Returning to swimming after a torn rotator cuff?

The Bad Pawn

I managed to tear my rotator cuff about a month ago doing weights and have been doing physio exercises to help my recovery. I'm a pretty avid swimmer but haven't been able to go near a pool since i injured my shoulder. I was just windering if anyone has experience of returning to swimming after a grade 1 (the lightest) rotator cuff tear? i.e when did you know it was ok to return and how did it go?

(Mods not asking for medical advice just personal anecdotes on returning to the pool):pac:

Many thanks

Burkatron

Well what did the phyiso say? Get the all clear from them before you hit the water! Hows your range of movement? Can you rotate your shoulder without pain in the air? If there's any pain in this you know its gonna be worse on the pull phase of any stroke!

Wait till you're virtually pain free, get in the water & see what you can do (after warming up ofcourse).For example, if you get pain after 100 metres, stop, stretch it out, go home, ice it up for a couple of days & then try again, see if you can get 150 metres the next time (this is subjective, do what you can) & build on this till you're swimming pain free! No1 can tell you how you're shoulder is going to react so this is the way for you to gauge it.

miss no stars

I tore mine (or rather, it was torn for me by someone else pulling at my arm during a botched "resuce" of me :mad:) during my lifeguard training.

Tbh I was able to get back in the water within a couple of days. Not that I had a choice as my job pretty much depended on it. That said, I didn't have much power in it for a while but once the full range of movement was back the pain started to go away and strength started to return.

I was luck enough in that one of the people I was working with is a physio and supervised my return to water but she said once I didn't do anything to actively hurt it (ie, take it a bit easy), moving it around would do it good and prevent it going stiff.

The Bad Pawn

Cheers guys,I appreciate your input!

I was all set to head back when I originally posted here but then decided to hold off a bit longer just to err on the side of caution. Today though I'm heading to the pool after work!

My range of motion has improved alot over the last few weeks but there's no doubt that I did some damage to the muscle. The Physio told me I had a roughly a Grade 1.5 tear and that it would take about 4 weeks to heal and then a slow reintroduction to my usual routine. Swimming was a big no-no.

My meeting with the Physio actually left me more confused, as the shoulder seemed very weak and I was told by others I know who train quiet a bit that anything close to a grade 2 tear usually requires surgery (a route I never want to go down if avoidable). All the same my physion seemed quiet relaxed about the injury?

Anyway i've been icing it and doing physion exercises. Today is the first time it feels mostly normal agin so I only hesiatated for only a second before stuffing my swim gear in to my bag before leaving the house this morning. The plan is to strectch well and then do a couple of tester lenghts. If its sore i'll stop otherwise i'll try to do an easy 500m or 1,000m. Again any pain and i'll stop and give it a few more days.

i'm actually nervous about how it'll go.

.................................................................................
Thought i'd posted the above before I left last night!

I headed down to the pool after work and did about 500m's broklen up into sets of 25's, 50's and 100's. There was definitely pain in my arm but only when I was fully extended on the injured side and beginning to pull or 'catch' the water. Decided to quit while I was ahead and then went home and iced my shoulder for the evening. Not too much pain today, so will continue icing tonight and then try for 750m tmrw!

Fingers crossed i'll see an improvement...