5 Most Common Swimming Injuries

This is often caused by repetitive overhead motion of the arms, poor technique, or general overuse. Symptoms can include pain, swelling, and a decreased range of motion in the affected shoulder.

How to Prevent Shoulder Injuries from Swimming

In order to prevent swimmer's shoulder, it's important to ramp up your training gradually, as diving headfirst into a strenuous routine can put you at greater risk for the condition. Performing mobility exercises regularly to support the range of motion in your shoulder can also help.

Treatment for Swimmer's Shoulder

Modification is one the key’s for healing swimmer's shoulder. Your physical therapist may work with you to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles (these muscles stabilize the shoulder joint) using external and internal rotation exercises. You'll likely also work on scapular stabilization—strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blades to help stabilize your shoulder. Your physical therapist might also provide you with a range of motion exercises that you can perform in your sessions and at home.

2. Swimmer's Back

In certain strokes—like the butterfly—the back can hyperextend, resulting in pain and stiffness (especially in the lower back). Causes can include excessive arching of the back, a lack of core strength, and poor technique.

How to Prevent Back Injuries While Swimming

Strengthening exercises—including pull-ups, deadlifts, and rows—can help to build and support your posterior chain, reducing the likelihood of straining your back. It's important to balance back exercises with core exercises to develop a strong and balanced midsection.

Treatment for Swimmer's Back

Physical therapy can help to address areas of weakness in your back with back-strengthening exercises. Your physical therapist may also talk with you about core strengthening exercises, as a strong core can help support your back, both helping you heal and preventing future injuries.

3. Swimmer's Ear

This infection of the outer ear canal is caused by prolonged exposure to water. Symptoms of swimmer's ear can include pain, itching, redness, and discharge from the ear.

How to Prevent Swimmer's Ear

There are several ways that you can prevent swimmer's ear, including using earplugs while you're swimming, drying your ears well once you get out of the pool, and using drying eardrops if you spend a lot of time in the pool.

Treatment for Swimmer's Ear

Typically, antibiotics are required to successfully treat a swimmer's ear infection. Your doctor will examine your ear and talk to you about your symptoms to determine whether antibiotic treatment is necessary. While you're waiting for the antibiotics to kick in, it's important to keep the ear dry and avoid inserting objects (including cotton swabs) into the ear canal.

4. Swimmer's Knee

Swimming is known for being easy on the knees—but this isn't always the case. The repetitive frog kick motion in the breaststroke can cause pain in the knee due to stress on the medial collateral ligament, or MCL. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and tenderness in the knee.

How to Prevent Knee Injuries While Swimming

Strength training that works the muscles around your knees—including squats, lunges, and leg presses—can reduce the likelihood of swimmer's knee. Working with a swim coach can also be helpful in perfecting your technique and lowering the likelihood of developing knee problems.

Treatment for Swimmer's Knee

Modification is one of the key’s to allowing your knee to heal, making adjustments to your swimming routine once you're back in the pool. If you're usually a breaststroke swimmer, switch it up by adding freestyle or backstroke laps into your routine. Working with a physical therapist to expand your range of motion and strengthen the muscles around the knee can also help you heal.

5. Neck Injuries

It's easy to get into the habit of straining your neck while you're swimming, especially in the freestyle and backstroke. Unfortunately, straining your neck can cause pain and stiffness. Swimming-related neck injuries are usually caused by improper breathing techniques or excessive head movement.

How to Prevent Neck Injuries While Swimming

Using a bilateral breathing technique can help to reduce the risk of neck injuries while swimming. Regularly stretching your neck, shoulders, and upper back can also help to increase your range of motion, possibly preventing the development of neck pain.

Treatments for Neck Injuries

A combination of activity modification, pain management, physical therapy, and lifestyle adjustments can work well to help heal a swimming-related neck injury. Your physical therapist may walk you through gentle stretches, strengthening exercises, and posture training to reduce strain on your neck while you heal.  Manual therapy performed by a physical therapist, to improve how well your neck is moving, may be necessary. 

Splash Back into Action! Our Physical Therapists are Ready to Help You Recover. Schedule Your Visit Today!

Whether you're a competitive swimmer or you're just getting started with hitting the lap pool, the team at Back in the Game Physical Therapy is here to help. We'd love to talk with you about how we can help you feel your best, in and out of the pool. Reach out to our team today to learn more and schedule your first appointment. We'll see you soon!