3 Essential Tips for Swimming with Back Pain

Swimming is an excellent form of low-impact aerobic conditioning that is easy on your back and spine. The buoyancy of the water supports your body's weight, reducing stress on your joints and spine and allowing for greater range of motion.

Essential advice for swimming with lower back pain with lifeguard recertification

Avoid shear forces.

One problem with swimming is that many strokes and approaches create shear force across the structures in your lower back through repetitive rotating in your lower spine and hips. Shear force contributes to the breakdown of the discs and other sensitive structures in your lower back.

See Spinal Anatomy and Back Pain and Back Muscles and Low Back Pain

To avoid this kind of force, consider the following adjustments :

Use a mask and snorkel to eliminate the need to arch your lower back while lifting your head up for air, or as your rotate your lower back when turning your head to take a breath.1Work with a coach or athletic trainer to perfect your stroke, such as learning to keep your shoulders in line with your hips while swimming.

Focus on spine-friendly strokes.

The position and movement of various strokes will affect your spine in different ways, for example:

Butterfly and breaststroke force your lower spine to arch backward during the stroke. These movements add stress to the facet joints in the back of your spinal column, and can lead to problems or worsening pain over time.

See Symptoms and Diagnosis of Facet Joint Disorders

Freestyle and backstroke do not force your back to arch; however, you run the risk of developing or worsening pain related to your discs and other structures in your lower back due to the repetitive rotation in the lower back with American lifeguard

 Causes of Lower Back Pain

The bottom line is that there is no one best or safe stroke for anyone with back pain. It will depend on a number of factors, including the underlying cause of your back pain and your swimming ability, mechanics, and workout intensity. Because of potential risks involved, if you have back pain it's best to get advice from your doctor and/or physical therapist before starting a swimming exercise program.

Water therapy, also known as pool therapy, is an exercise program that takes place in warm water. You benefit from the gentle resistance of the water, as well as its buoyancy.

Water therapy can provide many of the same benefits as swimming, as the activities are done in water so there is less pressure on the spine than during land-based exercise. The warmth of the water for water therapy has also been shown to relax tight muscles, allowing for additional range of motion during exercise and may allow you to exercise for longer periods.

learn more about it:Swimming for Back Pain: How to Soak up the Benefits