Swimming (sport) less stress on joints. Due to continuous rotation and usage, the shoulder (rotator cuff) is the joint most susceptible to injury in swimmers. As opposed to a single incident, injury to the rotator cuff in swimmers is a result of repeated trauma and overuse. The joint is most prone to injury when the arm is repetitively used in a position above the horizontal. This position occurs in each of the four swimming strokes in every cycle of the arms. Of the four muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff, the injury, or tear, is most likely to occur in the
Rotator cuff tear extension, or vertical abduction, it is less likely to suffer from a tear of the tendon. Those suspected of having a rotator cuff tear may have operative or non-operative treatment. No evidence of benefit is seen from early rather than delayed surgery, and many with partial tears and some with complete tears will respond to nonoperative management. Consequently, many recommend initial, nonsurgical management. However, early surgical treatment may be considered in significant (>1 cm-1.5 cm) acute tears or in young patients with full-thickness tears who have a significant risk for the development of irreparable rotator cuff changes. A review in