Assessment of the impact of injuries on basic movement patterns in amateur swimmers

Introduction: Swimming is a sport that often involves various injuries, which can cause pain that can last for a lifetime. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of past injuries on basic movement patterns in amateur swimmers. Material and methods: Sixty amateur swimmers (32 women and 28 men) completed the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) test and a questionnaire on past injuries. The mean age of the respondents was 37 years (SD = 12.7), body weight 72 kg (SD = 13.7) and body height 175 cm (SD = 10). All subjects were adults, practicing amateur swimming for at least two hours a week. Any participant with injuries that had occurred in the previous four weeks was excluded from the study. Results: Among the respondents, 62% reported suffering injury: 78% being a traumatic injury, 35% an overload injury and 14% both types. The FMS test indicated an increased risk of injury in 20% of respondents, based on a result lower than or equal to 14 points. The mean score in the FMS test was 16 points. Additionally, 5% reported pain in the lumbar spine in the trunk stability push-up test. All other tests were passed by all study participants. No significant difference in global FMS score was found between injured and non-injured swimmers. Conclusions: The FMS score obtained by amateur swimmers does not appear to be influenced by previously expe - rienced injuries. Most of the respondents had suffered injuries in their lives, and these were mainly traumatic injuries.