Swimming is a fun, feel good sport for all ages and the perfect way to relax and de-stress. It’s a low-impact activity which is great for your physical health as it improves cardiovascular fitness, provides a full body workout and builds stamina and endurance. Other benefits include improving coordination, posture, balance and flexibility. Apart from anything else, swimming in the sea is an enjoyable way to cool down on a hot day. And did you know that the earliest evidence of recreational swimming dates to Stone Age paintings from around 10,000 years ago!
But for those more serious competitive swimmers who participate in events such as Local/County/National Championships, open water swimming and triathlons, frequent early morning practices and team workouts are the norm. Many will practice and compete all year round and elite swimmers may train more than five miles a day, putting their bodies through rigorous and extreme repetitive movements. However, with overtraining and overuse comes fatigue which can result in poor stroke mechanics and injury.
Common Swimming Injuries
Swimmer’s shoulder is the name given to a range of shoulder injuries which include:
- Rotator cuff impingement which is the result of pressure on the rotator cuff from the scapula (shoulder blade) as the arm is lifted above the head.
- Bicep tendonitis which is a painful inflammation of the tendons connecting the biceps muscle to the shoulder and elbow.
- Shoulder instability which occurs when the ligaments of the shoulder joint become torn, stretched or detached allowing the ball of the shoulder joint to move partially or completely out of the socket.
Symptoms: Localised pain in the affected part of the shoulder which may extend to the neck and down the arm. Pain worsens while resting. Decreased range of motion and shoulder strength. Tenderness in the affected area.
Causes: Overuse of the shoulder joint and imbalanced development of various muscle groups. Inherent weakness of muscles, tendons and ligaments of the shoulder. Poor swimming technique and excessive training without proper breaks or rests. Existing injuries which may be an underlying cause.
Remedy: Resistance training to improve strength and flexibility, particularly of the rotator cuff and scapular muscles, and correct other muscle imbalances. Rest to allow the joint to heal. Modification of swimming technique may be necessary. Taping of shoulder for support. Warming up slowly before training session.
Swimmer’s knee (also known as Breastroke knee)
Symptoms: General knee pain and/or swelling of the knee. Inflamed or fatigued knee tissue. Sharp pain when the knee is under stress.
Causes: The repetitive action of the breastroke kick is the main cause. The propulsion and extension of the kick subjects the knee to external rotation which goes against the structural design of the knee. This stresses the medial collateral ligament (MCL) which is the inner ligament of the knee.
Remedy: Dryland strength training to stabilise, strengthen and protect the knee joint with exercises such as; lunges, Romanian deadlifts, hip abduction and glute bridge. Stretching and mobility are important as well as warming up properly. Rest from activities that aggravate the symptoms.
Swimmer’s back
Symptoms: Pain in the lower back and occasionally, referred nerve pain in the leg.
Causes: The repetitive undulating motion (lumbar extension) used in butterfly and breastroke has the potential to cause stress on the joints.1 Also, tight hip flexors, weak gluteal muscles and poor core stability can lead to compensation at the lumbar spine.
Remedy: Improve overall core strength and correct muscle imbalances in order to stabilise and protect the lower back. Improve hip flexor flexibility.
Strength and conditioning training, or dry land training, is something probably most neglected by many swimmers and yet is most likely to have the biggest impact, particularly in injury prevention. The body builds muscle whenever the muscle is exposed to stress. Micro-tears occur in the muscle when it contracts and as the body repairs these tears, more muscle is built. However, swimming alone is a difficult exercise in which to build muscle because the contracting of muscles is not as strong in water. Therefore, dry land strength and resistance training for swimmers is crucial as it mixes up the repetitive motions done in the pool, targets underdeveloped muscles and generally fortifies the musculoskeletal system. Strength training also improves your cardiovascular and muscle endurance which results in better and more consistent stroke mechanics.
Don’t ‘just swim’, become a better, stronger, fitter athlete!
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- Wanivenhaus, F., Fox, A., Chaudhury, S. & Rodeo, S. (2012). Epidemiology of injuries and prevention strategies in competitive swimmers. 4(3); 246-51.
