Prevalence Of Musculoskeletal Injuries And Risk Factors In Us Masters Swimmers

Swimming is one of the most popular exercises worldwide with physical and mental health benefits. Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a common ailment experienced by swimmers, affecting the upper extremity, knee, and spine. PURPOSE: To examine injury rates and risk factors for MSK injuries among United States Masters Swimmers (USMS). METHODS: An 88-question cross-sectional Qualtrics survey was divided into five domains: demographics, swimming and exercise, health and lifestyle, injuries, and quality of life. USMS distributed it via online newsletter and 52 Masters swimming organizations via email. RESULTS: 1,092 responses were received, 59% women and 89.5% white. The mean age was 43.4 (range 18-84) and body mass index (BMI) 25.1 (range 17-47). Of the 323 respondents who reported a painful MSK episode lasting more than 10 days in the past year, 70 (26%) endorsed the etiology as swim-related while 58 (25%) were unsure. Of the 70 with swim-related MSK pain, 44 (63%) reported the body part that was injured; of those, 82% of injuries were the shoulder, 7% elbow, 5% lower back, and 2% knee, 2% hip, and 2% neck injuries each. Male swimmers experienced a 13.8% injury rate, of which 8.1% were swim-related, and females 21.9% of which 13.6% were swim-related. Comparison of men versus women for those with swim-related injury revealed that men were significantly (p < .001) older (48.3 ± 11.2 vs 43.2 ± 11.9 years) and had greater BMI (25.9 ± 3.3 vs 23.8 ± 3.8). An investigation of age, height, weight, BMI, and annual household income indicated no significant correlation with painful MSK episodes (p > 0.05). Painful swim-related MSK episode was significantly positively correlated with age (r = .069, p = .037), yards swam/day (r = .146, P = 0.017), less frequent cardiovascular (CV) training besides swimming (r = .178, P = .012), shoulder injury (r = .337, P < 0.001) as well as elbow injury (r = .524, p < 0.01) related to swim training. Overall personal knowledge of exercise had a negative correlation with painful swim-related MSK episodes (r = -.163, P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Age, swimming distance per day, decreased CV training, shoulder and elbow injury are positively correlated with a painful MSK episode whereas personal knowledge of exercise was negatively correlated. Shoulder injuries are the most prevalent in USMS participants followed by elbow and low back.