Sports, while a way to stay fit, healthy, and socialise, can immensely damage the body if something goes wrong. From sprains, strains & fractures, even the most basic activity comes with a risk.
However, sports like football, basketball, American soccer, UFC, and rugby are high-paced adrenaline exercises with higher incidences of injuries compared to lighter activities.
Today, I have been looking at which sports have the most injuries and which injuries are the most common in each sport.
Looking into the types of injuries in sports
If you’re looking to get involved in sports, there’s a good chance you might have wondered what sport has the most injuries.
Being familiar with injuries is not alien for athletes in sports. The physicality of rigorous workouts brings about strains, tears, and sprains to the body while in motion.
With sports being a basic part of our lives, either as spectators, athletes, or simply leisure activity, being acquainted with the highest injury rate sport is key to understanding the nature of the risks involved. Let’s have a look at the sports producing frequent injuries:
1. UFC
Ironically, the extremity of UFC has earned itself a loyal set of fans throughout the years. With the depiction of realness in fights, loyalists tend to rave about the strongest fighter in the world.
In this fierce combat sport, matches are fought in an octagonal steel cage where the use of arms and feet is allowed. Facial lacerations due to strikes and broken bones from submission techniques are some of the most common injuries faced while participating in it.
The possibilities of injuries in the cage are high from your opponent and environment alike
2. Football
The beautiful game, as it is fondly called by fans, is one high-intensity sport with the most injuries you can think of. The toll on the body from the demand to run for 90 minutes results in injuries like sprains, strains, and even ACLs in extreme cases.
Managing football injuries is crucial to avoid the complexity of the case. Time and time again, athletes have been forced on the sidelines through ACL, sitting out for around 6-9 months. In some scenarios, an entire season.
3. Basketball
Basketball is one of the highest injury rate sports due to its physical requirements and contact. The endless back-and-forth running on a mildly slippery surface rarely rules out injuries like sprains, strains, and most especially, knee problems.
Perhaps taking a piece of advice from the legendary icon Kobe Bryant regarding an injury will act as a guiding light en route to rehabilitating from one.
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. No matter what the injury – unless it’s completely debilitating – I’m going to be the same player I’ve always been. I’ll figure it out. I’ll make some tweaks, some changes, but I’m still coming “.
4. Rugby
Pondering what sport has the most injury? Look no further from rugby. Factually speaking, sprains and strains account for 58% of rugby injuries.
The fact that athletes participate without adequate protective kits like helmets ensures that injuries such as head concussions, dislocations, sprains, and strains are all collectors items on the list of possible fatalities. 24% of rugby injuries occur to the head, neck, or face, with 44% of those instances being concussions.
Merely watching as a spectator, one could feel the impact of heavy, animated tackles on opponents just to win the ball. Rugby is noted for being a sport with the most injuries.
5. Hockey
Watching a game of hockey, you can tell on the spot that it is one of the highest injury rate sport. Its high-contact nature, not favoured by a slippery icy surface, brings about all kinds of nasty injuries.
Broken bones, concussions, and cuts are no strangers to a hockey player. The fun derived from watching or playing is a driving force for engagement, alongside fights in the heat of the moment due to its extreme physicality, but one needs to be strapped with the necessary gear to prevent fatal injuries.
A Guide to Staying Safe
Regardless of the sport involved, taking precautionary measures is a safe bet to avoid/maintain injuries.
Practical routines like warming up and stretching properly beforehand aid in reducing the chances of picking up damage. This helps to loosen up tight muscles to avoid strains or sprains.
The use of protective gear should be a no-brainer as well. Items such as helmets and boots are essential, with the former coming clutch in American football.
Incorporating daily exercises will additionally help to keep the body sharp, subsequently preventing basic injuries while involved in sports.
The affection for sports on a global scale is high, with billions having played a sport or two at some point in their lives.
In the words of former baseball player Ken Griffey Jr, “Injuries are a part of the game”, thereby being conversant with them is a great way to handle them in the eventuality.