What Are Some Typical Injuries That Result From Swimming, And What Can I Do To Prevent Them?

July 1, 2009— -- Question: What are some typical injuries that result from swimming, and what can I do to prevent them?

Answer: A common problem seen in swimmers is swimmer's shoulder. Swimmer's shoulder is chronic pain in the shoulder [that] comes about from the combination of loose ligaments and repetitive overhead motions. We found that a good way to try to prevent this shoulder pain, and a good way to help manage the shoulder pain when it occurs, is monitoring how much mileage you swim; try to reduce the number of miles that you swim and to also begin therapy to strengthen your rotator cuff to keep your shoulder centered in the socket.