most shoulder problems in surfers are bursitis, which is essentially tendonitis/inflammation of the rotator cuff, unless there is a specific traumatic event, in which case a tear could occur. usually the cuff muscles and the muscles that surround the shoulder blade are underconditioned and they get inflammed from too much paddling. also, poor form when paddling is a major cause of trouble. your paddling stroke should begin to finish when your forearm is oriented 90 degrees to the surface of the water. Draw the forearm out of the water at that point by pulling your elbow straight up toward the water’s surface instead of continuing the circular paddling motion that would ultimately place your forearm next to your thigh and nearly parallel to the water’s surface. Sounds confusing, I know. But if you continue to paddle in a circular motion after the 90 degree point, you are placing a lot of strain on the small muscles of the rotator cuff and not generating much extra power in your stroke. The bulk of the power in your stroke occurs in the beginning of the stroke, just as your hand enters the water and travels from the 0 to 90 degree position. Consider entering the water with your hand a little further to the side of your normal entry point instead of directly in front of your shoulder. When your hand strikes the water, pull your arm towards your midline instead of straight back, like a blend of the breast stroke and the forward crawl. This will involve more of your pectoralis and latissimus muscles when paddling and less of the rotator cuff. These muscles are significantly larger than the rotator cuff muscles, and can generate much more power than the rotator cuff. Also, the smaller rotator cuff muscles will fatigue much faster than the larger pec and lat. To keep shoulders in shape during winter dry spells, I recommend the Vasa Trainer.
A stable core is very important to transmit paddling power to your board. If your core is weak, then the energy will be wasted and dissipated elsewhere, forcing you to paddle harder and more frequently. Also, don’t drag your feet in the water. As you get fatigued it is easy to get sloppy, and I see a lot of longboarders draping their legs over the sides of their boards creating excess drag. Ideally, on both a long and shortboard, your legs should be midline and taut to minimize drag.
Hope this helps. the good news is that most of the time a little rest, motrin, and physical therapy will get you back in the water quickly.
Topic: effed up shoulder (Read 1515 times)
June 19, 2006, 08:18:31 PM