The importance of thoracic mobility for optimal shoulder functioning (Part 1)
Shoulder injury prevention programs designed for swimmers are often focused only on the strength/endurance of the rotator cuff, and the rotational range of the glenohumeral. Though these are important areas to target, the upper body motions involved in swimming are very complex and require contributions from multiple joint segments.
It is important to always consider that the pathoanatomic location of the injury may be the result of limitations proximal or distal to that site. An example would be a swimmer with limited shoulder flexion whose lack of mobility causes them to engage in the compensatory strategy of hyperextending their lumbar region. Though this will help them to achieve an improved streamline during the entry phase of a dive or the underwater kicking phase, it will cause lower back pain which may not immediately be attributed to a shoulder limitation.
One of the areas that swim and strength coaches should be mindful of is the thoracic spine. This is a transitional zone between the cervical and lumbar regions, where approximately 80% of axial rotation originates. Thoracic extension is synchronized with shoulder movement, and thus…
