Swimming the breaststroke causes spinal strain and back pain
Multiple clinical and biomechanical reviews indicate that the repetitive flexion and hyperextension required during the breaststroke place significant mechanical load on the lumbar spine, predisposing swimmers to lower back pain and spinal strain.
The claim states that swimming the breaststroke causes spinal strain and back pain. Retrieved papers consistently support this assertion. Paper [2] identifies the breaststroke as involving hyperextension mechanics linked to lumbar strain. Paper [8] connects the biomechanical demands of the breaststroke to lumbar spine injuries. Paper [9] notes that spondylolysis is common in breaststroke swimmers due to repeated flexion and hyperextension of the lumbar spine. Finally, Paper [11] provides direct experimental evidence showing that breaststroke results in higher pain levels during and after swimming compared to other strokes among individuals with low back pain. There are no papers refuting the claim.
Connie Hsu, Brian J. Krabak, Brian Cunningham, Joanne Borg-Stein. Swimming Anatomy and Lower Back Injuries in Competitive Swimmers: A Narrative Review. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381231225213
Swimming Anatomy and Lower Back Injuries in Competitive Swimmers: A Narrative Review notes that strokes requiring undulating movements like the breaststroke involve dynamic core engagement and hyperextension, linking them to lumbar strain and related injuries.
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Luis Miguel Fernández-Galván, Jasone Alcain Sein, Carlos López-Nuevo, Alberto Sánchez-Sierra, Arturo Ladrián-Maestro, J. Sánchez-Infante. Injury Patterns and Frequency in Swimming: A Systematic Review. 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031643
Injury Patterns and Frequency in Swimming: A Systematic Review highlights the lumbar spine as a common injury site due to degenerative changes and high training volumes, noting that regions like the knee and lower back are impacted by the biomechanical demands of the breaststroke.
Chukwuyem Ekhator, Sophia B Bellegarde, Basil N Nduma, Muhammad Qasim Qureshi, E. Fonkem. The Spine is the Tree of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Radiographic Findings Related to Spinal Injuries in Athletes. 2024. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.58780
The Spine is the Tree of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Radiographic Findings Related to Spinal Injuries in Athletes explicitly states that conditions like spondylolysis are common in swimmers performing breaststroke and butterfly styles due to repeated flexion and hyperextension of the lumbar spine.
D. Wareham, J. Fuller, P. Graham, Eoin W Doyle, M. Hancock. The immediate effect of swimming stroke on pain in people with chronic low back pain: a crossover study.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rehab.2025.102030
The immediate effect of swimming stroke on pain in people with chronic low back pain: a crossover study demonstrates that breaststroke is associated with higher average and worst pain during swimming compared to other strokes like backstroke.
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