In my opinion the cause of pain in shoulder is due to pulling your shoulder muscle..And it is a common problem among every swimmer so don't worry about it and keep enjoy your swimming...

Dropping my elbow or wind mill swimming causes me a lot of pain. As long as I swim with high elbows in my catch I can swim 2500 yards with zero pain...

ice it up and take voltaren tablets to reduce inflamation

Apologize for getting off topic here but I heard that oiling your body helps to get flexible.
Is this true? or is it good idea to go swimming after oiling your body?


Thanks in advance,

Shoulder injuries are too common among swimmers. While there can be many causes for the injury one major cause of shoulder injury and pain is the improper use of arms in swimming. Most swimmers' first movement with their arm in the water is to press down. That pressing action with the arm extended asks the small muscles in the shoulder to do what they were not designed to do. Those muscles are stabilizers not muscles to do the pressing they can be asked to do. The arms are for holding the water while the core rotates and drives the opposite side of the extended arm forward.

Most swimmers swim with their arm parallel to the water surface when it is extended. That creates several problems. One it is very inefficient. It causes imbalance with the body. The second is that it asks the small muscles in the shoulder to press down and they are not designed for that as I mentioned above.

So, how do you correct this so you are more efficient and will not injure your shoulder? The most important aspect is to be in the most streamlined position. Other than with both hands and arms extended when we start or push off the wall, the most efficient position is with the extended arm in a position where the elbow is lower than the shoulder and the wrist is lower than the elbow and shoulder. In other words, if the surface of the water was the 3 o'clock location on a clock face, the position of the arm should be 4 o'clock or 4:30. It can be experimented with by gently pushing off the wall, rotate in a position where one arm is extended just outside the shoulder line at that 4:00 or 4:30 position, head in neutral position, and the trailing arm is slightly inside the body line. Kick gently. Observe your position. Observe what happens when you move the extended arm to the right and left. Observe what happens when it is moved up or down. You will find the ideal balance position. That will be the most efficient position.

From there each spear of the hand when swimming whole stroke should go to that same spot you found in the drill. It requires drilling to develop that memory in your muscle. It will prevent shoulder injuries and you will swim better.

To see what that looks like consider self coaching DVD's at http://www.totalimmersion.net or contact a locat coach in your area also found on the site.

Place the ice in a plastic bag, wrap the bag with a towel, and then apply to the injured area for 15-20 minutes every hour. If you have a more serious condition, you should contact your doctor while initiating basic care measures. Take medicine which is recommended by your physician.