Professional paper

Injuries and overuse syndromes in artistic swimming

Sanda Dubravčić-Šimunjak ; Zavod za fizikalnu medicinu i rehabilitaciju, KB „Sveti Duh“, Zagreb
Lara Ivančić ; Poliklinika za reumatske bolesti, fizikalnu medicinu i rehabilitaciju Dr. Drago Čop, Zagreb
Katarina Ivanković ; Poliklinika za reumatske bolesti, fizikalnu medicinu i rehabilitaciju Dr. Drago Čop, Zagreb

Abstract

Artistic swimming is a water sport that combines swimming, sports and rhythmic gymnastics, ballet and dance. In addition to strength, endurance, fitness and flexibility, an important component of this sport is the swimmer’s sense for music and the ability to express themselves artistically. Routines in artistic swimming consist of artistic, complex and dynamic movements, figures and positions combined with free and compulsory elements that swimmers perform in the water, synchronized to the accompaniment of music. Due to the expansion of sports at the world level and the difficulty of the elements that are performed, acute and chronic injuries can occur on almost all soft tissue structures and joints of the musculoskeletal system. The occurrence and severity of injuries in artistic swimming is influenced by a combination of internal and external risk factors, as well as the method of injury and the circumstances that led to the injury itself. Physiotherapy is an integral part of sports medicine, preparation of athletes, prevention and treatment programs for all sports injuries. In the rehabilitation process,communication between the athlete and the physiotherapist along with the necessary knowledge and skills, motivation, mutual persistence and responsibility are the basic elements that determine the outcome. The paper presents the most common injuries and overuse syndromes in artistic swimming, about which there is knowledge and evidence from clinical practice. There is a lack of evidence of relevant research related to the issue of locomotor injuries in this unique and demanding water sport. The intention of this paper is to point out and encourage the scientific population to research the etiology and prevention of injuries, because artistic swimming as an Olympic sport, which through all its complexity and difficulty, deserves to be seen and understood more seriously.

Keywords

artistic swimming, injuries, overuse syndrome, physiotherapy

Hrčak ID:

318418

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/318418

Publication date:

15.5.2024.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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