Stiff Neck from Swimming

For the most part, swimming is a great way to overcome neck or back pain, but the swimmer still needs to be mindful of the ways it can also cause additional pain. Factors that may increase pain include:

Overdoing your workout – muscle strain and injury can result from overdoing your swimming session

Insufficient stretching – before swimming, the swimmer needs to fully stretch to avoid potential damage

Improper flip-turning at the wall – a flip turn is a great way to maximize the speed of a swimmer’s lap, but over-extension can injure neck or back muscles

Back stroke problems – the back stroke can be hard on the neck if the swimmer isn’t conditioned properly

Freestyle neck injury – the swimmer should roll their head out of the water to breathe, not dramatically extend and rotate

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