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Shoulder bursitis
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Hey all - so I finally got back into the pool in January after an 8-month Covid hiatus. I was 2 weeks in (6 swims) when I noticed my shoulder really hurting me. I rested it for about a week, definitely saw some improvement, but was still experiencing pain. So I went to the orthopedist and x-rays confirmed that I have shoulder bursitis. Doc thinks the cause is likely from swimming.

Questions:

1. Prior to my Covid swim hiatus, I spent summer 2019 swimming in a 15 yd pool, which prepped me nicely to join a local USMS program in September, where I was swimming consistently 3 days a week for about 6 months. I never had any shoulder issues - can all these issues simply be from me going from 0 swimming to USMS program swimming so suddenly?

2. Doc suggested additional rest and slowly working the shoulder back up. I think I will ask for a prescription for PT but curious if anyone has any suggestions.

TIA!
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Re: Shoulder bursitis [airhol2] [ In reply to ]
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I've had it, and have it now. Sometimes my shoulders are pain free for a couple years or more, then all of a sudden the pain starts coming back. A steroid shot really didn't help me. Only rest did. I did take PT, and have mixed feelings about it. Nevertheless, I would recommend it. Even if it doesn't help much, It doesn't make it worse. It takes 5 to 6 weeks out of the pool to calm down. Then I start back slowly, and limit the swims to 3X per week.
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Re: Shoulder bursitis [airhol2] [ In reply to ]
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I get it in my elbow. I just had it in December and it took about 4 weeks to work itself out and I also had Covid at the same time. I think i was out of the water 3 weeks total and did a couple workouts with a sore elbow but it actually seemed to help and strengthen it.
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Re: Shoulder bursitis [airhol2] [ In reply to ]
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airhol2 wrote:
Hey all - so I finally got back into the pool in January after an 8-month Covid hiatus. I was 2 weeks in (6 swims) when I noticed my shoulder really hurting me. I rested it for about a week, definitely saw some improvement, but was still experiencing pain. So I went to the orthopedist and x-rays confirmed that I have shoulder bursitis. Doc thinks the cause is likely from swimming.

Questions:

1. Prior to my Covid swim hiatus, I spent summer 2019 swimming in a 15 yd pool, which prepped me nicely to join a local USMS program in September, where I was swimming consistently 3 days a week for about 6 months. I never had any shoulder issues - can all these issues simply be from me going from 0 swimming to USMS program swimming so suddenly?

2. Doc suggested additional rest and slowly working the shoulder back up. I think I will ask for a prescription for PT but curious if anyone has any suggestions.

TIA!

I'm not qualified to give medical advice, but my $0.02:

rest won't probably work, cortisone may work (in the short term or possibly long term), you will need to find out what flaw in your stroke is causing the issue, because even if rest helps, as soon as you introduce volume it will return.
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Re: Shoulder bursitis [airhol2] [ In reply to ]
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Again not a doctor but suffered from bursitis and tried the following:
1. X-Ray
2. Physio
3. Cortisone
4. Osteopath

After destroying my shoulder and being told not to swim 1 month before IM Copenhagen (there went the IM fees and 11 months of work) I rested and then tried the shots (no effect), then tried physiotherapy (limited effect) went to the osteopath and found out I had a problem with tendinitis due to heavy weight lifting and that I needed to work on my mobility and that my scapula was 'stuck'. That was the only thing that worked. If you can ask around and find a good one and tell them how it happened they will find a solution for you and thats my two cents. Get someone who will look at your body and mobility rather than looking at your shoulder in isolation. And one more thing, my old coach did some work with me (he has sport science degree) and we found out that the band exercises the physio had recommended (you know standard treatment for swimming shoulder) were not working because mobility issue I had was in the catch phase not where the physio thought it was was. I went to the osteopath and she tested it and verified it and off we went.

"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"
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