QUESTION: I injured my shoulder while duck-diving. What should I do?
Dear Beth,
One surprisingly heavy day this summer at Rockaway I had a macker crash right on my head as I was duck-diving. My left shoulder was shook like a twig and it was pushed/pulled down violently. I felt a sharp pain around what I think is my rotator cuff, in the front. I surfed a few days after that but was irritated, then took a week off with LOTS of ibuprofen. Since I have noticed tightness but not any great discomfort (sometimes hurts to sleep on it, rolls under when I’m sleeping on my side, especially after surfing a lot). Yesterday I was scrambling to get a wave and threw a stroke with all my might, feeling a similar pain. I awoke with a mildly swollen delt. I iced a bunch last night and am back on the Advil. What can I do to keep this from happening again, improve mobility and get rid of pain? (I’m already on glucosamine for the knee.) I’ll take it easy for the current monster swell but want to get back on ASAP.
Thanks, Andrew
ANSWER:
Hey Andrew,
Probably a good idea to stay out of the water as the surf is huge! I went down to Pleasure Point and caught a few fun, big ones yesterday but today is a different story.
As for your shoulder, rest is key as is Advil until the pain and swelling subside. I definitely suggest a good stretching regime, which focuses on stretching your chest, bicep, and other anterior muscle groups to help prevent the dreaded “surfer stance” with the shoulders rolling forward. Yoga is not a bad idea as you are forced to hold your stretches for a long time and you tend to get an overall body stretching experience. However, if you tore something during the initial accident, you may feel a lot of pain when stretching. If you have insurance, I would highly suggest a checkup with a Physical Therapist or an Orthopedic surgeon to rule out any tears within the rotator cuff.
I imagine you have some scar tissue surrounding your injured wing which will continue to aggravate you until you get rid of it. Again, this can be done through a series of stretches or yoga, but you may benefit greatly from a few visits to the massage therapist. Try to find someone who has a background in sport-related injuries and see if they can give you any answers. Shoulders can be tricky and if one area is tight, then you may feel pain in random parts of the joint.
Once the pain has subsided and you have regained full range of motion, I would then suggest a rotator cuff strengthening program to strengthen the opposite “surfing” muscle groups in order to create a balance in your shoulder girdle. Please consult someone to rule out any potential tears!!
Good luck and let me know if you have other questions. Happy turkey day!
Hasta, Beth
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