Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Rowing Injuries

  • Injury Clinic
  • Published:
Sports Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Participation in the sport of rowing has been steadily increasing in recent decades, yet few studies address the specific injuries incurred. This article reviews the most common injuries described in the literature, including musculoskeletal problems in the lower back, ribs, shoulder, wrist and knee. A review of basic rowing physiology and equipment is included, along with a description of the mechanics of the rowing stroke. This information is necessary in order to make an accurate diagnosis and treatment protocol for these injuries, which are mainly chronic in nature.

The most frequently injured region is the low back, mainly due to excessive hyperflexion and twisting, and can include specific injuries such as spondylolysis, sacroiliac joint dysfunction and disc herniation. Rib stress fractures account for the most time lost from on-water training and competition. Although theories abound for the mechanism of injury, the exact aetiology of rib stress fractures remains unknown. Other injuries discussed within, which are specific to ribs, include costochondritis, costovertebral joint subluxation and intercostal muscle strains. Shoulder pain is quite common in rowers and can be the result of overuse, poor technique, or tension in the upper body. Injuries concerning the forearm and wrist are also common, and can include exertional compartment syndrome, lateral epicondylitis, deQuervain’s and intersection syndrome, and tenosynovitis of the wrist extensors. In the lower body, the major injuries reported include generalised patellofemoral pain due to abnormal patellar tracking, and iliotibial band friction syndrome. Lastly, dermatological issues, such as blisters and abrasions, and miscellaneous issues, such as environmental concerns and the female athlete triad, are also included in this article.

Pathophysiology, mechanism of injury, assessment and management strategies are outlined in the text for each injury, with special attention given to ways to correct biomechanical or equipment problems specific to rowing. By gaining an understanding of basic rowing biomechanics and training habits, the physician and/or healthcare provider will be better equipped to treat and prevent injuries in the rowing population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Karlson KA. Rowing injuries. Phys Sports Med 2000; 28: 40–50

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Khaund R, Henderson JM. Rowing. In: Mellion M, editor. Sports medicine secrets. 2nd ed. Philadelphia (PA): Hanley and Belfus, 1999: 440–1

    Google Scholar 

  3. Redgrave, S. Injuries: prevention/cure. In: Steven Redgrave’s complete book of rowing. London: Partridge Press, 1992: 200–17

    Google Scholar 

  4. Boland AL, Hosea TM. Rowing and sculling and the older athlete. Clin Sports Med 1991; 10 (2): 245–56

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Secher NH. Physiological and biomechanical aspects of rowing: implications for training. Sports Med 1993; 15 (1): 24–42

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Karlson KA. Rib stress fractures in elite rowers: a case series and proposed mechanism. Am J Sports Med 1998; 26 (4): 516–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gustafsson F, Ali S, Hanel B, et al. The heart of the senior oarsman: an echocardiographic evaluation. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1996; 28 (8): 1045–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hannafin JA. Rowing. In: Drinkwater B, editor. The encyclopaedia of sports medicine. Vol. 8. Women in sport. Oxford: Blackwell Science, 2000: 486–93

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bernstein IA, Webber O, Woledge R. An ergonomic comparison of rowing machine designs: possible implications for safety. Br J Sports Med 2002; 36: 108–12

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hickey GJ, Fricker PA, McDonald WA. Injuries to elite rowers over a 10-yr period. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1997 Dec; 29 (12): 1567–72

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Roy SH, De Luca CJ, Snyder-Mackler L, et al. Fatigue, recovery, and low back pain in varsity rowers. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1990; 22 (4): 463–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Teitz CC, O’Kane J, Lind BK, et al. Back pain in intercollegiate rowers. Am J Sports Med 2002; 30 (5): 674–9

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Teitz CC, O’Kane JW, Lind BK. Back pain in former intercollegiate rowers: a long-term follow-up study. Am J Sports Med 2003; 31 (4): 590–5

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Stallard MC. Backache in oarsmen. Br J Sports Med 1980; 14 (2–3): 105–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Koutedakis Y, Frischknecht R, Murthy M. Knee flexion to extension peak torque ratios and low-back injuries in highly active individuals. Int J Sports Med 1997; 18 (4): 290–5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Parkin S, Nowicky AV, Rutherford OM, et al. Do oarsmen have asymmetries in the strength of their back and leg muscles? J Sports Sci 2001; 19: 521–6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Reid DA, McNair PJ. Factors contributing to low back pain in rowers. Br J Sports Med 2000; 34: 321–5

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Loring SH, Mead J. Action of the diaphragm on the rib cage inferred from a force-balance analysis. J Appl Physiol 1982 53, 756–60

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Morris FL, Smith RM, Payne WR, et al. Compressive and shear force generated in the lumbar spine of female rowers. Int J Sports Med 2000; 21: 518–23

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Caldwell JS, McNair PJ, Williams M. The effects of repetitive motion on lumbar flexion and erector spinae muscle activity in rowers. Clin Biomech 2003; 18: 704–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Howell DW. Musculoskeletal profile and incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in lightweight women rowers. Am J Sports Med 1984; 12 (4): 278–82

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Urban J, McMullin J. Swelling pressure of the lumbar intervertebral disc: influence of age, spinal level, composition and degeneration. Spine 1988; 13: 179–87

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Adams M, Dolan P, Hutton W. Diurnal variations in the stresses on the lumbar spine. Spine 1987; 12: 130–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Manning TS, Plowman SA, Drake G, et al. Intra-abdominal pressure and rowing: the effects of inspiring versus expiring during the drive. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2000; 40 (3): 223–32

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Voliantis S, McConnell AK, Koutedakis Y, et al. Inspiratory muscle training improves rowing performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001; 33 (5): 803–9

    Google Scholar 

  26. McGregor A, Anderton L, Gedroyc W. The assessment of intersegmental motion and pelvic tilt in elite oarsmen. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2002; 34 (7): 1143–9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Taimela S, Kankaanpa M, Luoto S. The effect of lumbar fatigue on the ability to sense a change in lumbar position: a controlled study. Spine 1999; 24 (13): 1322–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Orlando K. Key hints for physios to help rowers stay on the water. Momentum 2000; 24 (2): 17–8

    Google Scholar 

  29. Richardson C, Jull G. Muscle control: what exercises would you prescribe? Man Ther 1995; 1 (1): 2–10

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. O’Sullivan P, Alison G, Twomey L. Evaluation of specific stabilising exercises in the treatment of chronic LBP with the radiological diagnosis of spondylosis or spondylolisthesis. Spine 1997; 22: 2959–65

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. O’Kane JW, Teitz CC, Lind BK. Effect of preexisting back pain on the incidence and severity of back pain in intercollegiate rowers. Am J Sports Med 2003; 31 (1): 80–2

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Soler T, Calderon C. The prevalence of spondylolysis in the Spanish elite athlete. Am J Sports Med 2000; 28 (1): 57–62

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Timm KE. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction in elite rowers. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 1999; 29 (5): 288–95

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Congeni J, McCulloch J, Swanson K. Lumbar spondylolysis: a study of natural progression in athletes. Am J Sports Med 1997 Mar-Apr; 25 (2): 248–53

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Standaert CJ, Herring SA, Halpern B, et al. Spondylolysis. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am 2000 Nov; 11 (4): 785–803

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Garry JP, McShane J. Lumbar spondylolysis in adolescent athletes. J Fam Pract 1998 Aug; 47 (2): 145–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Sys J, Michielsen J, Bracke P, et al. Nonoperative treatment of active spondylolysis in elite athletes with normal x-ray findings: literature review and results of conservative treatment. Eur Spine J 2001 Dec; 10 (6): 498–504

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Sasso RC, Ahmad RI, Butler JE, et al. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction: a long-term follow-up study. Orthopedics 2001 May; 24 (5): 457–60

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Warden SJ, Gutschlag FR, Wajswelner H, et al. Aetiology of rib stress fractures in rowers. Sports Med 2002; 32 (13): 819–36

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Holden D, Jackson DW. Stress fracture of the ribs in female rowers. Am J Sports Med 1985; 13: 342–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Christiansen E, Kanstrup IL. Increased risk of stress fractures of the ribs in elite rowers. Scand J Med Sci Sports 1997; 7 (1): 49–52

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Galilee-Belfer A, Guskiewicz KM. Stress fracture of the eighth rib in a female collegiate rower: a case report. J Athl Train 2000; 35 (4): 445–9

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Maffulli N. Stress fracture of the sixth rib in a canoeist. Br J Sports Med 1990; 24: 247

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Gaffney KM. Avulsion injury of the serratus anterior: a case history. Clin J Sports Med 1997; 7: 134–6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. McKenzie DC. Stress fracture of the rib in an elite oarsman. Int J Sports Med 1989; 10: 220–2

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Read MTF. Case report: stress fracture of the rib in a golfer. Br J Sports Med 1994; 28: 206–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Lord MJ, Ha KI, Song KS. Stress fractures of the ribs in golfers. Am J Sports Med 1996; 24 (1): 118–22

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Gregory PL, Biswas AC, Batt ME. Musculoskeletal problems of the chest wall in athletes. Sports Med 2002; 32 (4): 235–50

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Davis BA, Finoff JT. Diagnosis and management of thoracic and rib pain in rowers. Curr Sports Med Reports 2003; 2: 281–7

    Google Scholar 

  50. Thomas PL. Thoracic back pain in rowers and butterfly swimmers: costovertebral subluxation. Br J Sports Med 1988; 2 (2): 81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Abbott AE, Hannafin JA. Stress fracture of the clavicle in a female lightweight rower. Am J Sports Med 2001; 29 (3): 370–2

    Google Scholar 

  52. Watson L. The shoulder. Hawthorn: Australian Clinical Educators, 1996: 135

    Google Scholar 

  53. Rehak DC. Pronator syndrome. Clin Sports Med 2001; 20 (3): 531–40

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Williams JGP. Surgical management of traumatic non-infective tenosynovitis of the wrist extensors. J Bone Joint Surg 1977; 59-B (4): 408–10

    Google Scholar 

  55. Chumbley EM. Evaluation of overuse elbow injuries. Am Fam Phys 2000; 61 (3): 691–700

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. du Toit P, Sole G, Bowerbank P, et al. Incidence and causes of tenosynovitis of the wrist extensors in long distance paddle canoeists. Br J Sports Med 1999; 33: 105–9

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Nowak DA, Hermsdorfer J. Digit cooling influences grasp efficiency during manipulative tasks. Eur J Appl Physiol 2003; 89: 127–33

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Hanlon DP, Luellen JR. Intersection syndrome: a case report and review of the literature. J Emerg Med 1999; 17 (6): 969–71

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Roach MC, Chretien JH. Common hand warts in athletes: association with trauma to the hand. J Am Coll Health 1995; 44 (3): 125–6

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Tomecki KJ, Mikesell JF. Rower’s rump. J Am Acad Derm 1987; 16 (4): 890–1

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Sykora C, Grilo CM, Wilfley DE, et al. Eating, weight, and dieting disturbances in male and female lightweight and heavyweight rowers. Int J Eat Disord 1993; 14 (2): 203–11

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Pacy PJ, Quevedo M, Gibson NR, et al. Body composition measurement in elite heavyweight oarswomen: a comparison of five methods. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 1995; 35 (1): 67–74

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Carter JEL, Yuhasz MS. Kinanthropometry of Olympic athletes. In: Carter JEL, editor. Physical structure of Olympic athletes. Basel: Karger, 1982: 18

    Google Scholar 

  64. Lebrun CM, Rumball JS. Relationship between menstrual cycle and athletic performance. Curr Wom Health Rep 2001; 1: 232–40

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Lebrun CM, Rumball JS, et al. Female athlete triad. J Sports Med Arthroscopy Rev 2002; 10 (1): 23–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Koutedakis Y, Pacy PJ, Quevedo RM. The effects of two different periods of weight-reduction on selected performance parameters in elite lightweight oarswomen. Int J Sports Med 1994; 15 (8): 472–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Backus R. Rowing medicine. In: NCCP level 2 technical coaching manual. Toronto: Rowing Canada Aviron, 1995: 1–10

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Jane S. Rumball is a member of the Canadian National Rowing Team. Stephen Di Ciacca and Karen Orlando are physiotherapists for the Canadian National Rowing team, and Dr Constance M. Lebrun is a physician for Rowing Canada Aviron. No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this review. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Jane S. Rumball & Constance M. Lebrun

  2. Department of Family Medicine and Department of Surgery (Orthopedics), Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Constance M. Lebrun

  3. Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada

    Constance M. Lebrun & Stephen R. Di Ciacca

  4. Department of Physiotherapy, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    Stephen R. Di Ciacca

  5. Department of Rehabilitation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Karen Orlando

Authors
  1. Jane S. Rumball
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Constance M. Lebrun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Stephen R. Di Ciacca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karen Orlando
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jane S. Rumball.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rumball, J.S., Lebrun, C.M., Di Ciacca, S.R. et al. Rowing Injuries. Sports Med 35, 537–555 (2005). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535060-00005

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535060-00005

Keywords

Search

Navigation