Swimmers Shoulder - Medtick
Medtick

Swimmers Shoulder

What is it?

Painful shoulder overuse injuries that occur in swimmers.

  • There are various parts of your shoulder that can be injured from your swimming stroke, your pain can be anything from a local pain near the shoulder joint, to a spreading pain that travels up your shoulder and neck or down into your arm.
  • Being an overuse injury, it is caused by repeated trauma rather than a specific incident.
  • If this goes on, injuries such as below can occur:
  • It may take several weeks to improve.

Physioworks.com.au

Diagnosis Tests

Consider:

Physiotutors

Healthline

Recovery Time
Shoulder Recovery swimming
  • Rest.
  • This might mean total rest with no swimming for about 24 to 48 hours depending on the severity.
  • Or  you may be able to swim, but decrease yardage while you avoid butterfly, backstroke or kicking only with your arms at your side.
  • Wait a few days until you’re free of pain before you resume swim training.

coastalorthorteam.com

Shoulder recovery Rotary Shoulder

  • The minimum time for recovery from rotator cuff tendonitis or a small tear is generally two to four weeks treatment and exercises, and tears can be a minimum four months.

Cause

  • Over-training
  • Fatigue
  • Hypermobility
  • Poor stroke technique
  • Weakness
  • Tightness
  • Previous shoulder injury or use of hand paddles can lead to your muscles and ligaments being overworked.

Physioworks.com.au

Symptoms

  • Pain and swelling in the front of the shoulder and side of the arm?
  • Pain in shoulder triggered by raising or lowering the arm?
  • Clicking sound when raising the arm?
  • Aching, painful muscles, muscle cramps/spasms/stiffness?
  • Joint stiffness and pain?
  • Pain in shoulder that causes you to wake from sleep?
  • Pain in shoulder when reaching behind the back?
  • Loss of mobility and strength in the affected arm?

Complications /Information to beware of/General tips:

This condition can lead to:

Recovery Time
Shoulder Recovery swimming
  • Rest.
  • This might mean total rest with no swimming for about 24 to 48 hours depending on the severity.
  • Or  you may be able to swim, but decrease yardage while you avoid butterfly, backstroke or kicking only with your arms at your side.
  • Wait a few days until you’re free of pain before you resume swim training.

coastalorthorteam.com

Shoulder recovery Rotary Shoulder

  • The minimum time for recovery from rotator cuff tendonitis or a small tear is generally two to four weeks treatment and exercises, and tears can be a minimum four months.

Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice

Detailed Information

Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Swimmers Shoulder in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).

Diet, Exercise and Body Manipulations

AAOS (American Academy of Orthorpaedic Surgeons)

St Geroges University Hospitals 

Bridgewater Community Healthcare

© Medtick - 2025. All Rights Reserved.