Swimming is commonly considered an injury-free sport. Given the lack of solid surfaces for an athlete to come into contact with, broken bones, concussions and sprains are almost non-existent, aside from the occasional collision with a wall or another swimmer. However, water sports often involve joint injuries due to overexertion, such as swimmer's shoulder. Swimmer's shoulder is one of the most common types of injuries a swimmer may face as a result of training or competition. An umbrella term for a variety of injuries, swimmer's shoulder is a condition that can impact both the muscular and skeletal systems in many different parts of the human body. Some of the basic symptoms are impaired posture, inability to rotate an arm properly, severe pain around the shoulder when it is moved, and general weakness in specific muscle groups (Tovin, 2006; Heinlein, 2016). This is often caused by excessive or unnatural rubbing of connective tissue, such as a tendon, against the shoulder blade. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayAs swimming's popularity increases, both injuries and the need for education increase. In 2007, more than 250,000 swimmers were registered in USA Swimming. Participation in the sport has shown a steady increase, especially following the Olympic swimming events. Over 10% of competitive swimmers reported prevalent shoulder pain, demonstrating that this problem is widespread among expert swimmers. Additionally, 47% of adolescent swimmers and 73% of elite swimmers reported a history of shoulder pain (McMaster, 1993). Understanding how a swimmer's shoulder develops is vital to preventing injury. There are 4 main causes of swimmer's shoulder: overuse, misuse, abuse, and disuse. Overuse is one of the most common causes, occurring when a swimmer pushes themselves beyond their limits and causes too much stress on their body. Improper use can be caused by poor posture or improper use of training equipment such as hand paddles or orthotics. Overuse is caused by excessive effort and is often experienced by novice swimmers (Tovin, 2006). Finally, disuse is often caused by swimmer breaks or failure to train a specific muscle group. This causes unnecessary muscles to atrophy. Some ways to prevent swimmer's shoulder are to not overexert yourself, maintain a fairly consistent training regimen, and have your regimen reviewed by a professional. It's also a good idea to take the time to review how to use the equipment you may need during your workout, so you can avoid injury. There are not many methods of treating swimmer's shoulder. Although some medications such as mild pain relievers or steroids may be prescribed to a patient, they only help relieve pain. The best and only method of self-care is often to allow the affected muscle to rest and not perform any strenuous physical activity until the pain has subsided significantly. Sometimes bands can be used to limit movement of the limb and back (Ciullo, 1989). Usually, this only takes a month or two to correct. If pain persists for more than six months, a doctor will commonly refer the patient for physical therapy sessions. If physical therapy proves futile, an orthopedic surgeon will often perform various surgical procedures on the affected area. This is quite rare and injuries requiring surgery usually do occur.