Martial arts in their various forms have been practised for centuries. One of the first sports in the ancient Olympics was a Greek martial art called pankration. Each region of the world has its own martial art, with its own ethos and principal goal, many developed and refined over centuries of dedicated practice and evolving belief. For example, tae kwon do mainly uses kicks and standing techniques; judo relies on throws and chokes, jujitsu focuses on grappling and forcing the opponent into submission with painful arm and leg locks, while the fastgrowing form of ‘mixed martial arts’ borrows techniques from all forms and has very few rules.
All martial arts are physically demanding and hazardous. Injuries are seen throughout the spectrum of expertise. Amateur participants are the most likely to sustain sprains and soft-tissue injuries in karate, mixed martial arts and Thai kick boxing; among professional fighters the main risks are fractures and lifethreatening injuries. With mainstream TV coverage of many tournaments these days, all forms of martial arts are growing in popularity. Sponsorship and higher public exposure drive up the competitive stakes and the levels of aggression seen in tournaments. This will probably result in more injuries at all levels, so sports injury practitioners need to be aware of the vast array of injuries that can occur in all the martial arts, with research reports ranging from minor sprains to life-threatening – and not always apparent – injuries. Larger series of injury rates are starting to appear in the literature and there are numerous case reports of individual injuries; but the spectrum and severity of injuries is similar across the board, with certain emphases in the different sports correlating to the emphasis of their fighting discipline, such as karate practitioners being more prone to hand injuries, judo to joint dislocations and mixed martial arts to cervical spine injuries. WHAT ARE COMMON MARTIAL ARTS INJURIES?Martial arts can result in a wide array of injuries. The injury type is often dependent on the particular form of martial art being performed. Many forms of martial arts are actually non-contact and these tend to result in overuse injuries. Contact martial arts vary widely in their techniques, rules, and protective equipment and these factors affect the injuries and injury rates.
Concussion Common symptoms of concussion include headache, dizziness, nausea, balance problems, difficulties with concentration, and memory problems. Symptoms can last from several minutes to days, weeks, months, or even longer in some cases. Martial arts that emphasize striking and throwing are more likely to result in concussions. Any athlete with symptoms of concussion should be removed from play and evaluated by a health professional. They should not be allowed to return to play until cleared by a qualified health care professional. Head/Eyes/Ear/Nose Striking and grappling can result in minor injuries such as cuts, bruises and lacerations. More serious injuries, such as fractures of the nose, face, or skull as well as significant injuries of the eyes mouth or teeth can result. These injuries may be minimized by selection of martial arts style, proper training and coaching, and use of protective equipment. |
HOW CAN MARTIAL ARTS INJURIES BE PREVENTED?
MARTIAL ARTS INJURY TREATMENTWhen Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he wasn’t speaking about martial arts injuries. However, the statement’s wisdom applies to many common martial arts injuries. Prevention must be a priority for practitioners, and that generally comes down to patience and proper training through strengthening exercises, stretching, stance and weight training, and internal and external toughening of the muscles and connective tissues.
Martial arts injuries are similar to other injuries suffered through any intense physical or sports-related activity. There are various grades of injuries, such as muscle strains like pulled hamstrings and groins; ligament sprains like tweaked knees and torn rotator cuffs; tendonitis; and tissue damage caused by the repetitive pounding of objects or of being pounded on. Standard practice for the above injuries is ICER (ice, compression, elevation and rest) and to consult with a physician. Some martial artists also practice chi kung (qigong) methods to prevent injury occurrences. |