2017, Volume 13, Issue 1

Prevalence of sports injuries and chronic pain in athletes practising kickboxing and taekwondo



Dariusz Boguszewski1, Jakub Adamczyk2, Anna Obszyńska-Litwiniec 1, Izabela Korabiewska1, Aneta Dąbek3, Dariusz Białoszewski1

1Rehabilitation Department, Physiotherapy Division, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
2Theory of Sport Department, University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
3Physiotherapy Department, University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland


Author for correspondence: Dariusz Boguszewski; Rehabilitation Department, Physiotherapy Division, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland; email: dboguszewski[at]wum.edu.pl


Full text

Abstract

Background & Study Aim: Bodily injuries and pain conditions are the primary negative aspects related to practising combat sports. The study aimed to characterise the bodily injuries and chronic pain conditions experienced by men practising kickboxing and taekwondo.

Materials & Methods: The study involved 99 athletes practising kickboxing and ITF taekwondo; aged 16-35. The research tool was a custom-made questionnaire and the Laitinen Pain Scale. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate the differences between the groups, with minimal statistical significance set at p≤0.05.

Results: The examined sportsmen suffered 286 injuries (kickboxers 151 (53%), taekwondo athletes 135 (47%). The proportions of athletes with injuries were similar. The injuries most frequently occurred in the ankle joint, wrist, foot and knee. Significantly more head and spine injuries occurred in taekwondo athletes (p = 0.027). Forty-six (46.5%) out of 99 examined athletes reported chronic pain conditions of the musculoskeletal apparatus. The total average result was 3.89 (kickboxing 3.92, taekwondo 3.86).

Conclusions: The combat sports athletes suffered most frequently from contusions as well as from strains and ruptures of sinews and ligaments. The first kind of injuries was related mostly to the direct combat, whereas the second kind may have resulted from an overexertion, an insufficient warm-up before the exercise or the accumulation of micro-damages. Pain conditions occurred mostly in the knees, feet and lower spine, which are the parts of the musculoskeletal system exerted most frequently during combat sports training.


Key words: compensative exercise, combat sports, biological regeneration, martial arts, stretching


Cite this article as:

AMA:

Boguszewski D, Adamczyk J, Obszyńska-Litwiniec A et al. Prevalence of sports injuries and chronic pain in athletes practising kickboxing and taekwondo. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports. 2017;13

APA:

Boguszewski, D., Adamczyk, J., Obszyńska-Litwiniec , A., Korabiewska, I., Dąbek, A., & Białoszewski, D. (2017). Prevalence of sports injuries and chronic pain in athletes practising kickboxing and taekwondo. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports, 13

Chicago:

Boguszewski, Dariusz, Adamczyk Jakub, Obszyńska-Litwiniec Anna, Korabiewska Izabela, Dąbek Aneta, Białoszewski Dariusz. 2017. "Prevalence of sports injuries and chronic pain in athletes practising kickboxing and taekwondo". Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports 13

Harvard:

Boguszewski, D., Adamczyk, J., Obszyńska-Litwiniec , A., Korabiewska, I., Dąbek, A., and Białoszewski, D. (2017). Prevalence of sports injuries and chronic pain in athletes practising kickboxing and taekwondo. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports, 13

MLA:

Boguszewski, Dariusz et al. "Prevalence of sports injuries and chronic pain in athletes practising kickboxing and taekwondo." Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports, vol. 13, 2017

Vancouver:

Boguszewski D, Adamczyk J, Obszyńska-Litwiniec A et al. Prevalence of sports injuries and chronic pain in athletes practising kickboxing and taekwondo. Arch Budo Sci Martial Arts Extreme Sports 2017; 13