Hi,
To frame my question: I have been kayaking for about 25 years now and am a 4 star BCU paddler, so I am an experienced paddler and I believe that my forward stroke is descent (although I would admit that of all the various strokes I think this one is hardest to master). And I am an avid weight lifter and don’t have any issues with muscle strength
I had to take a two-year break from kayaking. Before my break I noticed that I was getting a lot of muscle fatigue and associated pain in my left shoulder. I started paddling again recently and noticed the same thing. Within 5 minutes of paddling it becomes very uncomfortable for me and I have to stop paddling every five minutes or so becuase my left shoulder is fatigued. It’s now hard for me to paddle at all and to becuase of this.
I use a Werner Cyprus bent shaft at a 30 degree right offset and a right control hand. It is always my left shoulder that is an issue. I never have any issues with my right shoulder. I am also a canoeist and I am more comfortable paddling on the right side than left so I think my form is better on that side perhaps.
I am guessing that this is likely a form issue, or perhaps a biomechanical issue. I do have bad shoulders and shoulder impingement.
Can anyone give me some form issues that may help with this? I am being careful to exercise good form and to ensure that I make the paddle exit the water soon enough that I am not lifting water.
FWIW I have a GP as well and it produces less fatigue with my shoulder but does nto solve the issue
An MRI and consult with a top notch - like national team doc - would be your first move.
If you weight train and are not working with a paddling coach my guess is that you never work external rotators? They stabilize your shoulder, but are tiny muscles.
I suggest a visit to a sports physical therapist. After I fractured my shoulder some years ago I was give specific PT exercises. They worked and I still do them on both sides.
It’s great that you’re back to paddling! That would be frustrating after 2 years off to have the issue still be there. Hopfully there’s some kind of physical therapy to bring all the nerve/muscle/circulation back up to full function. About all that comes to mind in practice would be to focus on keeping that shoulder in it’s neutral natural position throughout the stroke. Don’t roll it forward or back. But i think you probably have good self awareness in those type of things already.
Seems to be a “thing” that can happen to long time paddlers. Ken Whiting just reported needing to take another extended “break” after just coming back from a previous break.
Plenty of people have shoulder trouble as they age. Paddling requires repetitive motion for hours at a time. I have used physical therapy so many times I have lost count to get back in action.
I had shoulder trouble for several years. A telemark ski crash on ice did not help. A life with horses and motorcycles didn’t either.
I can attest that crunchy painful shoulders can be improved by simple exercises. Start with a can of soup in each hand. Work on range of motion exercises. Practice paddling strokes. Make a gentle throwing motion. Graduate to a large soup can. You can use light weights 5-7.5 pounds or so. This process allowed me to bypass shoulder surgery.
Thanks so much for all the good comments. I think it may be a combination of factors that include the need for some PT and strengthening of rotator cuff muscles, and perhaps some minor issue with form that is exacerbating the problem. The pain is muscle pain in my side deltoid—the kind of pain you would get if you did 25 or 30 lateral raises with a light dumbell. I get this in the first 5 minutes of paddling. Given that I have good strenghth and fitness and pretty good form I think the answer must lie with some issue of muscular imbalance that could be addressed by PT. Even if I had horriblely bad form I would think it would be difficult to have muscle fatigue of that degree in such a short period of time.
I also have been dealing with some issues in my left arm as a result of pinched nerves in my neck. Maybe this is related to that. I did not consider that previously. I am planning to get surgery to correct the pinched nerve issue. Perhaps getting that problem fixed and doing some more PT will help.
In the meantime I am going to be very strict in focusing on good form. I think that I do tend to begin my paddle exit a little too far back and may be lifting some water. That may be contributing to the issue.
I do find PT to be very helpful and it is interesting to me how something like should impingement can cause you to compensate in a manner that results in poor strength or efficiency by over taxing certain muscles. Again, that may be a factor.
I obviously can’t diagnose your particular problem, but I will mention that I have long had a wonky lower neck vertebra which occasionally gets knocked out of alignment if I careless yank some heavy load with one arm, most often the left, OR if I roo quickly snap my head in a sharp turn, as one may do when your hands are full and somebody asks where something is and you head-gesture to indicate “over thataway”. This results in horrible spasms across my trapezious muscles in my upper back and sharp enough pain when I try to turn my head or reach either arm even close to above shoulder level. In the most recent case, when I stupidly yanked a yard work wagon loaded with composted chipped wood up a hill with my left arm, that arm was tender and painful from armpit to wrist, especially the forearm, even at rest for 10 days, until I was able to get a chiropractor to adjust the neck back in line. That cleared up the pain and paralysis about 80% right away and it was gradually resolved to 95% 4 days later.
I did do regular stretches as I recovered, most of which I get from the on line tips from the Brooklyn-based PhD/ PT DR. Dan Shapiro, whose “Project Physical Therapy” posts on Facebook give excellent advice and encouragement on solving joint issues. I had been a “guinea pig” 3 years ago as a volunteer for similar therapy and exercise counseling as he offers for low back pain at the University of Pittsburgh Sports Medicine research center with great outcome (no low back pain since) so I recognize the validity of his advice. He’s a little goofy in that he likes to include little dance routines in his videos (he was a competitive ballroom dancer in his younger days) but his advice and routines are solid.
I do know several people, my late mother included, who avoided serious back, knee and shoulder surgeries that had they were being pressed to have by going through a combination chiropractic and PT with exercise regimen by qualified practitioners. In fact my GP family doc had referred me to a chiro he trusted the first time I had that neck spasm incident. Mom was able to avoid ruptured disc surgery and the PT regimen from her chiro relieved back pain that had been leaving her prostrate on the floor in agony at times.
i know it was the strain and not just aging deterioration that caused that last bout of my shoulder and arm agony (even though I just turned 75 and have several healed bones and surgeries in the joints of both arms due to past sports accidents) because the week before it happened I had just returned from a kayaking vacation on the Maine coast where I paddled continuously and vigorously 3 to 7 hours a day. Had no discomfort at all during that trip or after UNTIL the mulch-hauling incident.
As was my experience with the back pain situation, I have learned that if I keep up with the strengthening and stretching exercises daily, the shoulder and arm stiffness and pain don’t manifest (helps also that I am now more careful to avoid doing stupidly abrupt high-strain movements.)
At age 84+, this has been my experience i.e. keep a consistent routine. Of course, every shoulder problem is unique, but if you somehow find a useful routine, keep at it.
Hi, to protect my shoulders I changed to a smaller blade size a couple of years ago. It took a few months to increase my paddle rate to keep up with my mates. I also avoid lifting my boat of the SUV on my own and work with 3 others to lift a loaded sea kayak. I warm up slowly and try to avoid heavy lifting of other things. Lots of little things to avoid strain. I have arthritis but am managing it with these measures. Best of luck.
Have you considered switching to a traditional (stick) paddle? My husband and I both experienced shoulder fatigue early on in our kayaking journey and made the switch. It’s been much better since.
I’ve been paddling since 1946 and switched from a traditional Euro paddle to a Greenland paddle --this isn’t a difficult process of learning something new, but rather an easy, natural shift. The main idea is that the Greenland paddle encourages a more efficient and natural paddling motion that is less strenuous on the body. Instead of using muscle and force, the technique relies on letting energy flow from the core. This can lead to less joint strain, more comfort, and the ability to paddle longer and more effortlessly, potentially allowing paddlers to enjoy the sport for more years. The text frames the change not as a step backward, but as a way to unlock a more natural and sustainable paddling experience.
If it isn’t structural damage, sounds like it might be capsulitis. One steroid shot and a little therapy fixed the problem of nagging pain I tried to ignore for one year. I noticed a massive improvement in just 24 hours after the shot (95% better). Within a week it was as if there was never a problem. It was miraculous. Kicking myself for not seeking medical help from an orthopedist sooner.
This is the best advice yet. And that is the point of seeking a medical professional who has knowledge of a particular sport.
Too often people screw around with advice from random strangers on-line instead of just going to The Best. In that time they develop muscular imbalances and compensation patterns. And the funny thing about compensation patterns - you are not even aware that they exist unless you are working with a really dialed coach who has an advanced degree in their field.
The comment about having someone watch your technique… really, maybe 1 in 500 people who call themselves paddlers will have those MA skills. Think national team coach, IT, or ITE.
Seek out the best. I’m in Colorado. My doc is in Miami. Former USOPC doc, Harvard Med School grad and competitive bodybuilder. It is totally worth it for me to get on a plane to see him.
Recurring pain is a sign that your technique is troublesome. Taking pain killers masks doesnt cure the problem; it just makes it tolerable. My left rotaor cuff is permamently damaged with two of four tendons detatched and advanced arthritis from the MRSA infection. My original paddling technique caused significant pain that took several days to manage. The logical solution was to adapt by using a technique that locked out the shoulder articulation. Once you no longer feel the pain, you’re probably on the right track.
One solution is to go Greenland. That reduces the load on your shoulder joint if you continue high angle (50 sq in Greenland vs 95 to 110 sq in Euro)., and probably solves the problem if you switch to low angle - hmmm!? I wonder if switching to low angle with a 100 sq in Euro would also eliminate the pain because the technique is more joint friendly.
Yry to focus on the joint articulation using high angle, especially with the paddle following the keel line, with large paddle blades, while bracing on alternate foot pegs and pushing/pulling the paddle. The prevailing advice is paddle harder, take meds, see a doctor, do exercise, take a class. When you shred your shoulders, get new ones.
In over four years of reading solutions, I can’t recall any suggestion to change technique that incorporate a rigid paddler’s box and torso rotation which locks out the shoulder movement. Then of course low angle isn’t as powerful as high angle and it causes the boat to waddle like a duck. I disagree, but I’m just a ham and egg paddler, yet I can match my pre-injury performance without shoulder pain. The Greenland paddle offers relief, but with half the blade area. Good luck.
I’d like to see that text. In reviewing hundreds of studies on paddling technique, loads, efficiencies in peer reviewed professional journals (National Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, the four publications of the American College of Sports Medicine and several European professional publications), I have yet to see a diligently conducted study with a statistical valid sample population that validates your position. Mostly it is guys in their dark basements posting on a blog.
I had shoulder problems for years, brought on in part by swimming. A couple of things seem to have helped. Most important was the ‘door hang,’ i.e. wrapping a towel over a door or a bar and hanging very gently. This is mainly a stretch, and this is important, it addresses tightness in the upper ribs as much as the shoulder. A second is to stand in a door with your hands on either side - touching each side of the door frame. Again, a stretch, and you can vary the height of your hands. I do both of these pretty much every day. Finally, there’s the Feldenkreis approach of extending your arm/shoulder only as far as comfortable, holding, and then going a bit further as becomes comfortable. I add one more thing, although it’s likely not needed for you as an experienced paddler - namely, make sure your hands never ever go above your shoulder, and even a bit ‘artificially’ keep your elbows close to your trunk. Let us know how it goes.
Thanks again for all the helpful comments. I went paddling the other day and once again my shoulder was fatigued to the point where it hurt to do a “chicken wing” elbow lift…all within the first 5 minutes of paddling at a slow pace. This is just not right. I continued to paddle for about 90 minutes but had to stop every 5 minutes or so. This is making paddling not to be fun and has really made me evaluate whether I want to keep doing this. This is unfortunate. I am not giving up yet though.
After paddling I literally had a knot in my side deltoid.
Yes, the GP / stick is easier on my shoulders but I prefer the Euro. I like to paddle in the surf and rough water and find the Euro better for me for its ability to accelerate and for better bracing, etc. I also just prefer paddling with Euro. I also find it easier for rolling which probably shocks people. I guess I need to get used to rolling with the stick. I know it has much better potential for rolling…I have the Dubside video.
During my last session I did notice that I am bending my elbow a bit on my bad side. I focused on keeping my arms out front a bit more and it helped. I will continue to try to tweak my paddling technique, but this is definitely about more than technique that is going on.
I got a referral to go to physical therapy again (I have been to PT for this shoulder and the other many times througout the years), and I have started doing some of my own rotator cuff exercises in the iterim.
I will give this my best effort and let you know how it all turns out. I also will not rule out just switching to a GP for most of my paddling.
