fbpx Back pain after swimming | Gokhale Method Institute
Sign up for our Positive Stance™ Newsletter

Back pain after swimming

Beley153
Beley153's picture
Offline
Last seen:
4 years 2 days ago
Joined:
01/31/2020 - 2:55am
Back pain after swimming

Hey,

I started getting pretty decent low back pain while swimming last summer. Wetsuit tends to make it onset faster and hurts more. I start out ok but about 15-20 min it starts in. The pain is low center of my back at waistline/just below. Like a knife in the back. Swam for 3 years with no issues and can't say any specific event started it.

When I get out it is painful to straighten up. I walk hunched over. I have to squat and basically stretch out the lower part. Biking is fine and actually feels better once I get going about 2-3 mi on the bike. Running no issue also.
I got a suggestion from my brother to visit a massage therapy center in the city for pain relief.
Can physiotherapy help? Is there a magic cure? Anyone?

Thanks!

Teacher
Offline
Last seen:
13 hours 22 min ago
Joined:
08/13/2014 - 3:12pm

Its difficult to respond without seeing what your posture looks like, but from your symptoms I would guess(this is a guess) that your psoas muscle is tight pulling your back into a sway while your are swimming. This could be a result of not correctly engaging your deep core muscles as you are swimming. The way the psoas attaches, this tightness would pull your lower back into a sway causing you the pain.

Ah, if there only were magic bullets... but you can learn to correct your posture while correctly strengthening your abdominals so that this doesn't happen. Is there a Gokhale Method teacher near where your live?

Cynthia Rose, L.Ac.

Gokhale Method Teacher, NYC

Log in or register to post comments