As a chiropractor with years of experience treating athletes, I’ve seen firsthand how competitive swimmers often struggle with neck and shoulder pain. Swimming is an incredible full-body workout that helps build strength, flexibility, and endurance. However, it also places unique demands on the body, especially the neck and shoulders. In this post, I’ll explain why swimmers are prone to neck and shoulder pain and how chiropractic care can help them recover and perform at their best.
Swimming requires repetitive motions, especially during freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke strokes. The arms, shoulders, and neck propel the swimmer through the water. These movements may seem smooth and effortless, but they put a lot of strain on the muscles and joints over time. Here are some reasons why competitive swimmers often experience neck and shoulder pain.
1. Repetitive Strain from Stroke Technique
Each swimming stroke involves a repetitive motion that requires the swimmer to move their arms and neck in a specific pattern. For example, during the freestyle stroke, swimmers rotate their bodies and turn their heads to breathe. This movement can stress the neck, especially if the swimmer’s technique isn’t perfect. Over time, the repeated strain from this motion can lead to muscle fatigue, stiffness, and pain in the neck and shoulders.
2. Imbalance Between Muscles
The shoulder muscles are constantly being used in swimming. However, because of the repetitive swimming strokes, specific muscles can become overdeveloped while others remain underused. This muscle imbalance can lead to poor posture and improper alignment, which in turn causes pain and discomfort. A swimmer may have tight shoulders, a stiff neck, and even tension in the upper back.
3. Overuse and Lack of Recovery Time
Competitive swimmers often train intensely, sometimes swimming multiple hours daily, six or seven days a week. This level of training puts a lot of strain on the body, especially the neck and shoulder muscles. Without time for proper rest and recovery, muscles become overworked and fatigued, leading to injuries. Overuse injuries like tendonitis, rotator cuff strains, or even pinched nerves can develop without proper care.
4. Poor Posture in and Out of the Water
Swimmers can experience neck and shoulder pain from swimming and how they sit or stand when they’re out of the pool. Poor posture, such as slouching or craning the neck forward while sitting for long periods, can contribute to muscle tightness and pain. Since swimmers often spend long hours in the pool or in dryland training, maintaining good posture outside the water is just as crucial for preventing injury.
5. Trauma or Injury
In some cases, swimmers may suffer acute injuries such as strains or sprains due to sudden movements or overexertion during practice or competitions. These injuries can lead to acute pain in the neck and shoulders. Additionally, repetitive trauma can lead to chronic conditions, which may require professional treatment.
How Chiropractic Can Help Swimmers with Neck and Shoulder Pain
As a chiropractor, I understand the importance of treating the root causes of neck and shoulder pain, not just the symptoms. Chiropractic care can be incredibly effective for competitive swimmers by addressing musculoskeletal imbalances, improving flexibility, and enhancing performance. Here’s how chiropractic treatment can help:
1. Spinal Adjustments for Proper Alignment
The spine is the central structure of the body and plays a key role in overall posture and movement. When the spine is misaligned, it can affect how the neck, shoulders, and upper back muscles function. Chiropractic spinal adjustments help realign the vertebrae and reduce muscle and joint tension. By improving spinal alignment, chiropractic care can help alleviate pain and restore standard movement patterns.
2. Targeting Muscle Imbalances
Chiropractors are trained to assess the muscles and joints to identify areas of imbalance or weakness. By addressing muscle imbalances through targeted adjustments and stretches, chiropractors can help swimmers achieve a more balanced and efficient range of motion. This can reduce the strain placed on the neck and shoulders during swimming and prevent injuries from occurring in the first place.
3. Soft Tissue Therapy
In addition to spinal adjustments, chiropractic care often involves soft tissue therapy techniques such as myofascial release and trigger point therapy. These therapies target tight muscles and fascia (the connective tissue around muscles), helping to release knots and reduce muscle tension. This can be especially helpful for swimmers with tight shoulders, stiff necks, or muscle fatigue after intense training sessions.
4. Improving Flexibility and Range of Motion
Flexibility is essential for swimmers to perform their strokes efficiently. When the neck and shoulders are tight, it can limit a swimmer’s range of motion and impact their performance. Chiropractic care can improve flexibility by restoring joint mobility, stretching tight muscles, and releasing any adhesions in the connective tissue. This allows swimmers to move more freely, improving their speed and efficiency in the water.
5. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
Chiropractic care is not just about treating pain – it’s also about preventing injuries from occurring in the first place. Regular chiropractic check-ups can help identify areas of weakness or tension before they become serious problems. If a swimmer has already sustained an injury, chiropractic care can help with rehabilitation by promoting faster healing, reducing inflammation, and restoring function to the affected areas.
6. Enhancing Overall Performance
Chiropractic care can also improve a swimmer’s overall performance by optimizing their biomechanics and movement patterns. When a swimmer’s body is aligned properly and their muscles are functioning efficiently, they can swim faster, with less effort, and experience fewer injuries. Chiropractic care helps swimmers reach their peak performance by ensuring their body is in optimal condition.