It is the long distances of endurance training that seem to produce most of the injuries seen in rowing. But some injuries can and do occur under the physical and mental stress of racing and speed work. It is very difficult to write detailed advice about specific problems. Proper treatment of any problem requires a thorough assessment. I have put down some basic pieces of advice for those who experience problems during the season.

Low Back Pain

Low back pain in rowing can arise from any structure in the low back. Muscle tightness and fatigue is common after speed work and racing. If this tightness and fatigue is not addressed then the muscles don’t support the joints and discs as well, and injury to these structures becomes more likely. Stretching after sessions is useful to help recovery. Low intensity cross training sessions will also aid recovery. Swimming is a great way to loosen the back in relatively low stress environment.

If low back pain does arise, then initial icing, over the counter anti-inflammatories and gentle stretches for the hamstrings, gluteals, hip flexors and low back are useful. If it doesn’t settle over a couple of days then get checked out by a health care professional with good sports and rowing experience. Often it is poor trunk posture in the boat, either at the catch or finish that can lead to the problem.

Talk to your coach or get some video taken so you can check for those technical errors. Do you upmost to fix those problems as you grade back into training. A properly prescribed stretching and trunk strengthening program can help with improving posture in the boat.

When returning to training or racing, a light wetsuit material back support can be one of the most useful things for a rower with low back pain. It works more by limiting the extremes of forward bend and helping the athlete’s posture.

Wrist / Forearm Tendonitis

On the top of your forearm, about two inches up from your wrist, several tendons that control the thumb and wrist cross over each other. If an athlete grips the oar handle too tightly or feathers the blade with an extreme of wrist movement, then these tendons get frictioned against each other.

The result is pain and a slug like swelling along that part of the arm. Gripping and feathering become very painful and weak. Icing and anti-inflammatory tablets or gels can help to settle the swelling and pain. Stretching the forearm muscles can take some tension off the tendons.

If the problem reaches the stage where there is a grinding feeling in the tendons, then the arm should be rested in a splint that stops wrist movement. Soft tissue work with a physio or massage therapist can also help. In the worst cases some of these injuries need an injection or corticosteroid administered by a sports doctor. Correcting the faulty grip or feathering action is essential and altering the size of the oar handle can help.

Rib cage pain is a problem that is relatively unique to rowing. It all has to do with the loading across the ribs as the athlete hangs off the handle in a flexed position. All the muscles that cross from the arm and shoulder to the rib cage and spine put a lot of force on the ribs. Pain can arise from a joint sprain where the rib joins the spine, it can come from muscular irritation where the muscles join the rib, and it can come from a stress fracture of the bone itself. Once again, a lot of it is to do with trunk posture.

If you are over reaching at the catch, the rib cage is put in a less mobile position and doesn’t handle load as well. Rowers commonly get very stiff in the middle of their backs. Stretches to keep the spine mobile and exercises to maintain a better catch posture can go along way to reducing the problem. Easing off the gearing of the rig can also help. The heavier the rig, the more load through the body. The only way to check if the pain is a stress fracture is to get assessed, and probably to have a scan. If there is a stress fracture then a period of rest from the boat will be needed with a graduated return to training when the pain has settled.

I have only provided very general advice as everyone’s injuries will have different causes and presentations. Use this advice as a basic guide, but please seek further advice from a experienced health professional when needed. Some of the concepts, exercises and stretches that I have touched on in this article will be expanded further in other articles to come. Enjoy the racing!!

Editorial by Ivan Hooper

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