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.
At the Lawlor Clinic we provide Chiropractic for all the family from newborn to old age. Many of the problems that patients present with as adults can be addressed in childhood and treated appropriately with Chiropractic care.
Some of the common conditions we deal with in the different demographics include:
January is one of the busiest months in the gym as people try to get their fitness back on track. In the clinic we see an increased number of patients who have suffered from a gym related injury such as back & neck pain, sciatica, ankle sprain and shoulder pain.
Here are our top tips to stop you getting injured on your return to fitness
Proper Assessment and Screening: It’s important you know how your body is moving and of any physical limitations that might prevent good pain free movement. A good screening can also highlight potential areas of weakness that causes injuries to occur. Ask your medical and health professional for a functional movement screen (FMS).
Stay Hydrated: Increased training levels means that you will need to increase your water intake. Add himalayan pink salts to your water as a natural electrolyte
Warm Up: A 5 minute cardio session prior to a gym workout will get the core temperature up and prepare the body properly for each session.
Sleep: The best recovery tool on the market is sleep. Make sure you get a solid 8 hours a night.
No Pain No Gain: No one should train or do an exercise that gives them pain, this causes the body to move differently and compensate around the pain.
Overtraining: 3-4 gym sessions are optimal for maintaining good fitness levels. For proper recovery, training 6-7 times a week will only lead to injury.
If you would like a functional injury prevention screening or you are suffering from a gym related injury please contact the clinic for a consultation.
There has been a worrying trend over the last decade, we have seen a increase in the number kids attending the clinic for injuries including Back Pain, Knee Pain, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries.
These injuries are usually reserved for adults but with the training regimes that some of these children are undertaking is comparable with professional athletes.
Our top tips for keeping your kids injury free:
Recovery & Off Season: Sleep, Recovery and a 8 week off season is key to injury prevention. This allows the body to rebuild after long sporting sessions and the toll of a lengthy season.
Late Specialisation: All the latest research has indicated that kids should wait into their teens to specialise in one sport. By playing a number of sports it ensures that your child develops a number of movement based skill sets.
Good Balance of Training & Game Schedule: Parents and coaches should keep track of their youth athletes training schedules ensuring that they are getting at least 2 days off each week. The majority of injuries seen in children are from chronic over use injuries which is preventable if a kid has a sensible training and schedule. Do not over train you athletes!
Functional Movement Screening (FMS): The FMS is one of the simple ways to see if your child is at risk of injury. The screening is scored out of 21, any score under 14 indicates an increased injury risk. At the clinic we use the FMS with all our clients and athletes to help them identify areas of potential injury risk.
If you child is suffering from a sports related injury or you would like more information on injury prevention please contact us.
One of the most important areas for anyone who plays golf is the mid back or thoracic spine. Loss of mobility here can cause major issues with your swing and can cause compensations in other areas of the body, leading to injuries. Poor mid back mobility can contribute to:
Back pain
Neck problems
Shoulder issues
Want to improve your golf game? Improve your thoracic spine mobility to see greater gains and more consistency in your swing! Check out our video below on some drills to help you improve this area.
Get treated like the Tour Pros at the Lawlor Clinic!
#Chiropractor #Portlaoise
Chiropractic | Sports Injuries | Active Release Techniques (ART®)
If you are a follower of the golf world, you probably have heard the latest news from the world’s number 1 golfer, Rory McIlroy. It is suspected that he damaged his anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL), while playing soccer. What golf fans are dying to know is, how long will it take him to come back from this? If it is confirmed to be a full rupture of the ligament, typically that takes somewhere between 8-12 weeks to recover from. But with the right treatment the process can be helped along. As Ireland’s leading golf injuries experts here are our top tips for recovery from such an injury:
Laser therapy -Why laser therapy? It helps speed recovery by stimulating the tissues to heal. We are one of the first in Ireland to have a Lite Cure Medical Class IV laser.
Rock Tape – kinesiotaping can be very beneficial for injuries, not only for decreasing swelling in the area, but providing support that does not restrict movement.
Joint mobility– we have all heard the saying, “use it or lose it”. This is especially true in the body. It has been shown that keeping joints moving after injuries actually helps them improve faster, by improving circulation in the area and maintaining range of motion.
ART® – Active Release Techniques ® can help to release tight muscles, ligaments, and joints in the area, improving range of motion and helping speed healing.
IASTM– Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilisation- helps to break down adhesions and scar tissue in the area and promotes proper healing of the injury.
Active Rehabilitation– tailored exercises can help keep the joint moving and strengthen surrounding muscles. One of the best exercises post ankle injury is balance work, to help regain proprioception in the joint.
Ice with compression- devices such as the Game Ready, can help with pain management as well as helping decrease swelling after an injury.
The ankle is such an important joint, especially for athletes. Any dysfunction here can lead to problems throughout the body, so proper treatment and rehab after injuries is vital. With the right approach it is possible to return from such an injury and get back to playing with minimal residual issues.
Contact us today to see if we can help with your recovery from injury.
Yours in Health,
The Lawlor Clinic
Chiropractic | Golf & Sports Injuries | Active Release Techniques (ART®)
Shane has worked with over 40 professional golfers on the PGA & European Tours over the past 9 years. These are his top tips for helping your post round recovery.
1. Hydration: Post round hydration is important for recovery. We recommend adding a pinch of pink himalayan crystal salts to water. Himalayan salts chemical composition is very similar to the bodies mineral which makes them easier to absorb in the gut. 2. Nutrition: A post snack or meal that includes protein is key to help speed up recovery from 18 holes. We recommend the Wyldsson ProMix Tubes (Hyperlink http://wyldsson.com/product/promix-trail-mix/) The Wyldsson products are used by number of top professionals golfers 3. Compression Socks: With the average run being around a 6 mile walk, the calf muscles are get tired. To help improve your recovery sleep with compression socks. This helps to helps reduce the chances of swelling in the lower legs and improve the blood flow to the heart. 4. Epsom Salt: Another way to replace the minerals lost during a golf round is to have a bath with epsom salts which includes magnesium and sulfate. These minerals are readily absorbed by the skin. The minerals can also help with muscle cramps and to reduce pain and inflammation. 5. Foam Roll & Stretch: To loosen out any tight muscles and joints we advised our golfers to foam roll and stretch post round for 15-20 mins. Try this foam rolling exercises on our YouTube channel.
Yours in Health
The Lawlor Clinic
Ireland’s Leading Golf Medical Experts
#Chiropractor #Portlaoise
