Blog

Bureta Physio
Published on
Common factors that contribute to the development of shoulder pain include
  • Rapid increases in training load
  • Reduced thoracic spine and shoulder mobility 
  • Low strength of the shoulder muscles relative to the demand being placed on them
  • Other issues further down the chain such as glute strength or hip mobility
 
When we see swimmers with shoulder pain in clinic, a key part of our assessment involves looking at the above factors. We have technology which enables us to accurately measure range of motion and strength, and researchers have found normative data values we can compare your measures to. The following are some of the key tests we do to assess shoulder health.
 
Mobility

Strength and endurance


 
Once we look through your training history and assess mobility and endurance/strength around the thoracic spine and shoulder, we can develop a specific plan to resolve your shoulder pain and reduce the risk of it recurring in the future. Very rarely do we need to stop swimmers from swimming. Often with short term adjustments to training and addressing any mobility or strength deficits, shoulder pain will resolve and usual training can be resumed.
 
Research has found that athletes who complete >80% of planned training weeks are up to 7 times more likely to achieve their performance goals compared to those who trained less due to injury or illness. Therefore, the best time to get shoulder pain checked is when it first develops. Early intervention means we can keep you training in the pool while addressing any contributing factors. The other bonus of getting things checked early is the same things that reduce your risk of injury also improve your performance. 
 
Shoulder health doesn’t have to be checked once you’re sore either! The same assessment can spot any risk factors for developing shoulder pain, enabling us to prevent it from becoming an issue.
 
So, whether you’ve got shoulder pain currently, or you want to reduce your odds of developing it, book in today to check out your shoulder health and get a tailored plan to keep you in the pool!