Rowing Injuries: Back, Ribs, Wrists, Hands and Cold Water

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February, 6 a.m., and the boathouse is dark except for a row of ergs humming in the corner. The college team is halfway through a long steady piece, the same stroke again and again, thousands of times. Nobody crashes and nobody gets tackled, yet rowing has its own injury list, and it builds quietly, one stroke at a time: a back that aches after a long erg, a sharp spot along the ribs, a wrist that creaks in cold spring weather, hands full of blisters. And then there’s the one sudden danger, the water itself. This page covers rowing injuries for every rower: juniors and high school crews, college programs, masters, national-team athletes and anyone who rows indoors.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you’re hurt, see a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist (PT) or certified athletic trainer (AT). For the big picture of the sport, start at our rowing hub.

Why rowers get hurt

A 2012 review in Sports Health sums it up: rowing injuries are mostly overuse, the knee, low back and ribs are hit most, and how often they happen tracks with training volume and technique. A 2020 review of elite rowers put the low back first (up to 53% of injuries), then the rib cage (9–10%). The common thread is load: long sessions at low stroke rates with heavy pressure on every stroke, big jumps in training, and technique that lets the back or arms do the legs’ job.

Low back pain

Low back pain is the rower’s most talked-about problem. In one study of elite lightweight women rowers, 82% had had low back pain, compared with 20–30% of similar women in the general population. Studies of college rowers have linked back pain to starting rowing before age 16, training with free weights, erg pieces longer than 30 minutes and, for sweep rowers, switching sides during a season. The forces on the lower spine are similar on the water and on the erg.

The 2021 international consensus statement on low back pain in elite and sub-elite rowers, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, recommends that prevention start with education on risk factors, rowing technique and training load. When back pain does start, it favors non-invasive care: early unloading from what aggravates it, good pain control and exercise therapy, keeping fitness up with other training, then a graded return. It also asks teams for a culture where rowers can speak up about pain early. A 2025 meta-analysis found that the strongest risk factor for back pain in rowers was having had it before, so a first episode is worth taking seriously.

• Watch the long, heavy erg sessions in winter, and build them gradually.
• Keep the damper sensible. Concept2 suggests a damper setting of 3–5 for most workouts and warns that very high settings take more force each stroke and may lead to injury.
• Legs first. Drive with the legs, then swing the body, then pull with the arms (more on our rowing training page).
• Red flags: back pain with numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs, or pain that wakes you at night, needs a doctor soon.

Rib stress fractures

This is the injury most people outside rowing have never heard of. Studies of college programs and the Canadian national team found that rib stress fractures make up about 10% of rowing injuries, usually in the 5th to 9th ribs on the side of the chest. The muscles that attach there pull in opposite directions at the catch, and with heavy, low-rate training (classic fall and winter erg work) the rib can be overloaded. Great Britain’s rowing medical team published a full guideline for diagnosing and managing rib stress injury because it is so common in the sport.

The warning sign is a vague, ill-defined ache in the side of the chest that slowly becomes a sharp, pinpoint pain over one rib; it may hurt to breathe deeply, cough or roll over in bed. Caught early, the review notes these usually heal in about 6–8 weeks, with cross-training such as the bike to keep fitness while the rib settles. Ignored, a rib stress fracture can fail to heal. Nutrition matters too: a 2022 study of 133 elite rowers linked rib injury history to lower bone density, diet restriction and, in women, missed or irregular periods. See our rowing nutrition page on RED-S.

Wrist tenosynovitis

Every stroke, rowers feather the blade, rolling the oar flat and square again. Thousands of repetitions can irritate the tendons on the back of the forearm where two tendon groups cross. That’s extensor tenosynovitis (also called intersection or “crossover” syndrome): pain, swelling and sometimes a creaking feeling a few inches above the wrist on the thumb side. The 2012 review notes it shows up most in early spring, when crews go back to hard rowing on cold water. Its tip for prevention: keep the hands and wrists warm with long sleeves and fleece or neoprene covers over the hands while rowing outside. A loose grip and an easy, relaxed feather help too. Swelling that doesn’t settle in a few days of easier rowing is a reason to see a PT or doctor.

Scullers often use neoprene oar mitts such as Bar Mitts Oar Mitts, which slip over straight sculling oars and let you hold the handle bare-handed inside; sweep rowers can find pogies cut for port and starboard.

Knee pain

In surveys of college rowers, the knee was the most common painful site, mainly pain around the kneecap (patellofemoral pain) and iliotibial (IT) band friction on the outside of the knee. Both come from the knee bending and straightening under load on every stroke. Rigging can help: raising the foot stretcher reduces how deeply the knee bends at the catch, and the angle of the feet (toe in or toe out) can change how the knee tracks. A coach or PT can look at your setup. Strength work for the hips and thighs supports the knee; a knee sleeve such as the Bauerfeind GenuTrain is something some athletes wear for comfort during training, but it doesn’t replace rehab.

Blisters and hand care

Ask any rower to show you their hands. In a 2022 survey of 145 rowers, about 69% had calluses most of the time, mostly at the base of the fingers and the top of the palm. Blisters were less common but more painful, and they hit most at the start of the season or after a change of seat or side, when the hands aren’t used to the new grip.

• Build up gradually after time off, and hold the handle in the fingers with a light grip.
• Keep calluses smooth so they don’t catch and tear; file down thick edges rather than cutting them.
• Treat blisters like wounds. The American Academy of Dermatology advises not to pop a blister if you can avoid it, and to cover it loosely with a bandage. If it opens, wash it with soap and water, apply petroleum jelly, cover it, and leave the “roof” of skin in place to protect the raw skin underneath.
• Watch for infection. Boathouse water and shared handles aren’t sterile. Spreading redness, warmth, pus or a fever needs a doctor.

Many rowers keep hydrocolloid blister pads in the bag; Compeed Advanced Blister Care pads stay on for several days and the maker says they suit hands as well as feet.

Capsizing and cold water

Rowing’s real emergency is falling in, especially in spring and fall. USRowing’s safety guidelines describe four stages of sudden cold-water immersion: cold shock, swimming failure, hypothermia and collapse after rescue. They call water below 50°F very dangerous, and note that body heat is lost about 25 times faster in water than in air.

• Stay with the boat. Modern shells float, even swamped. USRowing tells athletes not to leave the shell unless they are being rescued right away, even if they’re strong swimmers. Get as much of your body out of the water as you can, on top of the hull if needed.
• Pass the swim test. USRowing guidelines say every athlete must pass a supervised swim test; anyone who can’t swim wears a life jacket in the shell at all times.
• Launch close by in the cold. When air is below 40°F or water below 50°F, the guidelines say a launch should stay within 100 yards of every shell. Minors should never be on the water without a safety launch.
• Scullers rowing alone should carry a life jacket (PFD) in the boat and, better, row with a buddy. A compact belt pack such as the Onyx M-16 is US Coast Guard approved for adults; it inflates when you pull the cord, not by itself.
• Lightning: if you see lightning or hear thunder, head for shore right away; don’t launch if a storm is coming.

After a cold swim, get the rower out of the water, into shelter and out of wet clothes, and warm them up gradually. If they’ve stopped shivering, are confused or very drowsy, call 911: that’s severe hypothermia, and USRowing says to warm the torso first, not the arms and legs. Rowing also has the odd head knock, from an oar handle or a boat on the rack. Any suspected concussion means out for the day and checked by a health care provider (CDC HEADS UP).

Gear many rowers use for safety and comfort

When to see a sports medicine doctor, PT or athletic trainer

• Right away (call 911): a rower who was in cold water and is confused, very drowsy or has stopped shivering; any concussion danger sign.
• Within a few days: a pinpoint pain over a rib that hurts on deep breaths; back pain with leg numbness or weakness; a blister that looks infected.
• Soon: back, knee or wrist pain that comes back every session; forearm swelling or creaking that doesn’t calm down with easier rowing.

A sports medicine physician diagnoses and orders imaging, a physical therapist guides rehab and often helps with technique and rigging, and a certified athletic trainer works with school and college crews. Ease back in with our rowing recovery guide, and see soccer injuries for more on concussion in team sports.

Rowing injuries: FAQs

What is the most common rowing injury?

Low back pain, followed by knee and rib problems. Reviews of the research put the low back first (up to about half of injuries in elite rowers) and rib stress fractures at roughly 10%. Most rowing injuries are overuse injuries linked to training volume and technique.

How do I know if I have a rib stress fracture from rowing?

It usually starts as a vague ache in the side of the chest that turns into sharp pain over one spot on a rib, worse with deep breaths, coughing or rowing. Only a doctor can diagnose it, usually with imaging. Caught early, it typically heals in about 6–8 weeks.

Is rowing bad for your back?

Not by itself, but the back takes a lot of load, and back pain is common in competitive rowers. Good technique (legs first), a sensible damper, building long erg sessions gradually and strength work all help. The 2021 consensus statement on rowers’ back pain puts education on technique and training load at the center of prevention.

What should I do if my boat flips?

Stay with the boat. Shells float even when swamped, and cold water can take away your strength to swim within minutes. Get as much of your body out of the water as possible, signal for help (wave an arm or raise an oar), and wait for the launch unless you are very close to shore and can kick the boat in with you.

Should I pop rowing blisters?

Dermatologists advise against popping them if you can avoid it. Cover them loosely; if one opens, wash it, put petroleum jelly on it, cover it, and leave the loose skin on top in place. See a doctor if it gets red, hot or full of pus.