Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Swimming is often touted as the perfect exercise, working several muscles throughout the body with such low impact that it makes injuries less likely than in other sports. But a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported that 71 out of 80 elite male swimmers experienced shoulder pain. The pain from this “swimmers shoulder” comes from either tendonitis or from the pinching of the rotator cuff muscle. The culprit? Repetitive overhead movements, such as those from the main swimming strokes such as freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke and backstroke.

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The shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion of all our joints and allows us to use our arms for various tasks, from throwing pitches to supporting our bodies. When the shoulder is injured, surgery may be required to relieve pain and restore mobility. However, some individuals have found that surgery on their shoulder has made their condition worse.

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Pain pumps are devices used to deliver a steady amount of medication to a wound site for up to 72 hours following surgery. They are often used in shoulder surgery. The balloon-shaped part of the device rests outside the body and is attached to catheters that feed into the shoulder tissue. Once the medication has been used, patients are instructed to simply pull out the catheter.

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Three decades ago, Chuck Short dislocated his shoulder joint while pole-vaulting. The nagging pain and limited use eventually led his doctors to recommend a total shoulder replacement. Much had changed in the 30 years since Short originally injured his shoulder. Back then, he would nave needed to stay in the hospital for three to five days. But thanks to innovations in medical technology, Short was able to go home a mere two hours after surgery. The reason? A pain pump that rested outside his body but had a tiny catheter that fed into his wound site. The pump administered gradual doses of Novocaine into his shoulder for up to 72 hours.

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