Question
QUESTION: i am 17 and i started swimming last october i then tryed out for my high school swim team and made it. we swim monday- friday for an hour in the morning and i also swim on another swim team on tues thurs nights for an hour and a half and sat mornings for an hour and a half. i have just started swimming again to get ready for this years swim season and my shoulders and back and neck feel very very very tight and i have tried stretching but it doesnt seem to help at all. my shoulder also has started hurting a lot and i had to switch my workout to all kicking at the end because it was hurting. i do freestyle and breast stroke

ANSWER: Dear Marie,
Congratulations on making the swim team! I have a 15 year old daughter that is on the swim team. She does butterfly (I don't know how...) and freestyle.  I also treat one of her teammates  here in the office, though it is for injuries related to a motor vehicle accident.

Swimming is such a great exercise! It helps the cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) as well as promoting good muscle strength.

Marie, it sounds like you are not having much fun with the pain in the neck, shoulder, and back pain.  Is this the upper back that hurts or the lower back region? Have you had anything like this before?

Here are a couple of ideas. Please be aware that opinions over the internet are NOT a substitution for a good evaluation by your local chiropractor.

1) Consult your coaches. Make sure that you are using proper form and technique on your strokes.
2) Have your chiropractor evaluate your cervical (neck) and thoracic (mid back)spine for proper motion and any atypical joint motion or fixation. Chiropractic adjustments can do wonders in this area.
3) Have your chiropractor evaluate your shoulders for bursitis and tendinitis. He should also look at the muscles on the shoulder blades, making sure that they are working fine, without trigger points, etc.

I hope that you have an exceptional season! Find a good chiropractor that you like and get the treatment that you need. Like any sport, there are risks of injury, and you are taxing your body in ways that it might not be used to. Even athletes that are professionals get help through regular chiropractic adjustments and treatments. They know that it helps them to keep their bodies performing at their best.

Good luck Marie! I hope that this has helped you in some way. Thanks for such a good question, and good luck with finding an answer for your pains.

Keith Biggs, DC
http://eastmesachiropractor.com/

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QUESTION: i have upper back pain like around my shoulder blades. no i havent had anything like this before. could it be just extremely tight muscles? would a massage help?

ANSWER: Dear Marie,

A massage won't hurt you, that is for sure. My experience has taught me that if the muscles are tight, there is usually an underlying joint fixation as well.  You could try a massage, but if you find that the symptoms are only relieved temporarily, you might consider an adjustment of the spine as well. Muscles, joints, and nerves are all inter-related. Muscle spasm leads to joint problems which lead to nerve irritation which leads to muscle spasm which leads to joint problems which leads to nerve irritation... the cycle has to be "broken" somewhere. Chiropractic aims at breaking or stopping the negative feedback cycle by restoring joint motion. Massage hopes to stop the cycle through relaxation of muscles... the more you can attack the cycle at its different points, the more potential you have for successful therapy outcomes.

Keith Biggs, DC
http://eastmesachiropractor.com/

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QUESTION: thanks . one more question. i did notice that my muscle in my left shoulder almost like spasms for like 2 minutes every now and then  what could that be?

Answer
Shoulder spasm... could be several things:
1) Neck nerve irritation or pinching...  typically associated with a history of neck injury and/or neck pain. At your age, possibly due to cervical segmental malfunction.
2) Dietary deficiency of the minerals Calcium or Magnesium, or Potassium. Usually magnesium. Especially if you get muscle spasms or cramping at night.
3) Thoracic outlet syndrome could irritate the brachial nerve plexus and possibly cause muscles to spasm in the shoulder region.
4) Muscle fatigue or injury.

Dr. Biggs
http://www.eastmesachiropractor.com