Zak Goodman

Get your shoulder evaluated by a professional healthcare provider, such as a physical therapist, movement optimization therapist, chiropractor or physician if necessary. Check the range of motion of your thoracic spine and work on increasing the strength there to help with shoulder pain.
 
Transcript: "Hey Grant, if you have shoulder pain and are a swimmer, what would you do to heal it? Fortunately, I know you pretty well Grant, but for other swimmers out there, I don't exactly know your issues. So this is a general answer. What I would say is get it evaluated by a professional, a healthcare professional, whether it's a physical therapist, a movement optimization therapist, a chiropractor, or a physician if necessary to see what the issue is. It could be anything from labrum tear to just movement imbalance. But from my position as a movement optimization therapist, I analyze to see the posturing and range of motion of the shoulder. And typically for swimmers, if you have shoulder pain, it doesn't have to do with the mobility of the shoulder. It typically has to do with the mobility of the thoracic spine. So if you're unable to move throughout your range of motion without issues, check your mid-back, check your spine, and work on that range of motion, increasing the strength there. That could help very, very much."

To increase mobility and stability at the same time, use a lengthened state (such as a hip hinge) and load the movement with a semi-lengthened hamstring while slowly increasing the load. This will help the body recognize and accomplish the movement, creating neuromuscular confusion in the process.
 
Transcript: "How can I increase my mobility and stability at the same time? I actually love this question because I believe mobility and stability go hand in hand. The way I typically teach this is we want to load a range of motion or a deeper range of motion under tension. For instance, let's say our hamstrings are not getting enough length in them or the length that we need. What we typically do is put the patient or person into a lengthened state. So let's say a hip hinge, which could be also known as possibly a deadlift, something like that. Then we load that deadlift with a semi-lengthened hamstring or start off short. And then we slowly increase the load as we gently lengthen the hamstrings. This is very difficult for the body to recognize and accomplish. So it does create some trembling and a little bit of confusion neuromuscularly, but it's highly effective in changing and keeping the muscle length at the new neutral."

To improve your posture while driving, rest your left foot on the space between the pedals near your door and gently pull with your hands away from the steering wheel to activate your low back muscles.
 
Transcript: "How should my driver's seat be adjusted to improve my posture? I'm Dr. Zach Goodman. I am a doctor of chiropractic and a movement optimization therapist. I believe that in a car or in a driving position is not the time to be working on your posture unfortunately. I don't think there are any optimal positions in a car. If you put your seat upright, the headrest is going to push your head forward. If you're leaning back, you're going to lean forward anyway. However, I did find that there are a couple things that you can do to cue your posture properly. One of them being the left foot, if it is not doing anything, there is usually a place along near the door between the pedals that is there to rest your foot I assume. Gently push on that with the left leg while the right does the work. This will help even out the pelvis. Another exercise that might work is if you are driving straight or not near anyone in traffic on the road, then ever so gently take your hands from under the steering wheel and gently pull. This will initiate your low back to activate and help support it while you're driving."

Low back pain and shoulder pain are two of the most common physical issues seen in elite swimmers. These issues are usually caused by a lack of integrity and mobility in the body, as well as overuse and hypermobility of the shoulders. To correct these issues, one should focus on developing tension and integrity in their body, known as tensegrity. Additionally, it is important to get evaluated so that any issues and deficiencies can be identified and addressed.
 
Transcript: "What are the most common physical issues or deficiencies that you see in elite level swimmers? Great question Kyle, I appreciate that, it's a very good question. The most common deficiencies or issues that I see is low back pain, huge issue, and shoulder pain, typically from overuse. Low back pain is usually because the swimmers don't really have the integrity and mobility they need in the rest of the body and also need to be very hydrodynamic. So on land they tend to compensate by collapsing or compressing in the low back. The shoulder issue, typically due to overuse and hypermobility, is not, I found to be, mostly a shoulder issue. The issue in that is typically a lack of thoracic or mid back mobility. Swimmers typically have a hyperkyphosis in the mid back, which is an over rounding, and a hyperlordosis in the low back, which is an overarching or collapsing. And they usually go together or hand in hand. The way to correct this would be to start working on the integrity and tension in the body, known as tensegrity, according to a book called Anatomy Trains, which is huge in the movement optimization realm and profession. Getting evaluated as to what your issues and deficiencies are is very vital in getting these things corrected."

As a movement optimization therapist, my approach to working with swimmers and athletes has changed. I now take into account the individual's biomechanics and how they feel after the session and over time to ensure that they are getting the best possible result from the treatment.
 
Transcript: "Grant, this is another phenomenal question. Since working with swimmers and athletes, how has your approach changed? So as a movement optimization therapist, when I first started doing this, I did have to change a lot of what I believed in or thought I knew about the human body. So originally as a strengthening conditioning specialist, I believed traditional weightlifting deadlifts and squats and then moving into power exercises and then translate that into endurance power and all that was a very rigid type of pyramid or protocol. I have since then learned that it is a good rule set. However, it is wide and varying. And when working with athletes, movement and biomechanics, it can change depending on the person that's in front of me. So what I think is a good position or a proper movement, it doesn't work for that person so well. So I need to ask a lot of questions and get a lot of feedback as to how the patient is feeling, not just within a session, but within a prolonged period of time to make sure that it is these corrections, movement corrections are indeed what that patient wants and needs so that they feel better in the long run and can continue to build on that."

Yes, a TENS unit can provide temporary relief from pain in the low back, but it is not a long-term solution and other treatments would be necessary.
 
Transcript: "Is a TENS unit effective for pain reduction in the low back? What do you think, INZ? No? Yes? That's a good question. A TENS unit is effective for temporary relief of pain in the low back, strictly because you are distracting your mind from the pain, just like you would if you shook your hand off after you burnt it on a stove. The nerves from shaking your hand go quicker to your brain than the pain nerves. So that is essentially what a TENS unit does. However, it does not reduce the pain long term. Other modalities and exercises would be necessary."