It may be poor technique or just old age, but when I waive my straight arm up and down, I feel and hear these strange sounds like muffled popping corn comming from my shoulder. Being a baby boomer, I wonder if shoulder soreness is shared by others who paddle? It lasts a few days till the next long paddle.
Do I just need to paddle more? I hit the water 2 to 3 times a week and usually paddle about 20-25 miles a week. Or what? I guess I could get an x-ray but it is not bad enough in my opinion to make a doctor visit. Are you over 40 and creak too? (or should that be creek?)
To quote Henny Youngman
"I told my doctor, ‘Doc, it hurts when I do this.’"
Doctor said “Don’t do that!”
I hear your noises, brother. Paddle more, stay flexy, and don’t overextend. My using a Greenland Paddle has reduced my joint soreness quite a bit.
Jim
Fellow Boomer
Ditto on the Greenland Style Paddle
and the over extension. I think a good rule of thumb is never let your elbo past your shoulder or over your shoulder when paddling.
I read that somewhere and it makes alot of sense to me
Brian
SoFlo
Try some ibuprofen
If the problem is inflammation in the rotator cuff, ibuprofen will reduce the inflammation which will accelerate your recovery. Rotator cuffs tend to get inflamed which causes more rubbing and more inflammation… it’s a vicious cycle. Pop a couple pills right after you paddle and I bet you will be good as new the next day.
I’m 40 and I started creaking a year ago. I had to have surgery on my right shoulder after an injury and now it’s good as new. The left one is starting to act up, however.
Could be bursitis or worse…
if it is a torn (even mildly) rotator. If it is busitis (I have it) I’ve found bunji stretches to be of help as well as a steady mild intake of Ibuprofin. I’ve used a G.P. for years as well as a wing. Use of the wing is totaly out and the G.P. isn’t much better. Any static pull on the shoulder, even resulting from a good torso rotation, hurts. I’ve laid off all kayaking for months and seem to be recovering by solo canoeing (bent shaft) far better, along with the bunji stretches. Everything I’ve researched indicates a torn cuff is only going to improve from a total layoff of paddling, or surgery. In most cases a torn rotator is only going to eventually get worse from use, and you should get an MRI to be totaly certain if it is the rotator or not. Don’t f*** with this one, if it hurts something is wrong and the poping you mention sounds like a cuff problem. I’d say see an orthopedic and leave us arm chair physicians out of the equation. Face it, if we had the knowledge we’d be making the big bucks also, see a specialist before it becomes worse. If surgery is required your using it is only gonna make your post surgery recovery time much, much longer. If you’ve got the insurance…use it!