Common Swimming Injuries and How to Avoid Them

Summary

Swimming is a great all-around exercise that uses your arms, legs, core, and back muscles. But when these muscles are imbalanced or weak, or if your technique is inconsistent, it can cause swimming injuries. Common injuries include swimmer's shoulder, shoulder instability, knee pain, neck pain, and back pain. It’s recommended that people with swimming injuries seek advice quickly to avoid further problems or exacerbating the issue. The White House Clinic offers targeted exercises and specific treatments for swimmers at 14 locations. 

An overview of swimming injuries 

Swimming is a low-impact activity that boosts your cardiovascular fitness, builds muscle, and improves joint range of motion and stability. However, there are common injuries that swimmers may experience. At the White House Clinic, our expert team can help you stay in the water and achieve your goals.

Common swimming injuries 

Swimming is a technical exercise. Improper technique, as well as inadequate warm-up and cool-down routines, can lead to problems. Repetitive movements and high training volumes also contribute to common swimming injuries – here’s a rundown of the injuries we see the most.

Swimmer's Shoulder 

You might know this condition as Impingement Syndrome or Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy. It’s remarkably common: swimmers have a 40-91% incidence rate of shoulder pain¹. Repetitive overhead arm movements cause a Swimmer’s Shoulder. It can manifest as pain in the front or side of the shoulder, especially during or after swimming, and may be aggravated by reaching or lifting.

Shoulder Instability

Repeated forceful movements can sometimes lead to instability in the shoulder joint, causing a feeling of looseness or even subluxation (partial dislocation). Both anatomical factors and repetitive movements can contribute to this condition. 

Knee Pain 

Sometimes known as ‘Breaststroker's Knee’, this is when the whip-kick action of breaststroke stresses the medial collateral ligament (MCL) of the knee. The result is pain on the inside of the knee. But it’s not just breaststrokers who experience knee pain. Freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke swimmers can suffer, too. For swimmers overall, knee injuries have an incidence rate of between 12.92% and 27%². 

Neck Pain

Maintaining a prolonged head position for breathing, over-extending the neck, and swimming head-up breaststroke can strain neck muscles and joints, causing pain and stiffness. 

Back Pain

‍Poor body roll, inadequate core engagement, and repetitive hyperextension can contribute to lower back pain in swimmers. 

How to Prevent Swimming Injuries 

Reduce your risk of swimming injuries when you work with a professional on your technique, warm-ups, and cool-downs. With the proper support, you can refine your stroke mechanics and minimise stress on your joints and muscles. Prescriptive stretches, performed before and after your swim, can help improve flexibility and alleviate soreness. 

Whether working with a coach or not, it is essential to follow a training plan. A plan ensures you progressively overload your training volume to prevent sudden increases that can lead to injury. 

Swimmers need to spend time in the gym, too. Incorporating exercises that strengthen the rotator cuff, core, and leg muscles will give you more stability and support during your swim sessions. Swimming legends like Michael Phelps always combine swimming with functional training, including weighted bodyweight exercises³.

To prevent swimming injuries, train carefully and listen to your body. Pay attention to pain and address it early. Ignoring it could lead to further and prolonged problems. 

How the White House Clinic Can Help

At White House Clinic, we have a team of experienced physiotherapists who understand the biomechanics of swimming. From comprehensive assessment and diagnosis to prevention strategies and plans, the team will help you get back in the pool. 

Swimming requires flexibility, strength and mobility. Our team will share targeted stretching and mobilisation exercises alongside specific exercises to improve muscle strength and endurance. Implementing a dry-side plan will keep you strong and injury-free for your swim.

Our experts understand the biomechanics of swimming. They’ll identify and correct movement patterns that may contribute to your injury. With proper technique and training modifications, you’ll prevent recurrence and future injuries. 

Pain is a barrier to exercise. For those suffering, our experts use manual therapy, shockwave therapy and taping to help you return to the pool.

Coming back to swimming after an injury requires a progressive rehabilitation program. Our physiotherapist team structures plans that gradually and safely reintroduce you to the water. 

Pain and injury shouldn’t keep you out of the pool. If you’re experiencing swimming-related injury or pain, contact the White House Clinic’s Physiotherapy team today. Our dedicated physios are here to help you recover, enhance your performance, and enjoy the benefits of swimming pain-free. We’re ready to help you achieve your aquatic goals across our 14 locations.

References 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/knee-pain 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shoulder-pain

https://www.britishswimming.org/performance/swimming/training-and-sports-science/injury-prevention

https://www.swimming.org/sport/5-tips-recovering-from-injury 

https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/overcoming-an-injury-a-personal-reflection-and-realization

¹https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11765451/

²https://journal.aspetar.com/en/archive/volume-4-targeted-topic-aquatic-sports/the-knee-and-back-in-swimming

³https://www.olympics.com/en/news/michael-phelps-training-regimen-workut-diet