Surfing is one of the more popular sports in beautiful, South Orange County. Living close to the beach with easy access to great surf breaks makes it easy to indulge in this exciting sport. However, it is important to realize the risks involved in surfing.
A couple of years ago my husband and I were on a 7 day surf vacation when he felt a dull ache and constant popping in his shoulder. Upon examining his shoulder, I found the humeral head was sitting anterior in the glenohumeral joint. Posterior joint mobilization relocated the humeral head and relieved the pain and popping; allowing him to surf 3x/day for the remainder of the vacation.
Due to the overhead shoulder flexion motion that is used for paddling a surfboard, the shoulder is susceptible to injury. It is crucial to keep the muscles of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizing muscles strong and the chest muscles flexible to maintain healthy surf shoulders. Approximately 45% of a surfer’s time is spent paddling. Unlike swimming, where the power is generated primarily from shoulder to opposite hip (body rotation), surfers rely solely on the upper back and shoulders to propel them because the surfboard they are lying on restricts rotational movement. Often, it is the non-dominant shoulder which is more susceptible to injury because it is not as strong, yet has to work just as hard as the dominant shoulder with paddling. Paddling to catch a wave puts a high demand on the shoulder and scapular stabilizing muscles.
FullMotion can assist in helping surfers prevent injury. Contact us through our website, or stop by either office to get a complimentary healthy surfer’s shoulder exercise guide. Happy Surfing!