Tips for Swimming Safety

Swimming is perhaps the most enjoyed activity during the summer months and a great way to stay fit and active. There are many benefits to swimming, and as exercise it's an easily recommended, relatively low-impact sport. Many populations can enjoy it — it's a great alternative for seniors and those with limited mobility, thanks to the effects of buoyancy.

Swimming is not without risks, though. Common swimming injuries are often the result of either over-training or improper form, and different strokes carry different risks: rotator cuff injuries are more common with freestyle and butterfly, the butterfly's dolphin kick can stress the lumbar spine into extension, and the breaststroke's whip kick may irritate the hips or knees. Slips and falls are also common around pools, pool showers, rocks at the beach, and swimming holes.

How do you prevent swimming injuries?

Use proper technique, especially when you're fatigued — if you grow tired and your form gets sloppy, the chance of injury increases. Give safety a thought when entering and exiting a swimming area, checking for slippery conditions or obstacles. And never swim alone: a lifeguard should be present, or use the buddy system. Drowning can happen in only a few inches of water.

Whether you need treatment for an injury or are concerned about your posture or form, a visit to the chiropractor is a great idea. Chiropractic adjustments can help with swimming-related injuries and problematic joint conditions — and the chiropractor is an expert in biomechanics who can evaluate, diagnose, and build a treatment plan that suits your needs, including exercises, soft-tissue treatment, physical therapy, or diagnostic imaging.

What about shoulder injuries from swimming?

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint with a large range of normal movement when healthy, stabilized by muscular and ligamentous attachments. Swimming can contribute to muscular strains, joint sprains, tendon injuries, rotator cuff injuries, and bursitis — symptoms vary depending on the structure injured.

A visit to Omni includes a thorough history and examination, followed by a diagnosis and a treatment plan designed around your individual condition. Reducing inflammation and pain, restoring proper joint function, improving strength and flexibility, and getting you back to swimming are the priorities. Our providers use evidence-based techniques — soft-tissue work, joint manipulation or mobilization, acupuncture, exercise, and other modalities — to accelerate recovery.

Can aquatic therapy help a shoulder recover?

Pools have been used since at least Roman times as a medium for exercise and rehabilitation. Water's natural viscosity provides gentle resistance that still requires muscle engagement; buoyancy enhances movement in all planes; and warmth relaxes muscles and reduces spasm.

Shoulder mobility may be impaired after an accident, overuse injury, impingement, or surgery. The pool's buoyancy assists movements that gravity inhibits on land, and the water supports the affected limb naturally — no pulley or clinician needed. At Omni, our physical therapists guide you through a structured aquatic program designed around your personal needs and goals.