Injuries In Sport
How Does Injury Affect Lifelong Participation In Physical Activity?
What demographic is more susceptible to injuries in physical activity?
Participation in sporting activities carries an injury risk. Injury inevitably leads to a reduction in participation on a temporary or permanent basis, but the injury experience may also influence the lifelong physical activity behaviour. By understanding the patterns of injuries in different sports and identifying the most susceptible demographics we can test and develop strategies to prevent and better manage the conditions that occur and promote lifelong physical activity.
Hospitals treat nearly 2 million people every year because of sports-related injuries. Injuries can be from accidents, overtraining, using equipment improperly, and not warming up. The demographics which are most susceptible to injuries are the ages 5 to 19. Even though at this age injuries are most common, people at the age of 40 are also susceptible to injury because adult sports are dangerous too. These injuries can occur in the playground, bike riding, adult sports and team sports such as baseball, football, soccer, tennis etc.
Hospitals treat nearly 2 million people every year because of sports-related injuries. Injuries can be from accidents, overtraining, using equipment improperly, and not warming up. The demographics which are most susceptible to injuries are the ages 5 to 19. Even though at this age injuries are most common, people at the age of 40 are also susceptible to injury because adult sports are dangerous too. These injuries can occur in the playground, bike riding, adult sports and team sports such as baseball, football, soccer, tennis etc.
Ages 5-9 - Playground
Children ages 5 to 9 visit the emergency department for injuries on the playground more than any other age group. These mostly occur in the school playground. Almost 50% of all playground injuries are severe. Playground injuries include broken bones, internal injuries, concussions, dislocations, and amputations. If these injuries occur at such a young age it can prevent the child from ‘overcoming his/her fears’, therefore they may choose not to participate in physical activity.
Ages 6-19 - Team Sports
In this age group sports-related injuries cause about 20% of all injury-related emergency department visits. Children and teens are most likely to suffer from strains and sprains, followed by fractures, bruises and scrapes, and concussions. On average there are approximately 1.35 million sport related injuries occurring. Many children who suffer an injury prefer to minimize the amount of physical activity to prevent it from occurring again. Specific injuries can cause children to drop out of their chosen sport for long periods of time for recovery which can eventuate in loss of interest to rejoin or a drop in their frequency of physical activity.
Ages 5-24 - Bike Riding
This age group has the highest rates of nonfatal bicycle-related injuries. The most common bike injuries are in the achilles tendon, patellar tendonitis, clavicle, lower back pain, neck pain and saddle sores. People stop this physical activity even though it can be leisurely because of the frequency of accidents which occur, especially between bikes and cars. There are not many bike pathways which do not cross a road or intersection, therefore making it harder to avoid them.
Ages 25-40 - Adult Sports
In this age group the sports in which injuries are most common include bicycling, basketball, football, baseball, softball and soccer. 570,000 basketball injuries treated in United States in 2012, 93% were in men which makes women less susceptible to baseball injuries. Women ages 25 to 40 are most often injured from bicycling and softball. Men also accounted for 88% of the 466,000 football injuries last year. Most adults stop physical activity at a certain age because of loss of interest and aching joints after long periods of sport.
Injuries from physical activity can vary by sport as well as age. For example basketball has the most common injuries in fingers, ankles and knees. Football damages fingers, knees and shoulders more than any other part of the body. Bicycling causes head and shoulder injuries. Baseball and soccer cause injuries to ankles, knees, and the face. If mismanaged, physeal injuries can also lead to long-term complications which could negatively affect ability to participate in sports.Using proper technique, training, warm-up exercises, and stretching can help athletes of all ages prevent sports injuries and promote lifelong physical activity.