In the warmer months Sydneysiders will race to the beach or pool to cool off. Swimming is an excellent way to exercise pretty much every muscle in your body. Swimming can lead in numerous injuries with Swimmer’s Shoulder being the most common.
Swimmer’s shoulder – Swimming, however, can expose you to it’s fair share of injuries. Here’s a look at the most common and frequently seen swimming injury:
Swimmer’s Shoulder
- An umbrella term to describe a number of issues that can occur at the shoulder from an increase in training intensity or frequency and technique. Rotator cuff muscle or tendon tears as well as impingement are most common. Often, poor technique can cause these issues. Thumb entry as opposed to palm entry on freestyle, crossing your body’s midline with your hand on hand entry and stiffness in your thoracic spine to name but a few.
- Symptoms are usually described as sharp pain at one or more specific points of a stroke
- The best injury prevention includes an adequate warm up routine and refining your technique – ensure you are building the intensity of your swimming, start off slow to ready your body for what it’s about to do. A complimentary land-based workout routine is recommended – weights, strengthening and stretching.
- If you feel pain while swimming, stop, ice and consult your coach and Physiotherapist
Contact our friendly team of Physiotherapists are always happy to assess and treat your injury and get you back to activity as soon as possible.