Swimming Injuries

SWIMMING
WATER SAFETY
Recreational swimming and water
activities enrich our lives. Family and
neighborhood ties are strengthened by
weekends at the beach, vacations by
mountain lakes, rides on the family
boat, pool parties and just “having the
neighborhood kids over to use the pool.”
While these activities add great value to
our lives, water can potentially be a
source of danger.
Learning Focus:
• Discuss the common swimming
injuries and how to prevent and
manage them.
SWIMMING
INJURIES
While swimming is excellent
exercise for your body and works out
several muscle groups, the incorrect
technique can be damaging to your
body. Competitive and recreational
swimmers alike must exercise
caution when swimming to avoid
common swimming injuries.
SOME
SWIMMING
INJURIES
Swimmer’s Shoulder
The arm movement involved in
most swimming techniques can
cause significant strain for arm and
shoulder muscles. Without
regulation, repetition of these
motions can cause tissue damage.
Swimmer’s shoulder is the most
common swimming injury, and often
results from the freestyle stroke.
Preventive Measures
Ensure that your stroke and
techniques are performed correctly.
Pay particular attention to the way
that your hands enter the water–
your entire hand should make
contact with the water at the same
time, as opposed to entering thumb
first.
Treatments for Swimmer’s Shoulder
Avoid causing unnecessary shoulder
strain by eliminating kickboarding
exercises, limiting training, and refraining
from sudden increases in workout
intensity. Most importantly, don’t exercise
(swim) with fatigued muscles. Consult a
doctor before swimming at all during the
recuperation process, especially before
returning to intense routines.
Neck Injuries
Swimming can cause
significant strain on the
neck as well. This is primarily
due to the contortion involved
in keeping the head above the
water during the breaststroke,
or rotating the neck to breathe
during the freestyle stroke.
Preventive Measures
Always keep your head
aligned with your spine (and the
rest of the body) while swimming.
Instead of twisting your neck to
breathe, rotate your entire body.
Ultimately, honing your technique
to eliminate potentially damaging
neck movement is the best
preventative measure for this
common swimming injury.
Treatments for Neck Injuries
To create variety in
your exercise routine, try
performing some different
strokes. Consult with a
doctor to determine how
frequently you can
exercise, and the steps that
you should take when
doing so.
Breaststroke Swimmer’s Knee
By facing your feet out
during the breaststroke, you
may inadvertently impact the
ligaments in the knee. This
generally causes swelling,
knee pain, and inflammation,
among other symptoms,
leading to issues with
the medial collateral ligament.
Preventive Measures
Avoid exercises sessions
that consist only of the
breaststroke. Instead, vary your
routine by practicing other
strokes. Additionally, improving
the hip abduction angle will help
prevent unnecessary knee
stress.
Treatments for Breaststroke Swimmer’s Knee
Tend to the injured

knee by icing it regularly,
at least two times per
day. Follow all
preventative measures
in any physician-
approved exercise
routine.
Swimmer’s Ear
While not an orthopedics-
related swimming injury per
se, swimmer’s ear can cause
quite a level of discomfort.
Swimmer’s ear is primarily
contracted after swimming in
water with high bacteria levels.
Preventive Measures
Avoid swimming in
potentially dirty bodies of
water, and carefully clean
your ears with a cotton
swab after swimming.
Treatments for Swimmer’s Ear
Depending on the
intensity of your infection,
doctors will clean out your
ear, and prescribe medicated
drops to lessen pain and
continue the cleaning
process. During this process,
doctors will likely recommend
you refrain from swimming.
Labrum Tear
A more severe
form of swimmers
shoulder, if left
untreated, can
result in a tear of
the labrum.
Preventive Measures
In order to prevent damage
to your labrum, it's of the utmost
importance to adjust your routine
to account for the instability. A
critical step to preventing further
injury is to warm up your
shoulders properly.
Treatments for Labrum Tear
This injury is very serious
and always requires surgery.
Along with the surgery,
swimmers suffering from
labrum tears are expected to
complete a physiotherapy
regiment in order to aid in
recovery and prevent muscle
atrophy.
GENERAL
GUIDELINES
TO
PREVENT
SWIMMING
INJURIES
YOU MUST:
1) Read and obey notices giving advice to swimmers.
2) Obey pool attendants.
3) Check depth markings on the side of the pool.
4) Stay clear of deep water unless you are a good
swimmer.
5) Do not push others into the water.
6) Do not duck others under the water
7) Do not jump into an area where people are swimming.
References:
4 Common Swimming Injuries: Prevention & Recovery (2017,
June 7). Retrieved from http://centralorthopedicgroup.com
Caudill, T. (2015, November 13). 3 Common Swimming Injuries
with Prevention Tips [Web log post]. Retrieved from
https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/common-
swimming-injuries-treatment-prevention/
Safety, First Aid and Sports Injury Management (n.d.). Retrieved
from http://www.jaconline.com.au

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SWIMMING

Tend to the injured

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