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Back stiff/sore after swim

  • 21-07-2019 9:25pm
    #1
    jogdish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭


    Hi,
    So very much a new swimmer, self taught. I am trying to improve my front crawl, can manage 25m in 40sec to give an idea of my 'performance'. However I am having back issues after swimming.


    Out of the pool I notice my lower back stiff or sore (not painful just not right) when leaning back or touching my toes. I just feel something stiff/sore all along and very confined the spine.



    I do pool after some gym, but I always do lower back stretches knees to chest, cross legs and dip to each side etc.


    Any ideas?


Comments

  • #2
    WeeBushy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,572 ✭✭✭WeeBushy


    A stiff/sore back is rarely a good sign in a novice swimmer as it suggests a faulty technique imo.

    My advice would be to talk to a medical professional, a physio, to diagnose and treat your back pain. Then look for a swim coach/teacher who can see you swim and identify what faults are causing you to get injured. Failing a coach, ask an experienced swimmer to have a look at you. Failing that, get someone to video you (under and over water) and get some feedback on your technique that way.

    Too hard to know (a) what your injury is without being a professional who can examine you and (b) what flaws you have that are causing it without seeing how you swim.


  • #3
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    OP I'd similar when I was learning to crawl a few years ago. When my technique was checked by an experienced coach it came down to poor technique.

    Are you looking up/forward and not down at the pool bottom between breaths?.

    Mine was simply corrected by looking at the directly at the bottom of the poor, and when you're taking a breath its only half a head turn to the side.

    Looking up/forwards means having to bend your back and apparently this is a common fault in technique.

    Hope I've explained that correctly.


  • #4
    jogdish
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭jogdish


    Jaxx Gorgeous Toothbrush wrote: »
    OP I'd similar when I was learning to crawl a few years ago. When my technique was checked by an experienced coach it came down to poor technique.

    Are you looking up/forward and not down at the pool bottom between breaths?.

    Mine was simply corrected by looking at the directly at the bottom of the poor, and when you're taking a breath its only half a head turn to the side.

    Looking up/forwards means having to bend your back and apparently this is a common fault in technique.

    Hope I've explained that correctly.


    Sorry forgot to reply to myself, but you comment is pretty much it. So originally I thought I was going grand but in retrospect I was seeing lifting and tilting head on breaths and since I breath fairly often there was zero time to rebalance in the water. In addition to this I was for trying to swim fast - sharing lanes makes me nervous that Im slowing others down etc. For this reason I was really kicking hard.


    So took a break back into the pool, took everything super slow, eyes locked down at the bottom and trying only to have one goggle out of the water on the breath and really toning down the kicking to a smaller flutter - much reduced back strain, not a whole lot slower and can actually do 4 lenghts now with feeling shattered, overall more relaxed.


    Should also mention from poor posture I have bad neck rotation/extension so need to do some light neck streches to loosen my neck to aid in turning more. One last point, my neck is tight and this effects my shoulder - so on the tight side reaching my arm forward on the pull puts extra strain on my upper/mid/ and lower back.


    Ya so a load of issues all related to technique - if I had a chance getting a coach to watch me would have been ideal.


  • #5
    arybvtcw0eolkf
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24,878 ✭✭✭✭arybvtcw0eolkf


    A lot of people think swimming is super easy on the body, it ain't lol.

    I've had more shoulder and back problems from swimming with bad technique than years of lifting weights & Judo (my main sport).

    Four lengths is good going (100m in a 25m pool).

    I'll often do four length sets, break for a minute and go again. I find it easier to count my distance that way too.

    I get what you mean about the lanes. I'd be an average/good swimmer but if I'm in a lane with one or two who are super fast I'll give the lane to them rather than put myself under pressure.

    Well off to Portmarnock for an open water swim (my fav) now.. Enjoy your swims :)


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