Swimming is generally considered an injury-free sport. With no solid surfaces for an athlete to come into contact with, bone fractures, concussions and sprains are almost non-existent, except for the occasional collision with a wall or another swimmer. However, water sports are often accompanied by overuse joint injuries, such as swimmer's shoulder. Swimmer's shoulder is one of the most common types of injuries a swimmer can experience following training or competition. A general term for various 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 poor posture, inability to properly rotate an arm, severe pain around the shoulder when moving, and general weakness of specific muscle groups (Tovin, 2006; Heinlein, 2016). This is often caused by connective tissue such as a tendon rubbing against the shoulder blade excessively or abnormally. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay With the growing popularity of swimming comes an increase in injuries and the need for education. In 2007, more than 250,000 swimmers were registered with USA Swimming. Participation in the sport has seen a steady increase, particularly after the Olympic swimming events. More than 10% of competitive swimmers have reported shoulder pain, proving that this problem is common among serious swimmers. Additionally, 47% of adolescent swimmers and 73% of elite swimmers reported a history of shoulder pain (McMaster, 1993). Understanding how the swimmer's shoulder develops is essential to injury prevention. There are 4 main causes of swimmer's shoulder: overuse, misuse, abuse and disuse. Overuse is one of the most common causes, it occurs when a swimmer exceeds their limits and causes too much stress to their body. Improper use can be caused by poor posture or improper use of training equipment such as hand or foot paddles. Abuse is caused by overwork and is often experienced by beginning swimmers (Tovin, 2006). Finally, disuse is often caused by a swimmer taking breaks or not training a specific muscle group. This causes unnecessary muscle atrophy. Some ways to prevent swimmer's shoulder are to not overexert yourself, maintain a fairly consistent training program, and have a professional review your program. It's also a good idea to take the time to review how to use any equipment you may need during your workout, to avoid injuries. There aren't many methods for treating swimmer's shoulder. Although certain medications such as mild painkillers or steroids may be prescribed to a patient, they only help relieve pain. Often the best and only method of self-care is to let the affected muscle rest and not engage in any strenuous activity until the pain has noticeably reduced. Sometimes slings can be used to limit movement of the limb and back (Ciullo, 1989). This usually only takes a month or two to correct. If the pain persists for more than six months, a healthcare professional will usually refer the patient for treatment..