Shoulder soreness

[Brodie]

I have only been playing dg around 4 months but have always been athletic (a ball golfer of 20+ years).
I throw RHBH and average 320' and occasionally hit 350'.
I get soreness (like a pitcher) right at the socket of the arm and shoulder. I also get lower back pain after a driving session.

My form may not be perfect, but it looks real good without careful scrutiny. Without having to post a video, can someone tell me if this is normal, an indication of bad form, or simply an aging problem? (I'm 44)

 

[Pbmercil]

Not normal. Could be age related but is probably a form issue as well. I have terrible shoulder problems, throw over 400, and backhand never bothers my shoulder at all.

 

[grotto]

I used to have this problem when I first started (at 49), I was using very little of my body in the throw, all arm.

Once I started getting my whole body into the throw and stopped that nasty rounding torque throw where I felt the need to pull harder with my arm, the problem went away.

There are lots of good threads/posts on here that can help. Some of those guys that can help you the most will most likely be along shortly.

 

[sidewinder22]

Most likely technique issues. Use your body like you would for a sledgehammer, pretend the disc is really heavy. I'm almost certain you aren't centering your balance, swing and pivot on your front leg. When you get stuck on the rear leg you jam your follow through instead of pivoting through freely.

 

[DavidSauls]

I wouldn't tolerate soreness in the socket for very long before I sought out better medical advice than is available here.

Actually, when I was 44 I did try self-diagnosis, and ended up with surgery and 2 lost years. I'm 56 now, and still regretting it.

 

[Quinum]

You are probably strong-arming your throws and putting a lot of strain your shoulder.

 

[Brodie]

Thanks for the advice. (I will try to post a video of my form when I get a chance)

 

[rickles]

I know it sounds dumb, but stretching out better before rounds and having a good offseason training program helped me. After one winter of arthritis in my shoulder (from not playing 4 months of winter season) and not sleeping well as a result, I vowed it wouldn't happen again. I still say work on the form though.

 

[F. Howl]

I had some shoulder pain a few months back, probably my rotator cuff. Stretches before a round and strength training took care of it. Look up some rotator cuff exercises and do the towel stretch:

I also am getting some lower back pain on the right side (I throw RHBH). Again, stretching and strengthening the supporting muscles (mainly the glutes) has been really helping.

And remember to stay loose!

 

[tomkat]

Try exaggerating your stretching and warm up prior to throwing ... increase your H20 intake on a regular basis, not just around your playing time ... make sure you are getting enough good fats in your diet (omega 3's), and most importantly, take enough rest when needed rather than trying to 'work through it' ... if condition/symptoms persist, or do not seem to recover in a reasonable time, consider seeking professional consult ...

At your age, quite possibly a wear issue, especially if intensive sport/athletic involvement your entire life, and never having any monitoring or repair work done ... I am 60 now, played baseball (catcher) and hockey (goalie) all my life well up into adulthood, and body took a major beating ... was involved in construction work almost all my adult life, and 40's-50 did several competitions as a (natural) body builder ...

Right shoulder has been completely rebuilt, so I am very careful how I use it, and both knees are junk, but oddly enough, the right forearm seems to be the problem area for me with DG... so bad that while I am trying to let it recoup, I have been throwing LHBH (normally RHBH) ... if you were ever a right handed batting baseball player, this is not as much of a stretch as it seems, and after just a couple weeks, I am almost throwing as far LHBH as I was RHBH ... consider trying this while letting your right shoulder rest ...

In effort of full disclosure, I was certified as a Personal Fitness Trainer and in Sports Nutrition back in my 40's, but certs' expired years ago ... if you are concerned about the re-occurence of your condition, or feel a preventative look is a wise choice, always consult your medical professional of choice ...

Try lefty though, it is kind of eye opening on how discs react and form works from the other side... it has helped me understand flight characteristics better seeing it from both sides ...

 

[Brodie]

Real good advice from everyone. really loving this forum!
That towel stretch pic has already helped and I haven't even tried it yet..

 

[rickles]

I may need more examples of the towel stretch :thmbup:

 

[DavidSauls]

I'm a big advocate of stretching, especially for us, um, older folks. I wouldn't be surprised if hamstring and other stretches alleviate your back pain.

But I'm also a big advocate of finding an expert to find out what's really wrong, particularly if it persists or if the pain is sharp or severe. Be careful. If all this advice is wrong and you do permanent damage, you won't like the consequences. They won't bother us, but you won't like them.

 

[Dan Ensor]

I'm a big advocate of stretching, especially for us, um, older folks. I wouldn't be surprised if hamstring and other stretches alleviate your back pain.

But I'm also a big advocate of finding an expert to find out what's really wrong, particularly if it persists or if the pain is sharp or severe. Be careful. If all this advice is wrong and you do permanent damage, you won't like the consequences. They won't bother us, but you won't like them.

Yep. Stretch.

We aren't medical experts, but there are some form experts here that, with a video, could tell you if you're doing something that's aggravating it.


Soreness is exponential. If you aggravate it before it's healed, it hurts again in half the time, and takes twice as long to heal. My rule of thumb is however long it takes to go from pain to no pain, take that much time again off.

 

[DikkaD]

I recently tore my bicep and thought it was my shoulder. Apparently, the doc said it was torn at the top near the shoulder (this is common, especially for patients over 40). I threw my first round in 7 weeks since taking her advice and resting and it felt good. If you have or remember getting a bruise on the inside of your peck it could be this. Not sure of your pain level but mine was a notch below kidney stones.....

Heat, Ice, call the doctor (rest).

 

[QuinnAA199]

Yes always stretch it out. I got a workout band and do shoulder back exercises a couple times a day. Pretty soon pain will be gone.

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

I've got a lingering shoulder issue myself. Stretching and a thorough warm up helps a lot. I also find that if I tell myself to throw easy and remember to use my legs and torso more, my shoulder is a lot less sore at the end of the day. Throw smooth and don't try to kill it. I'd rather throw shorter throws and have use of my arm later in life than try to kill it and need surgery.

 

[filobedo]

I had this in 2010 and got a cortisone shot in my right shoulder muscle and the doctor gave me exercises where I make a fist with my thumb pointing north, hold my arm parallel to the ground about 20 degrees to the right of my torso and making circular motions for 30 seconds forward then 30 seconds backward which really has helped. I then point my thumb towards the ground and repeat.

 

[youdidwell]

Is it common knowledge to warm up before stretching? Every time I read stretching, I always think some guy is to start stretching straight out of their car before throwing. No bueno.

 

[rickles]

Good point, that is something I try to do if I have time but settle for stretching as you put it "right out of the car" when I do not have time. I usually try throwing 5 putters on certain lines at a target then jog to grab them, repeat usually 4 times. If I do that...warmed up for stretching.