Most individuals consider swimmer’s shoulder as the most typical swimming damage, however have you ever ever thought of knee ache as a swimming-related damage? Swimmer’s knee principally impacts breaststroke swimmers and is brought on by the pressure that the breaststroke kick locations on the medial collateral ligament (MCL).
Whereas this knee ache, additionally known as breaststroker’s knee, is widespread, additionally it is preventable. Whether or not you might be new to breaststroke or are an skilled breaststroker with some knee ache, this text will assist you to keep away from swimmer’s knee.
We’ll cowl the causes of swimmer’s knee and what you are able to do to forestall it, like a correct warm-up, stretching, and dryland workouts, which may enhance the pliability and energy of your knees.
Why Is the Breaststroke Susceptible to Swimmer’s Knee?
The breaststroke is among the most complex swim strokes to be taught and requires a totally totally different method than the opposite three swim types.
One of many variations between this type and the others lies within the distribution of ahead propulsion. In breaststroke, 70% of your propulsion comes out of your legs, with the remainder of the facility coming out of your breaststroke arm pull, that means there’s extra pressure put in your legs and knees than in any of the opposite swim strokes.
The preferred breaststroke swimming method is the so-called whip kick movement. This system entails bending your legs towards your thighs and your thighs towards your hips at an angle of roughly 120 levels, together with your toes nearly on the floor of the water and your knees fairly shut collectively.
Your toes then start to comb outward to get into the best place to push in opposition to the water. You push with the within of your toes, performing an lively out-and-in whipping movement. Having accomplished this section, your toes might be collectively and fully relaxed throughout the glide section of your stroke.
The legs play a key position all through all the stroke, significantly the place of your knees. That’s the reason the knees are a breaststroker’s weak level.
What Results in Swimmer’s Knee?
The knee is a hinge joint that bends and has a slight means to rotate backward and forward. The joint is the place the femur and the tibia meet. The bone of the kneecap is named the patella. 4 main ligaments join these bones of the knee. The tip of every bone is padded by cartilage known as a meniscus. Giant adductor muscle groups just like the hamstrings and quadriceps additionally play a job within the mobility and stability of the joint.
The first issues that may result in swimmer’s knee are stability and adaptability points. If these issues are uncared for, a swimmer can expertise extra extreme types of knee damage, like dislocation or torn ligaments. These accidents may lead to quite a lot of trip of the water — one thing you don’t need as a aggressive swimmer — and will additionally imply bodily remedy or orthopedic surgical procedure.
Knee Stability Issues
A scarcity of stability within the kneecap performs an enormous position in inflicting swimmer’s knee. In case your knee is unstable, you possibly can be vulnerable to growing knee ache from swimming breaststroke. The drive generated by the breaststroke kicking movement creates an unnatural lateral flexion within the knee, placing stress on ligaments, particularly in a knee that isn’t steady.
Probably the most widespread causes of knee accidents comes from these stability difficulties. The knee’s ligaments can develop into strained from overuse and the unnatural lateral flexing brought on by the breaststroke kick.
Poor stability can result in misalignment within the knee joint and could be brought on by repetitive pressure occurring over the course of a number of years. This causes harm to the floor over which the knee articulates. The meniscus and muscle can develop into worn and broken as a consequence of a misaligned knee, inflicting additional stability and management issues.
Poor Knee and Hip Flexibility
Poor flexibility within the muscle groups that help your knee can result in pointless pressure on the joint. Tight muscle groups are vulnerable to damage. Not solely are you able to injure a muscle itself, however you may as well injure a ligament in case your muscle groups aren’t stretched correctly.
The quadriceps and the hamstrings are the principle muscle teams that must be stretched to maintain your knees wholesome. Lengthy and limber muscle groups will scale back the quantity of stress your knee joint takes whereas swimming breaststroke and as an alternative permit the muscle groups to bear a few of the lateral motion.
Another excuse many breaststrokers expertise knee ache is because of poor hip flexibility. Swimmer’s usually tend to expertise knee ache if their hips have a low degree of inner rotation throughout the breaststroke leg kick. That is brought on by tight hip flexors and poor hip abduction.
How You Can Stop Swimmer’s Knee
The easiest way to forestall swimmer’s knee is to keep away from the 2 issues talked about above, that’s, poor stability and adaptability within the knee joint. It is best to strengthen your legs and maintain your muscle groups stretched to fight these points.
The perfect strategies to maintain your knees wholesome for breaststroke swimming are to heat up correctly, stretch repeatedly, take heed to what your physique is telling you, and strengthen the muscle groups surrounding your knees with dryland workouts.
Correctly Heat-Up Earlier than You Swim
Warming up is among the most necessary points of any athletic exercise. Nevertheless, many people overlook the need of it as a result of they’re crunched for time or too desperate to get their predominant exercise underway.
Irrespective of how a lot you wish to soar proper into your predominant set, performing a radical warm-up to arrange your physique for train is crucial. Your pre-exercise routine ought to embody the next:
- Dynamic stretching earlier than you begin swimming (and don’t overlook to stretch your legs!)
- Swimming simple at first to get your coronary heart charge up and enhance your muscle temperature
- Incorporating a reasonably difficult breaststroke set into your exercise earlier than you start probably the most difficult a part of your swim
Routinely Stretch After Your Exercises
Simply as a warm-up is crucial for athletes, so too is restoration stretching. Correct restoration stretching will assist your muscle groups heal extra rapidly after strenuous use. Your muscle groups might be lengthened throughout restoration stretching, and you’ll not be as sore within the days following your exercise.
Your restoration stretching routine ought to embody the next:
- Use a foam curler to therapeutic massage any knots out of your muscle groups. Concentrate on the muscle teams surrounding your knees.
- Think about training yoga or in any other case develop a superb stretching routine for the big muscle teams in your legs. Maintain every stretch for at the very least 20 seconds, or longer in case you can.
- Static stretching is one of the best type of muscle restoration and can maintain your legs limber, enhance hip abduction, and profit your knees. Plus, this might assist you probably have any decrease again ache.
Take heed to Your Physique
The most effective methods to grasp what your physique wants is to take heed to it! For those who really feel like one thing shouldn’t be fairly proper in your knee, then it could be time to take a relaxation. Lowering the quantity of exercise accountable for inflicting your ache is the easiest way to assist your physique in restoration.
For those who really feel irritation in your knees, to cut back swelling, you possibly can strive icing them or taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication — keep in mind that this ought to be completed underneath medical supervision, so it is best to at all times ask your physician first. If the ache in your knees persists, it is best to speak to your coach or see a healthcare skilled, like a physiotherapist or sports activities medication physician.
Keep in mind to take heed to your physique in case you really feel any of the next:
- Knee ache that continues to be or will get worse after swimming breaststroke
- Sudden knee ache throughout follow or an occasion
- Knee ache outdoors of the pool that impacts your every day life
Dryland Workout routines to Enhance Knee Power
To stop or scale back the aforementioned issues, under are three dryland workouts we advise together with in your weekly coaching plan. Taking the time to carry out these workouts will strengthen the muscle groups round your knees, which decreases knee pressure from the breaststroke kick.
These workouts can even enhance the vary of movement in your hips and decrease legs, stopping additional knee ache. Throw in your athletic gear and prepare to strengthen these legs!
Train 1: Conventional Squats
Stand together with your heels barely wider aside than your shoulders, ensuring your toes are pointing outward at an angle of roughly 30 levels. Transfer your hips again barely with the intention to really feel the stress in your thigh muscle groups.
Slowly bend your legs as you decrease your physique, with out dipping down abruptly, retaining your muscle groups tense and avoiding any lateral actions of your knees. Bend on the knees till your thighs are parallel to the bottom or, in case you want, till your hips are the identical top as your knees.
Start with out utilizing any weights. Carry out the actions slowly, specializing in the muscle groups within the entrance of your thighs. Start by performing three units of 12 repetitions.
Train 2: Step-Ups
Discover some steps, and stand in entrance of them. Step up onto the second step together with your proper leg after which convey your left foot as much as be a part of it. Return to the beginning place transferring your proper foot first, adopted by your left. Start by performing three units of 20 reps for every leg.
Train 3: Isometric Wall Squats
Relaxation your again in opposition to a wall after which bend your legs to kind a 90-degree angle between your again and thighs and between your knees and tibia. Be certain that your again is straight, and your legs bent. Maintain the place for 30 seconds, adopted by 45 seconds of relaxation. Carry out three units.
Take Care of Your Knees!
Whereas shoulder ache and shoulder accidents are sometimes addressed by swimmers, ensure you don’t neglect your knees, particularly in case you’re a breaststroke swimmer. Keep in mind, knee ache is brought on by poor stability and adaptability in your legs and hips. You possibly can enhance these points by warming up, stretching, and exercising outdoors of the pool.
When you have any ache in your knees, keep in mind to take heed to your physique and relaxation till you’re able to get again within the water. When it’s time to get again on the market, go to the world retailer for all of the swimming wear you want.
