What are the Most Common Badminton Injuries? How to Avoid them?

Like every other sport, playing badminton is one of the most common workouts for the millennial generation who are the real hustlers. It helps greatly to keep the body in shape and maintain fitness. However, sports come with a fair deal of cons like injuries that let you down at times when it’s real important to be up and running. Injuries are very common in the game of badminton. Add to that, certain injuries can be fatal. 

It is necessary to play safely in the games, and even if you suffer from any injury, then it is essential to take the best measures for it. Necessary preventive measures are important so that, even if an injury is caused, these measures can prevent it to take a fatal form. Players usually suffer from some common injuries, which are caused by wrong playing movement and sometimes due to falling.

Here are some of the most common badminton injuries with the appropriate prevention and safety measures.

1. Ankle Sprain

It is among the most common injuries in the badminton game. In many cases, the ankle rolls inwards with the whole-body weight. This can cause damage and tear in the ligaments on the outside of the ankle. The pain is felt on the outside and around the joint of the ankle. 

Swelling and bruising can be felt immediately after ankle injury and depending on the type of damage, the sprain can take a severe change in the next 48 hours. This can be fatal if not treated properly and timely. And such ligaments tearing also leads to major surgeries.

2. Tennis Elbow

The Tennis Elbow injury is also known as the Lateral Epicondylitis. It happens when the outside of the elbow is injured, and there can be a number of causes for this injury. If a player’s backhand technique is not appropriate, it may cause Tennis Elbow . 

This is because when a player is not playing the backhand technique properly, it means that he or she must be playing the shot with a soft wrist movement. This injury is as common as a strain which can cause in the routine activities.

3. Wrist Strain

A Wrist Strain is a generalized term which is used to address the pain that causes in the wrist. It is common, still, it can be fatal. An extreme pressure on the wrist can cause strain to it. The Wrist Sprain can also cause a repetitive strain injury. In this injury, pain is felt in the wrist, either gradually or suddenly. 

The constant paining in the wrist can be extremely upsetting. If the injury is severe, the swelling can be developed in the wrist. Constant touching to the injured hand can increase or reproduce the pain and limits a player to perform any kind of wrist activities.

4. Golfer’s Elbow

Another common injury is the Golfer’s Elbow, which is also known as the medial epicondylitis. This injury is somewhat similar to the Tennis Elbow, but in this injury, the inside of the elbow is affected. This injury also has another name, i.e. Throwers Elbow. Basically, this injury is caused by an extremely hard or bad gripping technique. 

If a player feels pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow, at the bony bit, then it is the Golfer’s Elbow. Due to this injury, a gradual weakness is also felt in the wrist, and even a slight movement in the wrist can reawaken the pain. If the wrist palm is bent downwards or to any direction which is against the resistance, the pain can take a severe form.

5. Rotator Cuff Injury

This shoulder injury happens when a tear is caused to any of the four rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder. This injury is common in throwing and other racket sports such as Squash, Tennis and Badminton. These cuff muscles, in the shoulders, are responsible for the rotation of the arm and these muscles also provide support around the joint.

6. Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy

This injury is related to the shoulder. It is also known as Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy or Tendonitis is a medical condition, which affects one or more than one rotator cuff tendon which is present in the shoulder. Due to this injury, a player can feel pain in the shoulder which takes place gradually. This also happens when proper rest and treatment is not given to the injured player. The rotator cuff sprain can also cause the Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy.

7. Jumper’s Knee

The medical term for the Jumper’s Knee is also known as the Patellar Tendonitis. In this badminton knee injury, the result of the pain is at the front of the knee. The pain is usually pointed at the bottom of the kneecap. If a person plays, runs or jumps excessively, then the strain can be repetitive. This also causes the degeneration of the Patella Tendon.

Immediate Actions for these Injuries

There can be many injuries, which may be fatal or maybe not. It is absolutely essential to take prompt action after encountering any kind of injury. The PRICE is one of the most eminent methods for these injuries. PRICE stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. These five methods should be applied to an injured for immediate relief.

·      Protection: Protect the injury and prevent it from any kind of further damage.

·      Rest: Refrain from exercise for some time. Slowing down the routine activities helps in rapid recovery.

·   Ice: Apply ice or any sort of cold therapy in order to reduce the inflammation and pain.

·      Compression: Proper pressure should be applied to the injured part of the body. It can be done with the help of bandages, which can keep away the swelling.

·      Elevation: The position of the injured area should be elevated, for the proper blood circulation and fast recovery. This method also saves from swelling.

Professional Treatment

This is the most urgent thing to do right after a player suffers from an injury. It doesn’t matter whether an injury is major or minor, the professional’s consultation is critically important. Even after attempting all the methods of PRICE, if an injured player is not fine, then an immediate contact with a professional for the further treatment should be attempted if a player is:

·      Facing problems and pain especially on walking

·      Severe swells in the injured area

·      Unable to perform routine activities after 72 hours of the injury

·      Unable to feel or have an altered sensation for any kind of feeling on the injured areas, such as immune to sensations on the skin directly

Prevention from Injuries

Prevention is better than cure. This idiom says it all. In the sports field, injuries are inevitable but there can be many situations when these injuries become fatal. To prevent such circumstances, it is substantial to take the proper prevention against all badminton related injuries. Here are some prevention measures to stay safe from injuries.

1.     Warm Up

It is extremely vital to practice warm-up routinely. It is an extraordinary way to stay fit and prevent the complicated areas from any injury.

·   Warm-ups are the best for increasing the muscle temperature, which brings flexibility to the body, increase blood flow and it also provides oxygen to the muscles.

·      It helps in enhancing rapid movement by increasing the nerve impulse. Warm up is essential to reduce the risk of ligament and muscle tearing.

·   A player should regularly jog, before attempting to warm up. This helps in blood circulation and increases the supply of oxygen.

·     Other stretching drills are also recommended for warm-ups. A 20 to 30 minutes of a warm-up is ideal to perform.

2.     Cool Down

The Cool Down is a great prevention method which is often neglected, but it has so much importance. It is a great prevention from injuries.

·      The objective of this prevention method is to lower the heart rate and help in keeping it constant.

·      It is essential for proper blood and oxygen supply to the muscles and works efficiently in the restoration of sore muscles and reduce its risk exponentially.

·      It is beneficial for the removal of lactic acid and other unimportant products.

3.     Massage and Relaxation

A good massage is enormously beneficial for physical and mental health.

•      It flushes out any kind of waste material from the muscles and help in loosening and releasing the tight lumps in the muscles.

•      Massage provides relaxation to the whole body.

•    This prevents from the possibility of injuries that might take place in the future.

4.     Proper Equipment

In the game of badminton, there are two main equipment which are essential for conquering a match. However, these are also important for the prevention of injuries.

•        The shoes of a badminton player are one of the main equipment. A player should buy shoes, which can provide all the comfort, and prevention shoes should be comfortable and reliable. It is necessary to buy such shoes which can provide protection from common injuries and provide comfort to the ankle.

•        The second equipment is the racquet. A player should have a racquet, which is comfortable, reliable and strong enough to handle the heavy smashes. Good racquets always a big payoff. They are not just good for the game, but they also provide a firm grip and balancing, which saves big time from major wrist injuries. There are some of the best badminton racquet brands which provide better accessibility and comfort. So, it is vital to choose the most important armour, carefully.

5.     Nourishment and Hydration

The physical fitness is a significant aspect for a badminton player. For this, proper nutrition is critically important. There are a lot of advantages to a good and nutritious diet.

•    A player should intake food, which can supply the required nutrition for the body.

•      An adequate diet can encourage fast recovery and on the other hand, an improper diet can prevent a player from fast recovery.

•  A balanced diet is very necessary it should be a perfect blend of carbohydrates, Protein and Fibre.

•        All the essential vitamins and minerals should be added to the diet.

•      Hydrated physique helps in regulating enough supply of blood through the muscles.

6.     Fitness Regime

Physical fitness is strictly necessary and for that, there should be a proper fitness routine followed by a fit player as well as an injured player, for the sake of prevention from injuries. This enhances the muscle fitness of the body. This helps in maintaining the right posture and providing balance to the body.

7. Time and Recovery

Prevention is necessary and even if a player suffers from an injury, the requirement of giving time for the recovery is important. A player who is trying to recover from an injury should understand that the process of recovery takes time. So, it is meaningful to devote time for a smooth recovery.