In wrestling, all of those twists, turns, and take downs can take a toll on your body, putting wrestlers at risk for everything from torn ligaments to skin infections to bloody noses. Not fun!
Monica Surguine, a member of our Delaware ATI Sports Medicine team, noted that wrestling can be a generally “crazy” sport in terms of injuries.
“Anything can happen at any time,” Monica says. “You never really know what’s next.”
Even though the sport may be a bit unpredictable, our athletic trainer weighed in on the most common injuries and how to try to prevent them. . .
- Skin infections: “Cauliflower Ear” (a deformity of the outer ear, often caused by trauma to the head) and ringworm are some of the most common wrestling injuries, says Monica.
- Prevention: Stay clean! Many skin infections result from unclean mats and poor hygiene, so it’s important to wash your hands and maintain proper hygiene as a wrestler. In addition, Monica suggests wearing proper head gear to help prevent issues like Cauliflower Ear. Here are a few other ways to prevent skin infections. . .
- Shower immediately after practice or a match.
- Clean equipment daily. Use bleach for your head gear and knee pads.
- Put dirty clothes in a separate bag after a match or game, and avoid mixing dirty clothes in with your clean ones.
- Cover all abrasions and lacerations with a bandage.
- Ligament tears: A wrong throw, plant, or step can cause an ACL, MCL, or other ligament tear.
- Prevention: Unfortunately, there aren’t many ways to prevent a ligament tear, since they’re often quick and triggered by a swift movement. However, learning and practicing proper technique can help strengthen muscles to prevent injuries.
- Facial lacerations: From bloody noses to scratched cheeks to everything in between, wrestlers often suffer facial lacerations when they hit the mat.
- Prevention: Although the sudden swipes and blows that cause facial injuries are largely unpredictable, proper technique may help prevent injury.