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Swimming is one of the popular sports and physical activities that people of all ages enjoy. You could be a competitive swimmer or someone who just likes hanging out in the pool; however, you must know that in spite of its many health benefits, swimming is not free from risks. Like all physical activities, swimming can also cause potential injuries. But most of them are easily avoidable with necessary precautions.

Read on to learn more about some of the common swimming injuries.

Cause of swimming injuries

• Over-engaging in swimming causes fatigue, leading to improper stroke techniques.
• Poor swimming technique causes stress on some body parts, causing injuries.
• The rapid increase in training intensity causes muscle strains and sprains.
• Inadequate warm-up exercises before swimming cause muscle and joint injuries.
• Some environmental factors like cold water, improper chlorine levels, and harsh weather conditions also cause infections and injuries.

Common swimming injuries

With a proper understanding of swimming injuries, swimmers and coaches can take the right precautions and decrease the risk of injuries.

Here are some of the common swimming injuries:

Shoulder injuries

Swimmers get shoulder injuries because of repetitive overhead motions in swimming. Some of these conditions are swimmer’s shoulder, tendinitis, and impingement of the shoulder. This injury occurs because of overusing, improper stroke methods, and insufficient shoulder strength. Symptoms include decreased motion, pain, and weakness.

Swimmer’s knee

It is also called patellofemoral pain syndrome and is one of the common injuries in swimmers. With repeating kicking motions, your kneecap suffers from pain and tenderness. Strokes like breaststroke and butterfly stroke mainly cause this injury and are enhanced by bad kicking technique, improper rest, and muscular disparities.

Pain in the lower back

It is highly prevalent among swimmers, specifically those who carry out intensive training sessions. Repeating motion, along with weak techniques, strains the muscles and ligaments present in your lower back.

Various injuries in the neck

Swimmers also get neck injuries mainly because of inappropriate head positions during swimming strokes. Recurrent rotation of the neck strains the muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your neck region. This causes neck pain, discomfort, and toughness. To prevent such neck injuries, proper technique and maintaining a good head position are required.

Swimmer’s ears

It is an infection that occurs in your ear canal because of exposure to water. Swimming for a prolonged time creates a moist condition in the ear canal, which becomes a breeding area for several bacteria and fungi. It creates symptoms like ear pain, discharge, itching, etc. It is best to wear earplugs and dry your ears properly after swimming to prevent swimmer’s ear.

Muscle pulls

Swimmers also strain their muscles, especially in the shoulders, legs, back, and neck, because of overusing, bad swimming technique, and rapid acceleration. It results in the tearing of muscle fibers or stretching. Symptoms mainly include pain, reduced motion, and swelling; the right warm-up exercises, slowly increasing training intensity, and proper form decrease the risk of getting muscle pull.

Foot and ankle injuries

Swimmers can also get injuries in the foot and ankles, like Achilles tendinitis and ankle sprains, mainly during push-offs or flip turns, when a swimmer pushes off very strongly or lands wrongly. It strains the ligaments or tendons in the foot and ankle. It can be prevented by wearing proper footwear outside the pool, following the right flip-turn technique, and slowly enhancing training intensity.

Conclusion

So, listening to your body and taking prompt action for all kinds of pain and discomfort while swimming is vital. When any injury happens while swimming or post swimming, seek proper medical attention and follow all rehabilitation programs for rapid recovery. Swimmers should prioritize safety, the right techniques, and body conditions to decrease the risk of swimming-related injuries. Swimming is one of the best physical activities, and with all the required precautions, you can enjoy swimming and remain healthy.

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For informative videos related to Shoulder problems and their treatment options, Sports Injuries and other orthopedic conditions, visit the YouTube channel Bangalore Shoulder Institute – https://www.youtube.com/@BangaloreShoulderInstitute