Sports Injuries

Whether you are an elite athlete or a recreational sportsperson, a shoulder injury or complaint can be very significant.

Gavin Jennings has worked with many high level and amateur sportspersons helping them to achieve full recovery from their shoulder issues.

He understands that the goals of an athlete may be different than those of the general population in terms of both the demands on the shoulder and the need to achieve recovery in limited time frames. Mr. Jennings works closely with the athlete's physiotherapist / rehab teams to provide enhanced recovery to get them “match fit” as soon as possible.

Mr Jennings also has the benefit of working closely with Dr. Julian Widdowson, a highly experienced Sports Injury Physician.

Sports Injuries of the shoulder

Many injuries around the shoulder are seen in the general population but some are more commonly seen amongst the sporting group. Some of these are associated with particular sports.

They can be divided into acute and chronic (repetitive) injuries. Please see the relevant links below.

Treatment of these injuries obviously will depend on the condition, but many can be treated non-operatively e.g.  with specialist physiotherapy. In other cases, surgery may be the preferred option.

Acute shoulder injuries

Include 

• Fractures of the clavicle and humerus
• Acromioclavicular joint dislocations
• Shoulder dislocations
• SLAP tears
• Rotator cuff strains/tears
• Biceps tendonitis and tears
• Pectoralis major tears

Chronic shoulder injuries

Include

• Chronic instability
• Impingement
• Scapular problems (of positioning and movement)
• Nerve compression problems including, cervical nerve root entrapment, supra scapular nerve issues, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Quadrilateral space syndrome, stingers / burners
• Throwing / overhead athlete injuries (See below)

Shoulder injuries in throwing and overhead athletes

Throwing can place a lot of strain on the shoulder. The repetitive motion of throwing (or indeed other activities such as serving at tennis) can result in a number of problems around the shoulder.

Many of the above injuries also occur in throwing athletes but there are a few other conditions which are particularly prevalent in the throwing population e.g. Internal Impingement

Internal impingement is the condition where the undersurface of the rotator cuff tendons become damaged by repetitive contact with the labrum at the top of the glenoid (shoulder socket). Damage to the labrum also occurs as a result. 

Pain is often felt at the side and back of the shoulder particularly when the arm is brought up behind the head at the start of the throwing motion (the so called “cocking phase”) 

One theory as to why this occurs is that the repetitive positioning of the arm during throwing results in a loosening of the ligaments at the front of the shoulder and a tightening of the ligaments at the back. This is thought to cause the humeral head (ball) to drift backwards in the socket as the arm is brought into the cocking phase. This abnormal positioning of the humeral head results in the tendon and the labrum coming into contact.

For further information on shoulder problems in tennis players and throwing athletes please see here