From: billb@owlnet.rice.edu (William Stenson Blackwell)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.swimming
Subject: Re: Shoulder  Problems (LONG)
Date: 17 Aug 1992 22:51:51 GMT
Organization: Rice University

In article <Bt4w8s.AnA@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu>, ahkkim@descartes.uwaterloo.ca (Alexander Kim) writes:
(deleted)

Well, you hit upon something that I know *alot* about (but only from a 
personal/non-medical standpoint).  My Junior year in HS, I developed serious
shoulder problems (i.e. Rheumatoid Arhtritis that destroyed alot of cartilage,
which in turn led to a 3 year bout with Bursitis).  I wonder whether your 
friend really simply swam through it as the pain can be very intense during
certain ranges of motion.  I combatted it by taking at some points 1000mg
of Naporsyn as well as 2400mg of Ibuprofen (Yes, I bled profusely when I got
a cut!).  I felt this was not worth it, so I quit swimming after my first
semester in college, and now play Rugby.  Anyway, as to the ways around 
Bursitis:

Bursitis is caused by extreme fatigue in the shoulder muscles surrounding
the Bursus sac.  This in turn allows the BS to shift outwards slightly.
Thus, when the shoulder moves upwards, the sac is pinched between the Humerus
and the Shoulder girdle (not real sure on the exact bone -- could be collar?)
Anyway, this is what causes the pain.  Thus the only way of eliminating the
condition is to 1) eliminate the fatigue, or 2) build up the muscles.  This
comes directly from my Orthopedic surgeon.  (NOTE: I no longer swim, but
I do lift significant amounts of weights, so the stresses will be similar.)

Basically, what you need to do is find some way of getting resistance to 
your shoulder in a constructive way.  Regardless of the method,  your arm
should be bent 90 degrees at the shoulder and your ELBOW MUST STAY STIGHT
AGAINST YOUR SIDE!  If it isn't, you will defeat the purpose of the exercise,
and will end-up hurting yourself.  Keeping your arm in the prescribed position,
rotate your arm in around a 110 degree arc.  Repeat for each side and each
way (i.e. having the resistance against your range of motion forward and
backward on each side).  The ways of resistance can vary, but the popular ones
are wall-racks or dumbells in a weight room, or "shock cord" (very THICK
surgical tubing).  If this is ambiguous, find someone with similar problems,
it is much easier to show than to tell.  Either way, make sure you do a high
amount of repetitions (50+) each way, you're trying to build muscle power 
(strength over time), not bulk.


			W  <-- full back
    (TOP VIEW)		|
			|
		#-------| <-- should be a significant contraction when in the
		       / \      rear position with resistance opposing rear-
                       | |      ward motion
                       |O|

				
				o o
				 "
 				 -
			        | |
                            ~~~     ~~~~~~~\
                          |              |  |  NOTE: Elbow is kept tight 
                                         |  |  against the torso.
                                         |  |
                                         \  ~~~~~~~~
                                           ~~~~~~~~~


If it reall bothers you too much, see an Orthopedic surgeon who specializes
in Sports Medicine, they'll be able to give you a much more succinct answer/
explanation.

-- 
Bill Blackwell             P H P <==me!   "A just request is to be met
billb@owlnet.rice.edu     F L L F       in silence, by the act."
Houston, Texas, USA          8       -Dante Alighieri "Inferno" XXIV ln.77-78
"My opinions are mine, no one else is that stupid"
Newsgroups: rec.sport.swimming