Swimming Might Improve Your Musculoskeletal System

Introduction

When the weather becomes hot, and everyone begins to plan fun activities to enjoy, one of the many activities that comes to mind is hanging out in the pool. Swimming is an excellent way to combat the summer heat, but can provide much more for the body. For athletes, it provides another form of cardio exercise to improve their performance when they are competing. For individuals looking for an affordable exercise regimen or just some fun activity, swimming can become a therapy that can benefit them if they were previously injured. Today’s article looks at how swimming causes an impact on the musculoskeletal system, its beneficial properties to the heart, and how aqua therapy combined with chiropractic care helps optimize full-body health. We refer patients to certified providers specializing in musculoskeletal treatments and hydrotherapy to help those with musculoskeletal disorders. We also guide our patients by referring them to our associated medical providers based on their examination when it’s appropriate. We find that education is the solution to asking our providers insightful questions. Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer

Swimming & Its Impact On The Musculoskeletal System

Water or swimming can benefit those looking for different cardio exercises to build muscle endurance or have a clear sense of mind. Swimming is fantastic for all body sizes, and when it is done correctly, it can be highly recognized as a form of rehabilitation and injury recovery known as aquatic therapy. Research studies reveal that aquatic treatments and exercises can significantly reduce pain in individuals who suffer from low back pain while increasing physical function. Some of the impacts that swimming/aquatic therapy provides on the musculoskeletal system include:

• Builds muscle strength
• Improves endurance
• Stabilizes joints
• Improves poor posture

Swimming/ hydrotherapy is an excellent low-impact exercise that is easy on the back and spine, especially for individuals suffering from low back pain or spinal misalignments. Studies reveal that the efficacy of aquatic activities helps strengthen the abdominals and legs and stretch the back while managing musculoskeletal issues. 

 

When individuals suffer from back pain associated with chronic issues, it can become concerning for the vital organs that have a causal relationship with the muscle, as they are also affected. When spinal joints and muscles suffer from abnormal weight increases, the muscles and ligaments become misaligned. Misalignment or subluxation is defined as spinal vertebrates that are out of place and cause pressure on the surrounding nerves exiting the spinal cord. These spinal issues then become a risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders in the body. Unlike many aerobic exercises like running or cycling that may be hard on the spine, swimming has little to no impact on the spinal structures. So when individuals begin swimming, they realize that the water buoyancy helps support their body weight while relieving stress on all joints and decompressing the spine. This gives the individual a greater range of motion, while the water provides a sense of purification as it helps the body relax. Hence, hydrotherapy helps relax people who suffer from obesity or muscle injuries associated with muscle and joint pain, as the water provides gentle resistance while relaxing the muscles to promote longer exercise sessions.

 

The Benefits Of Swimming For The Heart

 

Swimming or any form of water aerobics is not only beneficial to the musculoskeletal system but can help improve cardiac function in the heart and even the lungs. Studies reveal that swimming is an effective option for maintaining and enhancing cardiovascular fitness. Some of the benefits swimming provides for the cardiovascular system include:

• Lowers blood pressure
• Improve circulation
• Reduces heart rate

But how does swimming improve cardiovascular function in the body? Individuals submerge underwater; they hold their breath until the air is needed. Being submerged underwater may help lung capacity while gaining control of how a person breathes. Breathing exercises associated with aqua therapy help promote stronger lungs and heart while increasing their capacity for blood and airflow to the heart and lungs. Say, for example, a person is having trouble breathing due to restrictive blood and air flow associated with cardiopulmonary issues, which may be involved in experiencing an asthma attack associated with obesity.

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The Benefits Of Swimming

Have you wanted to try a different form of cardio exercise? Have you been experiencing a limited range of motion in your arms, shoulders, back, and neck? Do you feel tightness across your chest? The video above gives an overview of the health benefits of swimming. Swimming or aquatic therapy allows the individual experiencing chronic pain to do cardio activities without increasing or worsening pain, which is therapeutic for the body. Many people are either training for an athletic event or finding a leisure activity that will benefit them in the long run. Swimming is an important factor in a person’s quality of life as it helps them become motivated to make small changes to better their health. Additionally, regular cardiovascular exercises/activities like swimming benefit pain reduction in a therapeutic sense. When individuals are trying to figure out and determine the proper training or therapy that can help alleviate their specific ailments, their goal is to see how those exercises should be done in a certain amount of time without causing fatigue or increased pain as the primary objective.

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Aqua Therapy & Chiropractic Care

When looking for the proper exercise regime or treatment for pain issues, it can be challenging to see what works and what doesn’t. For those with musculoskeletal disorders related to chronic issues, aqua therapy and chiropractic care go hand in hand in alleviating pain. Aqua therapy exercises can range from simple routines in shallow waters to high-tech equipment like underwater treadmills for muscle conditioning. Active water therapy exercises that are diverse in relieving musculoskeletal pain should be tailored to the person and the specific conditions that are ailing them.

 

But how does chiropractic care work hand in hand with aqua therapy? Chiropractic care and exercise have a causal relationship when treating musculoskeletal disorders. Many individuals do suffer from spinal misalignment, which can lead to the development of musculoskeletal issues that cause discomfort. Since many individuals associate chiropractic care with back problems, the reality is that chiropractic care not only helps with back issues but also with various issues that affect the muscles, joints, and organs related to each other. An example would be an individual with low back problems who cannot do any activities for long periods, while triggering gut issues. This is defined as somato-visceral pain, where affected muscles associated with internal organs trigger pain. So, for a chiropractor to adjust an individual dealing with back pain related to gut or heart issues, it can slowly restore the person’s natural alignment by reducing the irritated nerve roots between the vertebrae and strengthening the surrounding muscles and tissues. Afterward, a chiropractor may recommend exercises like aquatic therapy to speed up the rehabilitation process, as studies reveal that physical activities positively impact health while being associated with perceived symptom reductions in musculoskeletal injuries and cardiovascular and blood conditions. Once a chiropractic regimen and exercise routine are in place, injury prevention keeps the individual moving pain-free.

 

Conclusion

Whether it is having fun in the sun or finding a new exercise, swimming is not just for playing, but can be therapeutic for individuals dealing with chronic issues. Any aquatic exercise provides little to no impact on the body as it helps strengthen the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems with gentle force. Combined with chiropractic care, many individuals dealing with musculoskeletal and chronic organ issues will become motivated to better themselves in the long run.

 

References

Ariyoshi, Mamoru, et al. “Efficacy of Aquatic Exercises for Patients with Low-Back Pain.” The Kurume Medical Journal, Kurume University School of Medicine, 11 Aug. 2009, https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kurumemedj1954/46/2/46_2_91/_article.

Lazar, Jason M, et al. “Swimming and the Heart.” International Journal of Cardiology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Apr. 2013, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23602872/.

Massey, Heather, et al. “Perceived Impact of Outdoor Swimming on Health: Web-Based Survey.” Interactive Journal of Medical Research, JMIR Publications, 4 Jan. 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8767464/.

Shi, Zhongju, et al. “Aquatic Exercises in the Treatment of Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis of Eight Studies.” American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2018, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28759476/.

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