Common Badminton Injuries and How to Prevent?
Blogs, / By Koh Peh Chia
Badminton indeed is a fun sport but it requires a lot of skills and endurance. In Elevate Physiotherapy, we have seen many badminton players with different injuries. In this article, I will share the common badminton injuries and how we can prevent them.
Types of Badminton Injuries
There are two types of injuries that commonly happen while playing badminton:
Overuse injuries: They occur due to repetitive movements, improper technique or overtraining, etc.
Acute injuries: Acute injuries happen due to unexpected movements, falling, etc.
Common Badminton Injuries and Prevention
1. Wrist Sprain
Wrist sprains usually are caused by the wrong positioning of the hand or incorrect grip. In addition, some wrist injuries happen when forces and changes in movement cause acute injuries.
How to Prevent:
- While playing badminton, a loose grip is needed. The thumb needs to go around the handle, not go straight along the shaft.
2. ROTATOR CUFF INJURY (SHOULDER PAIN)
The overhead shots in badminton can then cause damage to the rotator cuff at the shoulder. Even if the racket is held correctly, badminton players can still experience repetitive strain injuries caused by overuse or practicing the same shot repetitively.
How to Prevent:
- Strengthening the shoulder blade and rotator cuff muscles
- Keeping the shoulder joint flexible reduces the risk of injury.
- Building good spine mobility and core strength for delivering a precise shot.
3. PATELLAR TENDONITIS (KNEE PAIN)
Rapid sidestepping or landing after overhead smashing or strokes may lead to ligament injuries.
How to Prevent:
- Do warm-up and cool-down sessions
- Strengthening lower limb muscle strength and stability
4. ANKLE SPRAIN
Besides the above-mentioned injuries, ankle sprains are the most common injuries among badminton players. It commonly occurs while playing badminton due to rotational movements at the ankle during rapid sideways movements and landing after strokes.
How to Prevent:
- Balance and coordination training is important in badminton practice as it helps your ankles to cope with the sport’s demands.
In conclusion, getting a badminton coach to guide you along your badminton journey can save you from getting unwanted injuries. A physiotherapist can advise you on the correct badminton technique that will prevent injury. After an assessment, the physiotherapist may advise soft tissue release therapy, electrotherapy, or therapeutic exercises. To get your badminton injury treated quickly, do contact us or book an appointment with us.
KOH PEH CHIA
REHAB PILATES THERAPIST
Through her clinical experience, she then gained valuable experience in treating professional dancers and gymnastics athletes. Her interest in pre and post-natal physiotherapy was piqued as she finds women having difficulties maintaining an active lifestyle pre and post-childbirth. She then pursued a STOTT Rehab Pilates Instructor certification to help with this group and women. She also highlights her belief that prevention is a better way to handle injuries.