Canoeing and kayaking can often lead to shoulder problems and inflammation.
The causes and issues can be multiple, but these 3 practices could solve the problem for good.

Shoulder inflammation caused by canoeing is quite common and can be due to multiple factors. 

However, based on my personal experience (which is not statistically relevant for medical purposes), I’ve seen that many people suffer because of tendon inflammation in the front part of the rotator cuff. 

I also struggled with this problem and it took more than one consultant to really understand what the cause was in order to eliminate it. 

The impingement is due to an incorrect movement of the humeral head inside the shoulder joint. This problem is caused by overly tight and stiff posterior muscles, which make the shoulder rotate poorly and too far forward (counterintuitive as it may sound, that’s how it is). The tendons then get pinched by the humeral head, leading to inflammation and discomfort. 

Solution

1. Release tension in the posterior muscles. 

Stretching exercises shown in the video below can help a lot to “free up” the shoulder. 

2. Strengthen the internal rotators of the shoulder

Balancing the shoulder and strengthening the weaker muscles helps to restore balance in tensions. Internal rotation exercises also naturally stretch the posterior muscles and teach the shoulder to move more correctly. Exercises such as push-ups, resistance bands, and dips can be useful.

3. Technique

Poor technique can easily lead to inflammation if the movement is repeated often. Unfortunately, this is the hardest thing to change, but it’s also the main cause of inflammation. Since I started performing the correct movements, my shoulders haven’t had any inflammation problems. 

Attention

Make sure you do not perform exercises or stretching if you feel pain — inflammation should not be irritated. Wait until the pain has calmed down before continuing. Only do exercises that do not cause pain, and start with stretching.