Swimmer’s shoulder is the most common injury in swimming, but did you know that knee pain can also result from swimming? Swimmer’s Knee is most common in breaststroke swimmers. It is caused by the strain that breaststrokes put on the medial collateral (MCL).
This knee pain, also known as breaststroker’s groin, is quite joint but can be prevented. This article will help you avoid swimmer’s Knee, whether you are a newbie or an experienced breaststroker with knee pain.
We will discuss the causes and how to prevent swimmers’ Knees.
Why is the Breaststroke so crucial for a swimmer’s knees?
Breaststroke is one the most challenging swim strokes to master and requires a different technique than the others.
The distribution of forward propulsion is one of the main differences between the styles. Breaststroke has 70% of your propulsion coming from your legs. The rest comes from your Breaststroke arm draw. This means that your legs are more stressed than any other strokes.
The whip kick motion is the most well-known breaststroke technique. This involves bending your legs towards your thighs and your hips toward your hips.
The feet will then sweep outwards to position themselves to push against the water. Your feet should be in contact with the water; you will go against it by making your heels. After completing this phase, your feet should be fully relaxed and together during the glide phase.
Your legs, especially your knees govern the entire stroke. The weakest point of breaststrokers is their knees.
What leads to Swimmer’s Knee
The Knee is a hinge joint. It bends slightly and can rotate from one side to the other. This joint is located where the Femur and the Tibia meet. The patella is the name for the bone at the kneecap. Four major ligaments connect these bones. A meniscus is cartilage that cushions the ends of each bone. The mobility and stability of the joint is also affected by large adductor muscles such as the quadriceps and hamstrings.
Stability and flexibility problems are the main causes of swimmer’s Knee. If these issues are not addressed, swimmers can sustain more serious injuries to their knees, such as dislocations or tears of ligaments. These injuries can cause swimmers to spend a lot more time in the water, which is not something they want. They could also require physical therapy or orthopedic surgery.
KNEE STABILITY PROBLEMS
Swimming swimmer’s Knee can be caused by instability in the kneecap. Swimming breaststroke can cause knee pain if your Knee is unstable. The breaststroke kicking motion causes unnatural lateral flexion in your Knee. This can put stress on ligaments, especially if your Knee is unstable.
These stability problems are one of the leading causes of knee injuries. Overuse, unnatural lateral flexing and the breaststroke kick can cause strain to the Knee’s ligaments.
Poor stability can cause misalignment of the knee joint. This can be caused by repeated strain over many years. This can cause damage to the surface where the Knee articulates. A misaligned knee can cause damage to the meniscus and muscles, which in turn causes further instability and control problems.
HIP FLEXIBILITY AND POOR KNEE
Inflexibility in the muscles supporting your knees can cause unnecessary strain to the joint. Injury is more likely when tight muscles are present. If your muscles aren’t stretched properly, you could injure the muscle.
To keep your knees healthy, you need to stretch the quadriceps as well as the hamstrings. A strong, limber body will decrease the stress on your knee joints while you swim Breaststroke. It will also allow the muscles to take some of the lateral movement.
Poor hip flexibility is another reason breaststrokers often experience knee pain. If the hips of breaststroke swimmers have poor internal rotation, they are more likely to feel knee pain. This can be caused by tight hipflexors or poor hip abduction.
How to Prevent Swimmer’s Knee
Avoiding the two issues mentioned above is the best way to prevent swimmer’s Knee. They are poor stability and flexibility at the knee joint. To combat these problems, strengthen your legs and stretch your muscles.
To keep your knees healthy during breaststroke swimming, you should warm up properly, stretch frequently, listen to your body, and do dryland exercises to strengthen your knee muscles.
SHAKEN UP PRIOR TO SWIM
It is essential to warm up before any type of athletic activity. Many people overlook this important aspect of any athletic activity because they are too busy or too anxious to get their main workout started.
It doesn’t matter how eager you are to jump into your main set, a warm-up is essential to ensure your body is ready for the exercise. These are the essential elements of your pre-exercise routine:
