Sports Lab Sports Focus: Swimming

With the Olympics fast approaching, we at Sports Lab wanted to discuss one of our key sporting interests: swimming, and how we assist some of Australia's best swimmers manage their injuries and optimise their performance.

Australia has a rich history in competitive swimming, having participated in every Modern Olympics. Swimming is ingrained in our culture, with over 15% of adults participating in some form of regular swimming. At an elite level, swimmers often train over 50km per week. This equates to around 40,000 strokes weekly or 2 million strokes annually. Given this intense regimen, it's no surprise that shoulder injuries dominate the injury profile in swimmers, accounting for up to 76% of all injuries in elite swimming and can significantly impact training and performance. These injuries have also been cited as a reason many swimmers stop competitive swimming. Factors contributing to these injuries include training overload, technique errors, repetitive strain, muscle imbalances, and improper warm-up or stretching routines.

At Sports Lab, we leverage decades of experience with the preponderance of evidence to offer comprehensive assessments and management for swimming-related shoulder injuries. Our team includes physiotherapists who have not only represented Australia in swimming but also have extensive experience working with Swimming Australia, the New South Wales Institute of Sport, and Swimming NSW as ‘on deck’ physiotherapists.

Our assessment process for shoulder injuries is thorough and multifaceted. We measure the whole body's range of movement, strength, and technical control, using a combination of specifically designed tests, evidence based tools such as handheld dynamometry and video analysis. 

Treatment is highly individualised, targeting the specific nature of the injury and addressing all contributing factors. Our goal is to help swimmers return to full training capacity while minimising the risk of re-injury. We focus on improving technical errors, optimising muscle control, increasing strength and mobility, and providing appropriate warm-up and stretching routines.

Stay tuned for more insights and videos of our swimming physiotherapists in action. At Sports Lab, we're dedicated to helping swimmers achieve their best while keeping them injury-free. If you would like to see one of our swimming physios, ask for Keiran Qaium, Nathan Zhu or David Pugh.

This article was written by

Keiran Qaium,  APA Titled Physiotherapist at Sports Lab

APA Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist

M. Sports and Exercise Physiotherapy/ M. High Performance Sport, B.PHTY (Physiotherapy)

Photography by Keiran Qaium

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