Swimming is an excellent sport. It is enjoyed by people of all ages. Swimming is a one-of-a-kind exercise that mixes upper and lower extremity strength training with cardiovascular conditioning in a non-weight-bearing setting. Despite several benefits of swimming, it can also harm your body if done incorrectly. Therefore, both competitive and recreational swimmers should take precautions when swimming to avoid some common injuries.
The majority of swimming injuries are overuse injuries caused by poor biomechanics. The shoulder, neck, lower back, and knee are the most common swimming injury sites. I believe that the best remedies for these injuries are education and prevention. So, in this blog, we’ll go through the most common injuries in swimmers due to poor technique or excessive effort.
Neck Injuries
Swimming can also put a lot of strain on the neck. This is due to the contortion required to keep the head above water during the breaststroke or to rotate the neck to breathe during the freestyle stroke.
Preventative Measures
While swimming, keep your head aligned with your spine (and the rest of your body). Instead of rotating your neck to breathe, rotate your whole body. Ultimately, the best way to avoid this common swimming injury is to improve your technique to limit potentially damaging neck movement.
Recovery/Treatment
Try a few different strokes to add some variety to your training program. Consult your doctor to determine how often you should exercise and what precautions you should take.
Swimmer’s Shoulder
Most swimming techniques require a lot of arm movement, which puts a great deal of strain on the rotator cuffs and arm/shoulder muscles. The repetition of these motions without regulation can damage the tissue. It has also seen that nearly everyone who swims on a regular basis develops some form of shoulder pain, which will prevent them from swimming for a time. Freestyle stroke is the most common cause of swimmer’s shoulder.
The term “swimmer’s shoulder” refers to any injuries that can occur as a result of the repetitive motion of moving one’s arms. Some of the most common swimmer’s shoulder injuries are:
- Rotator cuff impingement
- Bicep tendonitis
- Rotator cuff tears
- Bursitis, etc
Preventative Measures
Make sure you’re using the right strokes and approaches. Pay special attention to how you place your hands in the water. Instead of entering the water with your thumb first, make contact with the water with your full hand.
Recovery/Treatment
Eliminate kick boarding exercises, limit training, and avoid abrupt increases in workout intensity to avoid excessive shoulder strain. Most crucial, do not exercise (swim) when your muscles are tired. Consult a doctor before returning to swimming, especially high-intensity workouts, during the recovery process.
Patello-femoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS)
Stress on the patellar tendon, which joins the kneecap (patella) to the thigh bone, causes PFPS, often known as ‘runner’s knee’. Competitive swimmers can experience knee pain as a result of repeated kicking. The symptoms include pain in front of your knee and behind or in front of your knee cap.
Treatment
Patello-femoral dysfunction syndrome can cause generalised pain, and it can have many causes, so a thorough diagnosis is essential. PFPS may be resolved with rest and physiotherapy to build strength around the knee and improve flexibility. Massage and injection therapy may also be beneficial in the recovery process.
Breaststroke Swimmer’s Knee
The breaststroke swimmer’s knee is also a common injury in swimmers. In recreational situations, the breaststroke is a comfortable and relatively relaxed style. However, breaststroke can be physically difficult in more competitive situations. During the breaststroke, you can inadvertently damage the knee ligaments by turning your legs outwards. Inflammation, knee pain and swelling are the common symptoms and can lead to problems with the medial collateral ligament.
Preventative Measures
Exercise sessions involving only breaststroke should be avoided. Instead, mix up your routine by practising different strokes. Improving the angle of hip abduction (the angle at which your foot moves away from your hip) can also help reduce knee strain. Ultimately, increasing your overall strength through exercise is beneficial to your entire body (including the knees) and will help you build the strength you need for a strong swimming exercise.
Recovery/Treatment
Take care of your injured knee by icing it at least twice a day. Any medically approved fitness routine should include all preventive measures.
Swimmer’s Ear
Swimmer’s ear is also a common and painful injury among swimmers.
The following are the most common swimmer’s ear symptoms:
- Itching
- Sensitive outer ear
- Clogged ear canals
- Muffled hearing
Untreated mild cases may worsen, and worse cases may cause swelling or even a fever.
Preventative Measures
You should avoid swimming in potentially polluted water bodies. After swimming, wipe your ears thoroughly with a cotton swab.
Recovery/Treatment
Doctors will clean out your ear and give medicinal drops to relieve pain and prolong the cleaning process, depending on the severity of the infection. Doctors would most likely advise you to avoid swimming during this time.