Are you among those who love spending their free time splashing in the water and swimming? Do you feel that swimming and water are the perfect components for doing your sporting activity? Well, you should know that although this sport is the oldest in the world, it can also lead to a series of significant problems.
What are the problems of swimming
Once upon a time there was a belief that said “Swim and your back pain will go away!” or “do you have scoliosis? Go swimming!”; well, this concept which was born from a anyway poor biomechanical attentionhas shown with very important scientific evidence how this type of sport can instead cause more deficits than benefits to our back.
Obviously, with this I am not saying that swimming is bad or that it is sporting suicide, but I would like to analyze for a moment what swimming activity can do to our neck and back.
Since I created my site cervicalevertigini.it I have been able to notice how many people who suffer from painful neck disorders love to spend their free time swimming in pools/sea; obviously it is not swimming itself that creates problems, which perhaps arise from incorrect positions assumed during the working day.
The thing that I have found very frequently, however, is that swimming is often associated with a repeated rotation movement to get air during all those “stomach down” styles.
Here, always taking air on the same side can also lead to a series of very painful imbalances.
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Why do people who swim get neck pain?
After talking about the neck pain that comes when we ride a bicycle, let’s examine those related to swimming. To shed light on the problem, we must first understand how 50% of the rotation of the neck is performed at the level of the first and second cervical vertebrae (atlas and axis). In this district, however, there are many structures that are also involved in the regulation of balance and sensory information of the neck for the position of the body in space.
Creating through continuous rotation and against resistance (remember that water is a partial resistance to movement) a sort of slight “misalignment” of the articular surfaces at the level of the upper cervical spine is not such a far-fetched idea.
This incorrect support of the neck joints can also lead, in some patients, to having disorders such as headaches, dizziness, dizziness and neck pain during movements.
Do you want proof of what I say? One of the tests that has the most scientific validity in the orthopedic field and that I carry out in my practice is precisely the “Flexion rotation test” which serves to highlight precisely this type of rotational deviation of the second cervical vertebra on one side and the other; in my clinical experience I assure you that there is almost total deviation and limitation on the side opposite to where you take in air (because the vertebra is rotated).
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Shoulder problems for swimmers
Another disorder that is often ignored is that of the shoulders in those who swim: in fact, if it is true that swimming serves to improve the stability of the deep muscles of the spine, it is also true how serious it is the problem that affects the shoulders of swimmers.
This happens because athletes who practice swimming have a great activation and strengthening of the latissimus dorsi muscle: it is the largest muscle in the human body and performs numerous functions, including that of extend the shoulder and participate in its internal rotation.
Reinforcing this muscle in an exaggerated manner is therefore equivalent to also modifying the structure of the articular surfaces of the shoulder, as the head of the humerus will be found anteriorized and internally rotated; this motor pattern is then accommodated by the scapula which, to maintain congruity and allow movement, will tend to position itself in an anterior rotation.
This incorrect positioning of the scapula and the head of the humerus favors, in the long run, the pathology of the rotator cuff tendons which will first deteriorate and become inflamed and then undergo a rupture.
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Tips for swimming without getting hurt
But let’s get to the tips for swimming safely and avoiding unpleasant ailments.
1. When swimming, do one first stretching session well executed neck muscles; you need to feel that all the muscles on both sides are stretched and relaxed
2. Do very intense stretching before and after your training session muscles of the spine and especially of the latissimus dorsi
3.In the water, take in air from both sides, running a rotation of the neckand do not use muscles that tilt the cervical spine
4.Run balancing and strengthening exercises of the muscles in a symmetrical manner, precisely to give the head correct stability
5.Maybe use a few stool to relax the latissimus dorsisuch as the Foam Roller.
6.Avoid movements that cause tension unnecessary tension to the joint capsule anteriorlysuch as bringing the arm towards the other and pushing the shoulder to go behind.
7.Perform continuous exercise stabilization of the muscles that manage the scapula during movement on the thoracic plane.
Have a good swim everyone!
Article by Dr. Daniel Di Segni, Doctor of Physiotherapy, Manual Therapy, Postural Re-education, Treatment of Painful Syndromes
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2023-10-27 06:00:27
#Neck #shoulder #pain #swimming #remedies
