While the hardcore surfers have been getting wet all winter on the glassy waves, the warm-weather surfers are coming out of hibernation right now!
All our physios here at AA Physio love getting out in the ocean, so we know how important it is to you too! We see two types of surfing injuries: those caused just by all the paddling and duck diving, and those caused by stacks and wipeouts. The proportion of each type is about 50-50.
Paddling and duck-diving
Any surfer knows that being swim fit helps paddling a surfboard. But paddling a board is quite different to swimming and has some challenges. You can’t put your face down into the water while paddling a board, so your neck and upper back have to work harder to keep you paddling. Shoulders have to work at a difficult angle around the rails of a board. Duck diving requires a lot of upper body strength, and can get tiring very quickly if the surf is a bit wild. Pain in the upper back, neck and shoulders can be overcome with some hands-on physio and specific exercises and training.
Stacks and wipeouts
These injuries are highly variable, and need to be treated like any kind of traumatic injury. Concussions and fractures should always be seen by a doctor or at the emergency department. Sprains, strains and bruising can come straight to physio. We will assess you and give you a clear idea of what structures you have injured, how long it will take to get better, and what we can do to maximise recovery.
