Common Swimming Injuries

The shoulder is the most common swimming injury. This is usually due to overuse from long practice sessions. The swimmer may feel a clicking whilst swimming indicating that the shoulder is about to ‘go’. It is the constant overhead action as in freestyle, backstroke and butterfly that cause the problem often known as swimmers shoulder.

Eyes are a very common swimming injury and can become easily irritated from the chlorine in the water. Eyes can also become infected from the micro-organisms in the water. It is better to wear goggles and protect your eyes. Soft contact lenses are a problem as they can stick to the cornea. It is recommended to wait 20 to 30 minutes after leaving the water before removing lenses to avoid damaging the surface of the cornea. Also research has shown that soft contact lenses can protect the eyes from the chlorine in the water, but for soft contact lens wearers goggles are recommended.