Normal life looks a lot different these days, especially in healthcare. But there is one thing that hasn’t changed at Children’s Colorado: Your child’s health and safety are our highest priority. Kids need great pediatric care as much now as ever, and it’s for that reason that we’re reactivating services we temporarily suspended due to the pandemic. We are here to deliver safe, thoughtful, high-quality care for kids who need it. Learn what to expect – and all the ways we’re keeping patients safe.
If you're concerned that you or your child may have been exposed to COVID-19, please do NOT visit an emergency or urgent care location. Instead, call your doctor or our free ParentSmart Healthline at 720-777-0123 for guidance.
In life-threatening emergencies, find the emergency room location nearest you. For non-life-threatening medical needs when your pediatrician is unavailable, visit one of our urgent care locations.
To help inform you about the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) updates, experts from Children's Colorado have gathered information from local and national health authorities.
Swimming puts a unique demand on the body because of different motions of each stroke and the high level of training it takes to improve speed and technique.
At Children’s Hospital Colorado, our Sports Medicine experts understand the sport of swimming and the demands it puts on joints and muscles. We also specialize in the methods for recovering from injury and preventing future injuries – all to provide young athletes with the most sports-specific care possible.
Watch Kiana's Story
Watch to learn how competitive swimmer Kiana overcame "career-ending" injuries by working with our sports medicine physical therapy program.
What is swimming’s impact on the body?
Propelling the body through water using the arms, trunk and legs works a young athlete’s joints in a very different way than any other sport or activity. This unique aspect of swimming, combined with the high repetition of motion and large joint motions required by certain strokes can often lead to pain in the shoulder area, knees or spine. This pain may require an evaluation by a sports and orthopedics-trained provider.
What are common swimming injuries and conditions?
Common swimming injuries we treat include:
Shoulder impingement
Rotator cuff or biceps tendonitis
Low back pain
Neck pain
Patellofemoral pain
Does swimming affect a certain age group or gender more than others?
New swimmers, along with experienced swimmers who have recently changed their level of training, are more susceptible to overuse injuries. In general, female swimmers experience shoulder pain more frequently than males.
Tips for parents of swimmers
As a swimmer initially begins the sport, increases training, or returns to swimming after time away, muscle-area soreness is normal and expected for the first week to two weeks. However, any pain that is sharp, at the specific joint that lasts for several weeks, or progressively gets worse should be evaluated by a medical professional.
Tips for swim coaches
As a coach, it is critical to progressively increase the amount and intensity of your team’s training at about 15 to 20% per week. A good dry-land training program that addresses flexibility, rotator cuff and shoulder girdle stabilizer muscles and core muscles 2 to 3 times per week is also important in preventing overuse injuries and for improved performance.
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Provider affiliation
Children's Hospital Colorado providers
Children’s Hospital Colorado providers are faculty members of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Our specialists are nationally ranked and globally recognized for delivering the best possible care in pediatrics.
Community providers
Some healthcare professionals listed on our website have medical privileges to practice at Children’s Hospital Colorado, but they are community providers. They schedule and bill separately for their services, and are not employees of the Hospital.