Presented to the International Biomechanics and Medicine in Swimming Conference in 2006 by Ted Becker, Ph.D of EPI Rehab and Rod Havriluk, Ph.D of Swimming Technology Research, USA.
In this paper, Dr. Becker and Dr Havriluk stress the need to screen swimmers to identify muscular imbalances that lead to injury, and cautions the use of appropriate technique instruction and training methods.
From the Introduction:
Bilateral imbalances are common in swimmers and can inhibit performance (6). Anterior-
posterior differences are not only common, but also related to injuries such as shoulder
impingement (2, 7). Muscular balance in the shoulder and scapula is necessary to avoid injuries
(8). The ratio of land-based abduction to adduction strength was used to quantify anterior-
posterior differences and was correlated to clinical signs of injuries in swimmers (1). The
purpose of this study was to determine the relative magnitude of water-based bilateral and
anterior-posterior differences in swimmers, relate these imbalances to complementary clinical
screening procedures, and suggest related changes to training regimens.