Triathlon’s shoulder (also known as swimmer’s shoulder) is a term that is used a lot, and not only in the world of athletes. But what does it really mean? What is involved in creating the pain and what can be done to help alleviate it?
What is triathlon’s shoulder?
The medical terminology for triathlon’s shoulder is “impingement syndrome” which is a fancy term to say that there is a narrowing in the space between the acromion (the most top bony part of the shoulder) and the humeral head (connecting the arm to the shoulder). This narrowing causes a “pinch” in the tendons going through that space: usually the rotator cuff (supraspinatus and subscapularis in the picture below) and/ or the biceps.
What causes it?
It occurs more often in athletes and labourers that perform repetitive motions which can in the long term cause this sort of overuse injury. The typical sports include but are not limited to triathlon, swimming, baseball, volleyball, and racket sports. Jobs involving repeated overhead activities such as painters, carpenters, and electricians are also more at risk.
The recommended hand on approach involves the patient, the chiropractor and the coach (if sport-related injury) to combine their efforts together using:
Manual chiropractic adjustments
ART: Active Release Techniques muscle work
Dry needling
Laser IV therapy
Technique evaluation and correction
Proper rehabilitation exercises
Finding the cause of what initiated the pain is very important in order to avoid reproducing the same injury in the future. This does not mean stopping the activity involved with that movement but rather finding a new pattern that will allow to achieve the same goal without putting yourself at risk for injuries. This process works best with everyone working together as a team to get you out of pain and back into doing whatever activity or work you want or need to do.
The following video shows what a normal shoulder full range of motion should look like. Please only perform this exercise to your own tolerance. This is not a treatment.
If you have been experiencing shoulder pain and would like a consultation, contact the clinic on 057 8678904.
It’s safe to say that the majority of us have a scar of some sort,for example surgical related, c-section scars, appendectomy scars or scars from cuts or broken bones.
What is scar tissue?
Scar tissue forms after injury to the normal cells of the body and it is the body’s natural response to repair any tissue damage. Scars can however generate its own issues once it has laid down, the effects of which is something we come across daily in the clinic.
The effect of scars on the body?
Excessive scarring will create tissue tension throughout the fascial system and limit the mobility within the muscles, tendons, ligaments and ultimately the joints. This results in altered postures and movement patterns. When this happens a cascade of compensatory movement starts elsewhere, creating pain and stiffness, such as neck, shoulder and low back pain.
The assessment and treatment of scars is often a neglected area in the management of musculoskeletal pain and is of upmost importance, particularly in the case of an unproblematic longstanding scar which may be preventing the patient from returning to full non painful movement.
Our Approach?
At the clinic we examine and address scars old and new to improve soft tissue function and movement. All with the intention of improving joint mobility and giving the best foundations for developing core stability in our patients. This is especially important for ladies who have had c-section procedures and want to get fit again after childbirth and reduce low back pain.
If you would like to book an appointment please contact us today for a quick chat to see how we can help!
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic: Portlaoise
Chiropractic | Active Release Techniques (ART®) | Functional Range Conditioning (FRC®)
A common condition we see in the clinic, that is often misdiagnosed is adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder. It is a debilitating and very painful shoulder condition, but what are some of the warning signs of this condition?
Gradual onset of shoulder pain from no apparent reason: Most of the time frozen shoulder comes on without having had any trauma. Pain is usually the first sign, and in some people if can be so severe that it radiates down the arm.
Gradual loss of shoulder movement: In the first stages of it, the pain can cause people to overlook that their range of motion has slowly started to decrease, most times this will become very apparent upon examination.
Pain at night: not necessarily worse pain at night, but noticeable pain during the nights
Cannot lay on that shoulder: Usually apparent at night as well, the person is not able to put any body weight on that shoulder.
Cannot make sudden movements: Moving the arm is a big challenge, especially with sudden movements, the pain becomes dramatically worse.
Frozen shoulder is very tricky, especially in the early stages, and it often gets misdiagnosed. It can be complicated further by diabetes and thyroid issues. The recovery time can be long, but there are things that can help. Think you may have frozen shoulder? Contact us today to get a thorough examination and see what options are available for you.
Shoulder pain and stiffness is one of the top conditions we see in the clinic. One of the most frustrating shoulder injuries, is frozen shoulder. A stubborn condition that can be difficult to treat, causes loss of motion in the shoulder, and can be quite painful. Typically affects 40- 60 year olds, women are more affected than men, and smoking, diabetes, and thyroid disease can contribute to it.
What you need to know is this:
Treatment of frozen shoulder will not be successful if it focuses only on the surrounding musculature.
With this condition, the capsule of the joint causes the problem, and due to that fact, work must be done on the capsule to get the improvements that you want.
So how can we work on the capsule?
Laser Therapy. Our laser is great for helping to speed up the healing process. It helps frozen shoulder specifically because it can penetrate deeper below the skin surface to get to the capsular level.
Active Release Techniques. (ART®) is great for frozen shoulder because we have specific protocols to work not only on the muscles around the area, but to work on the capsule itself.
Dry Needling. If we are talking about getting down to the capsule, there is not much better than dry needling. We can put the needles directly into the capsule to help stimulate healing in the area.
And how long will it take for this stubborn condition to resolve? With work done on the right structures you can anticipate results in 6-8 visits. If you have frozen shoulder, don’t let just anyone work on it, get in to see someone who knows how to get to the root of the problem and get the results you want.
Yours in Health,
Lawlor Clinic
Chiropractic | Active Release Techniques (ART®)| Golf & Sports Injuries
Shoulder pain is one of the top conditions we see at the clinic. It can be tricky to distinguish between the different conditions in their early stages. One of the most common that gets misdiagnosed is adhesive capsulitis, or frozen shoulder. When there are so many overlapping symptoms between conditions, how can you tell them apart? A thorough history and examination for starters, and here are 5 other things we look for to help identify frozen shoulder: 1.Gradual onset of pain from no apparent cause– having pain in the shoulder, but haven’t done anything? Pain is usually the first sign, and in some people if can be so severe that it radiates down the arm.
2.Gradual loss of shoulder movement– in the first stages of it, the pain can cause people to overlook that their range of motion has slowly started to decrease. During examination it will become obvious that the person has lost motion in the affected shoulder.
3.Pain at night– not necessarily worse pain at night, but noticeable pain during the night.
4.Cannot lay on that shoulder– putting any weight on that shoulder is excruciating.
5.Cannot make sudden movements– moving the arm is a big challenge with frozen shoulder, but sudden or sharp movements typically dramatically increase the pain.
Frozen shoulder is very tricky, especially in the early stages, and it often gets misdiagnosed. It can be complicated further by diabetes and other health issues. The recovery time can be long, but there are things that can help. Think you may have frozen shoulder? Contact us today to see what options are available for you.
Yours in Health,
The Lawlor Clinic
Chiropractic | Sports Injuries | Active Release Techniques (ART®)
