combination?<br /><br />When you're rowing, how do you hold your shoulders? Relaxed? Loose? Held firmly down w/ your lats? or how? Do you allow your shoulders to move? How? Where in the stroke?<br /><br />When you were told that surgery wasn't recommended, did they give you some rehab exercises? If so, which ones? did they help? and are you still doing them?<br /><br />I'm hoping that more info might help someone to give you some suggestions, but ultimately, you might get the best help from a PT or other medical professional who is accustomed to working with athletes and who is familiar with your particular circumstances. Sometimes choosing current function can be a choice for likely future disability/arthritis, and although I have no reason to think this might be you, any such decision should only be made by you--prefereably after you've been thoroughly informed of the possibilities/probabilities by someone who is familiar with you and your injury. <br /><br />Best wishes,<br /><br />Alissa

[[old] Terry S]

Hi Emma:<br /><br />I don't see your age, but it sounds like you're in your mid-30's. I'm closing in on 65. I'd suffered from a rotator cuff problem as well as some arthritis in my right shoulder which had me confounded for several years. Erging seemed to aggravate it. I was frequently in pain--especially when sleeping on it the wrong way. <br /><br /> When I finally complained about it, my GP sent me to PT to be sure the future wasn't a frozen shoulder. After about a dozen sessions and lots of at home exercises to strengthen the muscles in that shoulder, I'm about 99% pain free and have been totally pain free despite lots (for me) of erging in the HC. My point in all this is: if you haven't hooked up with a PT, find a good one and make the investment of time and $ to give them a shot a fixing it. I'd always been skeptical, but this really worked, and the relief is so worth the 15 minutes a morning I put into my shoulder exercises.<br /><br />TS

[[old] emma]

<!--QuoteBegin-Alissa+Dec 12 2005, 07:21 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Alissa @ Dec 12 2005, 07:21 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-emma+Dec 12 2005, 01:43 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(emma @ Dec 12 2005, 01:43 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I have a rotator cuff injury in one shoulder that doesn't really bother me that much in every day life and surgery is therefore not recommended. It does start to bother me every time I start to row and I don't know whether that is due to bad technique and/or could be avoided by better or different technique. In theory rowing should strengthen the shoulder muscles and therefore actually help with the injury, but so far I haven't been able to get beyond the pain and had to give up after 1-2 weeks every time. I used to row in college (16 years ago), love rowing and therefore want to give it another try. Maybe if I change the arm movement I could avoid aggravating the injury? [right] </td></tr></table><br /><br />Hi Emma,<br /><br />No suggestions yet, but can you tell us if the pain you experience is while you're rowing, or only after? If while you're rowing, which movements or portions of the rowing stroke cause you pain? If only after, where on your shoulder do you experience the pain--front, top, back of shoulder or some combination?<br /><br />When you're rowing, how do you hold your shoulders? Relaxed? Loose? Held firmly down w/ your lats? or how? Do you allow your shoulders to move? How? Where in the stroke?<br /><br />When you were told that surgery wasn't recommended, did they give you some rehab exercises? If so, which ones? did they help? and are you still doing them?<br /><br />I'm hoping that more info might help someone to give you some suggestions, but ultimately, you might get the best help from a PT or other medical professional who is accustomed to working with athletes and who is familiar with your particular circumstances. Sometimes choosing current function can be a choice for likely future disability/arthritis, and although I have no reason to think this might be you, any such decision should only be made by you--prefereably after you've been thoroughly informed of the possibilities/probabilities by someone who is familiar with you and your injury. <br /><br />Best wishes,<br /><br />Alissa <br /> </td></tr></table><br />

[[old] John Rupp]

Rotator cuff injuries are common in women from carrying heavy bags, where the straps go over the shoulder.

[[old] michaelb]

I had a shoulder injury 2 years ago that progessively got worst over the year. I was playing volleyball at the time, and think that was related since volleyball involves a lot of explosive and repetitive shoulder movements. I also blame my work setup, particularly using the computer mouse. I can't remember my specific diagnosis right now, but it was inpingement of a tendon in the rotator cuff. I was rowing as well at the time, but didn't have pain while I rowed, only afterwards. It got to the point where I was having trouble sleeping and also lifting my arm.<br /><br />I went to physical therapy at a place that specializes in sports injuries (in Vermont, the "sports" injury they specialize in is knee injuries from skiing). My exercises including rowing motions, and they specifically told me that rowing was not usually related to shoulder injuries, or particularly problematic for the shoulder (I swam growing up, and have always had shoulder problems/pain since related to swimming). They were OK with me actually continuing to row while I did the therapy, but I took a few months off, and then rowed easy for the next year. So I guess my recommendation is to look around for a physical therapist who knows something about rowing and/or sports injuries. <br /><br />Also, I would seriously consider having a coach look at a video of you rowing. Xeno will do a video analysis for something like $120 on DVD (I can't find his actual price right now) and PaulS will also do coaching; there may be others in the forum. That would help make sure your technique is sound.

[[old] gaffano]

As MichaelB pointed out, somtimes our posture while sitting, standing, working adds to the pain. I too found that my arm/shoulder position while using the mouse caused more pain. I tend to roll my shoulder forward while using the mouse.

[[old] ljwagner]

Another vote to find a good PT.

[[old] emma]

Thank you for the advice! I made an appointment with a doctor for sports medicine and got some information on a PT that specialzes in sports injuries. It all won't really happen this year anymore, but here is my first New Years resolution: To sort this out and get back rowing!<br /><br />Thanks again, Emma <br /><br /><!--QuoteBegin-michaelb+Dec 12 2005, 11:10 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(michaelb @ Dec 12 2005, 11:10 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I had a shoulder injury 2 years ago that progessively got worst over the year.  I was playing volleyball at the time, and think that was related since volleyball involves a lot of explosive and repetitive shoulder movements.  I also blame my work setup, particularly using the computer mouse.  I can't remember my specific diagnosis right now, but it was inpingement of a tendon in the rotator cuff.  I was rowing as well at the time, but didn't have pain while I rowed, only afterwards.  It got to the point where I was having trouble sleeping and also lifting my arm.<br /><br />I went to physical therapy at a place that specializes in sports injuries (in Vermont, the "sports" injury they specialize in is knee injuries from skiing).  My exercises including rowing motions, and they specifically told me that rowing was not usually related to shoulder injuries, or particularly problematic for the shoulder (I swam growing up, and have always had shoulder problems/pain since related to swimming).  They were OK with me actually continuing to row while I did the therapy, but I took a few months off, and then rowed easy for the next year.  So I guess my recommendation is to look around for a physical therapist who knows something about rowing and/or sports injuries.  <br /><br />Also, I would seriously consider having a coach look at a video of you rowing.  Xeno will do a video analysis for something like $120 on DVD (I can't find his actual price right now) and PaulS will also do coaching; there may be others in the forum.  That would help make sure your technique is sound. <br /> </td></tr></table>

[[old] Yoda1]

Emma,<br /><br />I had problems with my shoulders for years. I kept putting off going to see a PT or doctor. As it turned out I waited just a wee bit to long and ended up having to have both shoulder joints completly replaced. So, I'm now bionic. The reason I'm telling you or anyone else with serious shoulder problems is waiting is not the answer. It won't go away, just gets progressively worse as you get older. <br /><br />For someone with a serious problem with the joint itself, there is now a new proceedure (spell) where they cement a metal cape on the bone end and return it to the socket. I know several bodybuilders and weightlifters that have had this done and are back in the gym two weeks afterward. <br /><br />The best advise anyone could possibly give you is to see a competent PT or surgeon and get their opinions. It could be that you have a muscular problem that they can evaluate and help you back to a healthy shoulder.<br /><br />Good Luck,<br />Yoda

[[old] maf]

Hi.<br /><br />I had a frozen shoulder at age 45. It was my left shoulder and I lost considerable range of movement in the joint for about a year. Even today, I do not have quite the same range in it as I have with my other shoulder.<br /><br />I experienced a sudden onset over about a week. Some motions were impossible, like shifting into reverse in my car ( a down, out, forward movement in a sports car with HD Gearbox ) - I had to do it with my right arm (RHD Car). Raising my left arm above shoulder height was impossible, and very painful to try, and once I tried the joint would 'smart' for a minute or so. <br /><br />Sports injury doc sent me off for ultrasonic exam where they get you to move your arm while watching tendons etc move on the screen. Very interesting, but inconclusive, they thought there might have been some constriction on the tendons but nothing major. In the end we tossed up between a corticosteroid/local anaesthetic jab into the joint or longterm oral NSAIDS. I took the jab, and there was some immediate relief, and things got better from there, but slowly. <br /><br />There is no way I could have rowed with that shoulder, but I think it was a turning point for me that eventually led me to the Rowing machine a few years later. I decided I was not going to lie down and watch my physical condition continue downhill. I turned 50 this year, completed 2 million metres a week or so ago, and I'm fitter and healthier than I have been since age 30.<br /><br />So my advice is to have all the checkups and do whatever you have to do to get back on your feet. Then get into it gently, and move on from there, you won't look back <br /><br />Michael