During the summer and fall months, we took a look at cross country, football and volleyball. Now, St. Elizabeth Healthcare is taking a look at winter high school sports and what athletes, coaches and parents should know to stay healthy and optimize performance. Today: Swimming.
Key dates
Kentucky: first competition week of Nov. 13-19; region tournament week of Feb. 5-11; state tournament week of Feb.19-25. Ohio: first competition Nov. 27; sectional tournament Feb. 6-11; district tournament Feb. 13-18; state tournament Feb. 22-25.
Common injuries
By far the most common hot spot for competitive swimmers is the shoulder, said Kathy Boehmer, physical therapist with St. Elizabeth Sports Medicine. The repetitive motions involved with swimming the same strokes can lead to pain and inflammation, often known as “swimmer’s shoulder.” That probably shouldn’t come as a surprise; as Dr. G. John Mullen, who has a doctorate in physical therapy and is head coach of the Santa Clara Swim Club, points out, elite swimmers may perform that same extended shoulder motion 640,000 times per arm, per year. It’s an overuse injury generally best addressed by dialing down the activity. Labrum tears are more severe forms of shoulder injuries for swimmers. Lower extremity injuries aren’t as common, with the exception of leg injuries in breaststroke swimmers. While knee injuries are said to be a factor, as that particular stroke involves a wide leg kick, Boehmer said she sees more injuries to the hip from that particular kick.
Prevention and treatment
Try to prevent overuse injuries by focusing on proper technique in all strokes. Be sure to extend throughout and finish the motion. Another area to consider is not neglecting supporting muscles. “We tend to be very forward-dominant,” Boehmer said. For dry-land workouts, Boehner prescribes prone horizontal abduction exercises, in which the athlete performs lateral lifts while lying on his or her stomach. Boehmer said with ordinary folks with shoulder trouble, she might recommend some simple shoulder shrugs and shoulder-blade squeezes, but competitive athletes are different. “They need to strengthen against gravity,” she said. Pull-ups also can help swimmers develop and maintain strength in the muscles surrounding the scapulae, or shoulder blades. ”
The last word
Another condition to be aware of is swimmer’s ear, an infection of the outer ear canal brought on by moisture in the ear promoting growth of bacteria. Symptoms include pain, itching, redness, drainage of fluid and a loss of hearing acuity. The first option for treatment, eardrops, usually is effective in treating the problem, though some people may want an OTC pain reliever such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen or naproxen sodium to alleviate pain.
