Despite all the safety measures taken to prevent injuries during sports, it is difficult to avoid it. There is no truly safe sport out there but some sports do pose a higher risk of injury. There is a group of sports called contact sports and these are at a higher risk of injuries. Examples of contact sports include rugby, wrestling, soccer, American football, ice hockey and boxing. These contact sports not only expose the cervical spine to injury, they are also easy targets for head traumas, neck pain, headache and insomnia.
Rugby
Rugby is probably the sports with the highest demands. You need to have good stamina and endurance for all the running. With prolonged running comes the increased risks of overuse injuries such as tendinitis, shin splints and bursitis. There is also the traumatic injury risk when collisions occur with other players, causing fracture of the fingers and collarbone, dislocation of thumbs and shoulders and spraining of the ankles. Since there are no face protection gear in place, fractured or broken nose are also common injuries. In more serious cases, concussion can happen when there is an injury to the brain. Players can suffer dizziness, blurred vision and feeling nauseous.
Wrestling
Wrestling is a physically demanding and stressful sport which is packed with injuries. Some common injuries are to the face and head. Sparring can result in bruises and scrapes. One of the most common injury is Prepatella bursitis as wrestlers are required to be in a slightly bent position, placing tremendous stress on their knee caps. During matches, sudden twisting movements to avoid being hit can result in the tearing of ligaments.
Soccer
Soccer is a sport that combines speed with agility and flexibility coupled with strength and endurance, making it a difficult sport that is also at risk of injury. During sudden change in direction, one foot may still be stuck in the turf, causing a twisting motion, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in the process. Soccer players also commonly suffer from shin splints, Achilles tendinitis and patellar tendinitis.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey is a very popular sport that is not only exciting but also dangerous! Players are faced with constant collisions with each other and the walls, hockey sticks, sharp skating blades and a fast travelling puck. Most injuries are caused by direct trauma such as collisions, body checks, accidental hits from hockey sticks and pucks. These can cause laceration to the head and face. Since ice hockey involves hitting the puck with the hockey stick, it can cause fractures to the wrist if the hitting technique is done incorrectly.
Contact sports are at a higher risk of injuries as compared to other sports although no sport is injury free. It is hard to avoid injuries during the game although there are no players out there who aim to injure another on purpose. When you decide to play the game, you would have known the possible risks and it is your ultimate decision to continue in it.
