Summer Team Sports Injury Info - Dunsborough Physio Centre
Summer Team Sports and Individual Sports Injuries
At Dunsborough Physiotherapy Centre we see a large number of summer sports injuries relating to individual pursuits, team sports, and water sports. Injuries are spread across a wide age group. Our physiotherapy team are well versed in the treatment of all sporting injuries and are able to provide effective up-to-date evidence-based rehabilitation to return you to your chosen sport as soon as possible. Below you will find some useful information in regard to some of the more common summer sporting injuries, injury risk factors relating to your specific summer sporting pursuit, and sports-specific injury prevention strategies.
Cricket Injuries
Cricket Injuries: Injuries in cricket are common, particularly to fast bowlers. These injuries are often due to overuse and tend to present gradually over time. Injury rates in fast bowlers are as high as 18%, which is significantly higher than other disciplines: batsmen (7%), spin bowlers (6%) and wicket-keepers (4%). The most common injury in cricket is a hamstring strain. Traumatic injuries to the hands and fingers are also common, usually as a result of impact with the ball when fielding, wicket-keeping or batting. Throwing injuries, such as rotator cuff tendinopathy and SLAP lesions are also commonly seen.
Injuries to batsmen in cricket are common. Batting involves rapid acceleration, deceleration and sudden changes in direction when running between the wickets. As a result, muscle tears and strains are common in the lower limbs (calf and hamstring). Sudden changes in direction can also cause injuries to the ankle and knee (ankle sprain / meniscal injury). The stooped batting posture can lead to lower back pain- caused by lumbar disc degeneration. Pain in the elbow and forearm following repetitive or prolonged gripping of the bat is typically due to tennis elbow. Often the grip size may be inappropriate, the bat too heavy, or the batting technique flawed. The other common type of injuries sustained by batsmen are traumatic fractures to the hand and fingers from the ball forcefully hitting the gloves: metacarpals or phalanges tend to be the most commonly affected bones.
Injuries to bowlers in cricket are common, with fast bowling being the most injury prone discipline in the sport. Bowling, particularly fast bowling, places a large strain on the lower back. A force of 8-10 times body weight is transmitted through the body at front foot landing of the delivery stride. This, combined with extremes of lumbar range of movement, including extension, rotation and lateral flexion, puts the lumbar spine at risk of injury. Due to the repetitive nature of bowling, injuries in bowlers tend to be overuse and often present gradually over time. In younger fast bowlers (under the age of 25), lumbar stress fractures are the most prevalent injury. These injuries tend to occur on the non-bowling arm side of the lower back and are typically due to technique errors (such as a 'mixed bowling action' or excessive 'counter rotation') and/or excessive bowling workloads. In the older fast bowler degenerative lumbar injuries tend to occur more commonly, usually affecting the lumbar discs. Other common injuries to affect fast bowlers are side strains (of the non-bowling arm side of the body), posterior ankle impingement (of the front foot) and patellar tendinopathy (of the front knee). Muscle injuries to the hamstrings and groin are also frequently seen.
Wicket keeping injuries: knee pain from repetitive squatting and jumping is often the result of patellar tendinopathy, patellofemoral pain syndrome or a meniscal tear. Awkward landings from diving for balls can put the shoulder at risk of injury with shoulder impingement or rotator cuff tear a common occurrence. Groin strains often result from the side to side movement that occurs when receiving deliveries.
Fielding injuries: sudden changes in direction to field a ball can result in groin strains, meniscal injury or ankle sprains. The rapid acceleration / deceleration whilst chasing a ball can result in hamstring strains or calf strains. Throwing, or landing awkwardly from dives can result in shoulder injuries, whilst mistimed catches or awkward ground balls can result in hand or finger injuries.
Throwing Injuries: are typically due to overuse, presenting gradually overtime and often associated with poor throwing technique. Throwing injuries tend to occur in the upper limb of the throwing arm, with pain most commonly occurring in the shoulder or elbow. Common injuries include rotator cuff injuries, SLAP lesions, medial collateral ligament injury of the elbow and 1st rib stress fracture.
Injury Prevention: - Appropriate equipment: protective equipment such as helmets, gloves, thigh pads, pads, elbow guards, a box, and shin guards help to lessen injuries related to direct impact from the cricket ball. Grip size of the bat handle- incorrect handle thickness can lead to over-gripping: a common cause of tennis elbow (tendinosis / tendinopathy of the extensor carpi radialis brevis). - Correct technique: both for bowlers, batters and fielders correct technique is critical. Poor technique in bowlers can lead to low back stress fractures. Poor landing technique whilst bowling can lead to posterior ankle impingement. Stooped posture whilst batting can create disc-related back pain. Over-gripping of the bat handle can lead to tennis elbow. - Appropriate workloads: in fast bowlers in particular heavy workloads can lead to chronic injury such as low back stress fracture. Rest days are essential. A slow build-up in workload is important to lessen the risk of chronic injury. - Adequate muscle strength and flexibility: lower limb strength and flexibility is important in lessening muscle strain and tendinopathy: important muscle groups to focus on in regard to strength training in cricketers include the adductors, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. Adequate rotator cuff strength and even amounts of inward and outward rotatory flexibility around the shoulder are important in bowlers and fielders to lessen SLAP lesions and rotator cuff pathology. Forearm strength in batters is important to lessen the chance of developing tennis elbow.
Tennis Injuries
Tennis Injuries: Tennis is a global sport played in more than 200 countries. Though there is much overlap with other sports in regard to injuries incurred, tennis does have its own unique injury profile. 0.04-3 injuries are incurred by tennis players per 1000 hours of play.
Common tennis injuries: injuries in tennis players are most commonly seen in the upper limb (predominantly chronic injuries) followed by the lower limb (predominantly acute injuries) and then the trunk. Some of the more common upper limb injuries are stress fractures affecting the metacarpals, hamate, radius, ulna and humerus. Tennis elbow is also very common with 9-35% of tennis players suffering from this condition at some point in their career. Risk factors for shoulder injury include a loss of internal rotation range of movement and an imbalance in external / internal rotation strength. Lower limb injuries commonly seen include tendon injuries (quadricepss, achilles, adductors), plantar fasciitis, muscle tears (most commonly calf), stress fractures and intra-articular knee injuries. Stable footwear appears important in reducing injury in the lower limb. At Dunsborough Physiotherapy Centre we commonly see a large number of tennis injuries each year including rotator cuff tears, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), patello-femoral pain, meniscal tears, ACL ruptures, gastrocnemius (calf) tears, achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, and low back pain relating to disc / facetal pathology. These conditions appear to be more common in the older athlete.
Injury Prevention: Correct grip size is important in reducing tennis elbow rates- the circumference of the racquet handle should be equivalent to the distance from the tip of your third finger to the proximal wrist crease. You should be able to fit the index finger of your non-hitting hand in the space between your ring finger and palm whilst gripping the racquet handle. Improving calf flexibility and strength can lessen calf tears, plantar fasciitis and achilles tendinitis. Correct biomechanics can lessen a number of tennis-related injuries. Landing drills can lessen knee and ankle injury. Double-handed back hand / correct forearm positioning during the backhand swing can lessen tennis elbow incidence. Correct serving action can lessen low back pain and injury. Improving rotator cuff / scapular stabiliser strength along with improved shoulder inward rotation range of movement can lessen shoulder injury rates . Appropriate footwear / arch support can lessen ankle sprain, calf injury and plantar fasciitis. Improving core strength (deep abdominals) and gluteal strength (pelvic stabilisers) is also important in lessening injury rates in tennis players.
Other racquet sports: rates of injury in squash players is the highest of all racquet sports and probably relates to higher physical stress and risk of contact in this sport. Squash injuries predominantly occur in persons over 25 years (59%) i.e. the reverse for sport in general. Acute traumatic injuries are seen especially in squash players, a majority affecting the knee, lumbar region, muscles of the lower limb, and the ankle. The badminton injury pattern is similar to that of tennis and squash. Lower limb injuries predominate in all three disciplines. Most injuries affect new, infrequent, social players. Poor warm-up is a common factor in new and established players sustaining an injury.
Basketball Injuries
Basketball Injuries Basketball injuries are commonly caused by falls, player contact, awkward landings, sudden changes in direction and being hit by the ball. Ankle and foot injuries (sprains and fractures) are the most common injuries seen in basketball accounting for about 37% of injuries. Hip, thigh and leg injuries account for around 15% of injuries, followed by knee (ACL, PCL, LCL, or MCL ligament sprain, meniscal tear) injuries (10%-13%), forearm and wrist injuries (11%) and face / scalp (9%-12%). Shoulder injury is also common (dislocations and instability issues accounting for most occurrences). Concussion are not uncommon in basketball and depending on the grade (1,2,or 3) are managed quite differently. Hand and wrist injuries involve joint sprains and dislocations, tendon injuries and fractures. Common overuse injuries include Jumper's knee (patellar tendinitis), plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinitis, shin splints, and stress fractures.
Injury Prevention: wear appropriate footwear with good grip and arch support, wear ankle braces / learn to tape pre-game and pre-training, wear protective equipment (mouth-guard, safety glasses, knee and elbow pads), improve proprioception (balance) to protect knees and ankles, strengthen and stretch lower limb muscle groups, improve rotator cuff strength and scapular stabiliser strength around the shoulder, improve quadriceps / calf strength. Stretch calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus), practise landing drills and stay hydrated .