Recovering From Swimming Injuries Through Physiotherapy

Swimming is an activity enjoyed by people of all ages. However, just like any other sport, people who regularly engage in swimming are prone to injuries. For competitive swimmers, injuries are more common because of the ongoing training they attend to. A study shows that the injury rate of elite swimmers is at 4.00 injuries per 1000 hours training for men and 3.78 injuries per 1000 hours training for women. 

The good news is that there are several ways to prevent swimming injuries, such as warming up before swimming and participating in strengthening and conditioning programs. More so, if you're too tired, cold, or overheated, it's best to skip swimming for the day. If you have already acquired a swimming injury, one effective way is to undergo physiotherapy treatment.

Common Injuries Swimmers Get

Whether you are about to go through a series of swimming lessons or training for your next competition, swimming injuries should not surprise you. Let's take a look at some of the possible injuries you may get from swimming:

Shoulder

The term "swimmer's Shoulder" describes numerous swimming injuries affecting one's shoulder. Most swimming strokes require constant arm movement, which can strain the rotator cuffs or arm/shoulder muscles. This can lead to shoulder impingement or instability and rotator cuff tendinopathy.

Back

Low back pain can result from swimming as swimmers are regularly positioned horizontally in the water. This makes gravity and buoyancy forces travel through the body and potentially change the lumbar spine. The swimmer's back pain may include muscle strain, ligament sprain, or a stress fracture called spondylolysis in the vertebrae.

Knee

Injury to the knee is also prevalent, although less common to the swimming population. Swimmers who often do a breaststroke are prone to knee injuries due to the stroke's “whip kick” action. This puts stress on the medial collateral ligament (MCL), causing the ligaments on the knee joint to get stretched. As a result, it swells, weakens, and produces pain.

Wrist and Hand

The wrists and hands are also prone to getting injuries in swimming. One possible injury swimmers can get is de quervain's tenosynovitis. The repeated hand and thumb motions done in swimming can lead to the inflammation of tenosynovitis.

Foot and Ankle

Feet are typically elevated when swimming. This position puts pressure on the heel and ankle, leading to achilles tendonitis. Plus, swimming can cause painful foot cramps.

Some Types of Physiotherapy Treatments for Swimming Injuries

Physiotherapists help relieve pain and restore one's function following a swimming injury. Patients recover from physical suffering, and physiotherapists work with their emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Here are some of the treatments your physiotherapist may use to help you with your swimming injury:

Range of Motion (ROM) Exercises

Rest may be recommended during the early stages of injury, but prolonged periods may delay healing. Through that, physiotherapists prescribe a range of motion exercises to promote movement to injured swimmers. These exercises encourage joint mobility and facilitate circulation.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Therapy

To relieve symptomatic pain, TENS therapy uses a method of electrical stimulation that excites or stimulates the sensory nerves. The mild electrical currents are administered to the body using electrode pads connected to the skin's surface. In addition to sports injuries, this non-invasive treatment alleviates pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia, and endometriosis.

Soft Tissue Mobilization

Soft tissue injuries, like sprains and strains, are common in swimming. That is why this is one effective physiotherapy treatment for swimmers. Soft tissue mobilization or therapeutic massages help relax the patient's muscles and minimize the swelling in certain areas. This technique also promotes blood flow and breaks up scar tissue around the inflamed joints.

Joint Mobilization

Another type of manual therapy intervention, physiotherapists use skilled graded forces to move a joint in a specific direction. The gliding improves the patient's motion and normalizes the joint's function. Aside from pain relief, joint mobilization also decreases muscle spasms and tension. Any joint can benefit from this treatment, from the neck and back to the joints of the extremities like wrist, hand, foot, and ankle.

Cryotherapy and Heat Therapy

For any muscle-related pain, the recommended physiotherapy treatments are heat therapy and cryotherapy. Heat therapy uses hot cloths, heating pads, or cordless heat therapy wraps to treat deep tissue injuries and stiff muscles. In cryotherapy, physiotherapists may apply topical cooling gels and freeze sprays to the affected areas. This method treats ankle sprain, painful shoulder, or muscle strain.

Get Back to Your Swimming Routine By Working with a Physiotherapist

Swimming may be a non-impact sport, but excessive training may lead to injuries. Overuse of certain body parts produces swelling and pain, affecting your routine and function. If you have acquired an injury from swimming, it's best to consult a physiotherapist from Advanced Physio Care. The clinic offers sports physiotherapy assistance to relieve swimmers' pain and restore their normal function. Other physiotherapy treatments are available for office workers and the elderly. Please schedule a consultation with their physiotherapist so you can get back to swimming in no time!