Yudu - sportEX dynamics - 1999-2010

ROWING INJURIES

Indirect: Sudden acute muscle pull. ■ Overuse injuries These result from an accumulation of repeated micro damage to the tissues of the body that exceeds the body’s ability to repair. Overuse injuries include tenosynovitis, rib stress fractures and intervertebral disc injury. ■ Injury due to poor technique Poor technique is easy to develop and very difficult to correct. Sometimes poor technique is the consequence of a minor physical abnormality that is magnified through the actions required to row. It is common to find a person with different leg lengths having no daily symptoms except when active in sport. In rowing, this results in a torque occurring through the pelvis and lower spine, giving rise to a variety of symptoms in the low back including, for example, sacroiliac strain, intervertebral disc injury and facet locks of the spinal joints. More often than not, poor technique is due to bad habits ingrained when first learning to row. These habits are a consequence of poor understanding of the rowing stroke and/or inadequate coaching supervision.

Time lost through injury is time wasted. An understanding of the mechanism of injury and knowledge of the types of injury that potentially can occur in any sport allow a coach/athlete to minimise the risk of injury.

COMMON INJURIES SPECIFIC TO ROWERS Hands Blisters

Blisters occur in all rowers from novice to elite. They shouldn’t be ignored because of the risk of infection. Often they are not pre- ventable especially in somebody new to the sport. However in a more experienced rower the risk of blisters can be minimised by paring down any callous formation on the hand to a minimum.

Finger flexor tendons

Tendonitis of the finger flex- or tendons is caused by too much pressure between the fingers and the blade han- dle, and is characterised by pain, tenderness and swelling. Prevention: The rower needs to be encouraged to release the grip on the blade or to spread the grip through several fingers

rather than through one in particular. In addition it is important to check the length of the blade and the gearing to check that there is not a mechanical reason for the altered grip. Medical advice: As for any inflammatory condition rest, ice, com- pression and elevation (RICE) are essential, in combination with anti-inflammatory medication such as non-steroidal anti-inflam- matory drugs (NSAIDs) and electrotherapy.

Dupuytren’s contracture Not typically a rowing injury, but has been seen in rowers who have continued in the sport at high level for many years. This is a contracture of the fibrous lining of the palm of the hand sec- ondary to repeated micro trauma. The contracture often draws in

the little and ring fingers and prevents full use of the hand. This contracture is caused by direct trauma to the palm of the hand usually from vibrating tools such as the pneumatic drill; in rowing it appears to be caused by resting the blade in the palm of the outside hand and using the hand to feather at the end of every stroke. Prevention: May be possible by changing the grip on the blade. Medical advice: It is very important to try to keep the contracture at full stretch. Once fully contracted the only treatment is surgical.

Wrists Tenosynovitis

Extensor retinaculum which

contains the tendon sheaths

This condition is charac- terised by inflammation of a tendon sheath, present- ing with sudden onset of pain. It is often associat- ed with over gripping dur- ing cold weather or in very rough conditions. Each of the tendons on the back of the wrist has a tendon sheath. The sheaths provide lubrica- tion for the smooth pas- sage of the tendons. The sheath becomes inflamed through overuse. Prevention: A loose grip

should be encouraged and can be reinforced by playing the piano on the blade handle during the recovery. This is done by releasing the grip on the blade one hand at a time and stretching the fin- gers out straight then curling them back onto the blade handle - similar to playing the keys of a piano. Medical advice: This condition responds well to rest and anti- inflammatory medication. As a rule of thumb, if it has not settled completely with two weeks rest, surgical decompression may be necessary to settle it.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel

Median nerve

This is characterised by pins and needles in the lateral three fingers of the hand, caused by compres- sion on the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. Rowers and scullers

are prone to this condition because repeated wrist extension pro- vokes swelling in the carpal tunnel which being a enclosed space inevitably causes compression of the median nerve. Prevention: Use depression of the flat wrist to remove the blade from the water and then roll the blade over into the feather posi-

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