Hi there!!
I just want to know if the resistance the lady has to give in her right arm against the man , may lead/contribute to any shoulder stress-injuries?
I recently discovered that I have some "troubles" in my shoulder and what tipped me off was when something jumped ( so that my teacher saw it ) when I lowered my arm after waltzing.

Now I am unable to finish my exams and am going to see a specialist in 2 weeks time. Just want to know...

Enjoy everything!!
via con deos

I guess it was the opposite shoulder because I'm a guy. I had a similar repetitive problem from dancing, which caused some pain in my left shoulder. I started doing some inclined presses in the weight room and over a couple of weeks the injury, which had been bothering me for close to a year, went away. Maybe you can find an excercise that will counter what ballroom dancing is doing to you... Good luck.

"Do or do not, there is no try," Yoda, Episode V

I agree with Porfirio that strengthening the muscles around your shoulders will reduce the risk of injury. It will also make it easier to keep you arms up. However, I also have a couple of other suggestions.

Most the most common shoulder complaint that I have heard of is with men leading women too roughly throwing them off balance. This is mainly a problem with underarm turns but can also happen with other steps. If this is the case, you need to tell your partner that he is pulling (and hurting)you.

In closed dance positions, you can help yourself learning to maintain less pressure in your connection. You do this by carrying yourself through the steps and not relying on your partner to supply all the energy to move you. This, however, is not easy and takes practice. I am always amazed how the best women dancers can (almost) make it feel like they are not there when I dance with them.

Blair