- Are there any exceptions?
- What should you know?
«“Go swimming! Do not worry about a thing.” That is a common urge among doctors to patients suffering from musculoskeletal issues. Actually, swimming helps individuals recover from many musculoskeletal injuries, but studies have shown that it is not quite that simple.
Based on the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine increased injuries due to upper limb overplay occur on swimming athletes. Special attention is given to the rehabilitation and the methodical recovery of swimming athletes aiming to improve their performance and to simultaneously zero the chance of getting injured again.
In addition, the article 37(1):149-55. Epub 2008 Sep17 on the American Journal of Sports Medicine 2009 Jan explains how swimming may cause significant injuries on individuals with a medical history on unstable spine disorder or shoulder girdle. More specifically, the article describes that swimmers may suffer from repetitive injuries on the lumbar spine and a slipped disk.
However, there are therapists who support the opposition advocating for swimming. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine the only water activity that could seriously affect an individual is scuba diving. Swimming rarely generates serious injuries on the lumbar spineor the spinal column.
In conclusion, swimming is an activity for everybody provided that the individual does not suffer from unstable lumbar spine or shoulder girdle in which case they should be under guidance and observation from a physiotherapist to avoid injuries on the sensitive areas. For individuals with arthritis or rheumatic conditions swimming could be a supplementary therapy.
