Introduction
Badminton is sport where there is a high proportion of jumping and quick changes of direction, which makes the player prone to injury.
Common Badminton Injuries
The common Badminton injuries are classified into:
- Acute and Traumatic Injury
- Sprained Ankle
Damage to the ankle ligaments and other soft tissues around the ankle causing bleeding within the tissues and a painful swollen ankle. The rapid direction change leading to the ankle to rollover makes it a common injury.
- Meniscus Tear
Sudden knee twisting results in a Meniscal tear with pain in the knee’s joint-line, mild swelling and inability to flex or extend the leg.
- Muscle Strain
Sudden action like smashing can lead to muscle fibers disruption causing muscle pain, swelling, bruising and function loss, like, hamstring strain etc.
- Overuse or Repetitive Injury
- Tennis Elbow
Repetitive Actions like backhand flicks etc., results in pain in the outside of the elbow, i.e., lateral epicondyle and common extensor tendon.
- Golfer’s Elbow
Repeated Wrists Flicks results in pain in the inside of the elbow.
- Shoulder InjuriesDue to repeated shoulder stress and overhead shots, there are rotator cuff tears, SLAP tears , cyst around the posterior and superior labrum, AC joint strains.
- Jumper’s Knee (Patella Tendonitis)
Repetitive jumping on hard floor with improper footwear causes pain
below the kneecap, degenerating the patella tendon.
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Degeneration of the Achilles tendon leads to pain in this area.
- Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
Poor stability of the core muscles leads to chronic lower backache.
- Cramps
Sudden intense pain due to excessive fluid loss, heat gain, fatigue combined with inadequate muscle recovery and heredity.
- Abrasions
Constant contact with floor leads to skin loss.
- Blisters
Contact with hard surface causes a boil, filled with fluid below the skin.
Prevention
Badminton injuries can be limited by following:
- Warm-Up
Warming up properly help avoid injury, improve performance since it increases
- Muscle temperature as better work expected at 40o Celsius.
- Blood-flow and oxygen to muscles.
- Speed of nerve impulses, making us faster.
- Joint’s range of motion reducing risk of tearing muscles and ligaments.
A warm-up should last 15-30 minutes and includes:
- Gentle jog for blood circulation and oxygen supply to the muscles.
- Dynamic or active stretching along with badminton specific exercises.
Cool Down
Cooling down by gentle jogging followed by light stretching, is necessary after playing because:
- Heart-rate lowers gradually
- Restoring blood circulation and oxygen to muscles to same state before exercise.
- Removing waste like lactic acid.
- Reduce muscle soreness.
Sports Massage
Doing it regularly flushes out waste and release tight knots, lumps and bumps in muscles to reduce injury.
Equipment
- The shoes must have a non-slip sole to prevent falls.
- A lighter racket with a grip of measurement from palm center to middle finger’s top is ideal to prevent injury.
Nutrition & Hydration
A recommended balanced diet consists of
- Carbohydrates for refueling
- Proteins to rebuild muscles
- Enough water to prevent dehydration
- Vitamins and Minerals for recovery
Fitness
This includes general conditioning, aerobic fitness and muscular strength. Controlling the racket requires good forearm and shoulder girdle muscle strength.
Recovery
Always allow your body to recover completely from training to prevent injury and get enough sleep.
Treatment
Dr Banarji B.H, Best Orthopaedic Surgeon provides best Treatment for Sports Injuries including Badminton Injury.
