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Home » 6 Common Injuries in Badminton (Symptoms, Prevention & Treatments)

6 Common Injuries in Badminton (Symptoms, Prevention & Treatments)

badminton injuries

Many people say that badminton is a soft game and does not cause any injury.

But they are completely wrong, or they did not play the game seriously because players usually face several career difficulties.

Sometimes they can be life-long.

So you must know about these injuries in the very beginning days because if you don’t, it will feel like a nightmare.

I’m telling you this because I did not use the right techniques in the beginning days and suffered from tennis elbow, wrist pain, and several other difficulties.

Then after three months of joining the academy, I learned the basic techniques and rules I must have known in the beginning.

So, it would help if you didn’t face what I faced.

That’s why I’m here to help you out:


Common Badminton Injuries and their Prevention

Tennis Elbow

tennis elbow

Tennis elbow is one of the common injuries faced by a player.

This injury can also be classified as elbow pain, which occurs when you put extra pressure or power while performing a basic shot, which later results in tearing and damaging forearm muscles and tendons.

Due to this, the player might feel immense pain and feel his hands shiver while holding any object just after playing.

I faced this injury once in my career when I was unaware of how to grip the racket correctly and used to play forehand smash or clear shots with panhandle grip again and again with more power and pressure.

And I felt the same symptoms as I have already mentioned above.

So, the right gripping technique is a must while playing badminton.

Symptoms

  • Unable to bend or move your arm.
  • Shivering while gripping any object.
  • Feeling pain and stiffness while lifting heavy items.
  • Rigidity while moving or stretching your arm or forehand.
  • Minute pain on the outer and inner sides of your elbows and forearm.

Prevention

  • Well-stretching before and after playing a match.
  • Take some breaks and relax your arms and body.
  • You need not perform repetitive shots and moves.
  • Also, you can use or wear some elbow or armbands and gear, which will prevent elbow and arm pain.
  • Correct your grip: If you are facing this injury, it most probably might be because of the wrong gripping technique.

Treatment

  • One of the best home remedies to get of this pain is to apply ice to the affected area.
  • You can also use an elbow strap, which will protect the injured tendon from further strain.
  • Shockwave therapy is also one of the most effective ways to get rid of this tennis elbow.
  • And in case your elbow pain is unbearable or out of tolerance, you might need to undergo surgery.
  • You need to relax your arm and elbow during the break and not indulge in high pressure while performing a shot.

Shoulder Pain (Rotator Cuff Injury)

Shoulder pain

Rotator Cuff Injury or shoulder pain is one of the common upper-body injuries.

It is commonly faced by the players (between 40-50 age groups) on the court while swinging their rackets.

A rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons wrapped around the shoulder joint and made up of four muscles: Infraspinatus, Supraspinatus, Teres Minor, and Subscapularis.

The main work of the rotator cuff is to hold the upper arm in its right place and help move and rotate your arm.

Symptoms

  • Finding your arm unable to move.
  • Neck pain while sleeping.
  • Feeling unstable shoulder joints.
  • You might feel minute pain around your neck and shoulders.
  • Feeling rigidity and weakness in your shoulder area.

Prevention

  • Avoid playing overhead shots constantly.
  • Take some rest and relax your body and muscles.
  • Also, avoid indulging in extra power and pressure while playing overhead shots.
  • Shoulder braces can help you from facing more damage ahead while playing or practicing.
  • Add some salmon, cherries, ginger, pineapples, and ginger to your diet to sustain joint integrity.

Treatment

  • To reduce the pain, you can even take corticosteroid injections.
  • Also, you can use ice, do organic meditation, and can take a good rest.
  • Apply patches of nitric oxide to the affected area as it will help in quick recovery.
  • You can wear a shoulder brace, which helps you reduce the pain while lifting heavy objects.

Wrist Pain

wrist pain

Wrist pain is one of the typical injuries faced by beginners who are learning to hold the racket correctly and trying to perform basic badminton shots.

This injury occurs when the player indulges too much force and power while changing the grip or angles.

You might feel minute pain initially, which will increase with time.

Symptoms

  • Swelling of the wrist.
  • Stiffness while moving your wrist.
  • Difficult to move your wrist.
  • Discoloration and redness on the affected area.
  • Feeling wrist pain while applying pressure.

Prevention

  • Avoid falls and landing on your wrist.
  • Try not to play the same shot repeatedly, which could put pressure on your wrist.
  • You need to add calcium and other vitamins to your diet to strengthen your bones and muscles.
  • Also, you can go for supportive wrist gear and bands, which can help you play effectively without facing any injury.

Treatment

  • If you feel like a fracture or rupture, you can undergo surgery.
  • You can take anti-inflammatory medication, which can help in reducing pain.
  • Also, you can perform wrist exercises and meditations to reduce the risk of such injury.

Sprained Ankle

sprained angle

Sprained ankle occurs when any muscle stretches or tears apart.

This injury occurs when any supporting ligament or muscle extends from its place and twists.

And I think you might be aware of such kind of injury because one ordinary person can even face such an injury while walking or running.

This injury occurs while wrong landings, changing directions or taking an inaccurate jump.

According to my personal experience, I suggest you apply ice on the sprained ankle, as it will decrease the blood flow to the affected area, which causes less swelling.

Symptoms

  • Bruises.
  • Unstable ankle.
  • Swelling in the affected area.
  • Discoloration and redness.
  • Feeling pain while touching or pressing on the affected area.

Prevention

  • Stop or slow down if you feel pain in your ankle.
  • Decide and select for right and effective shoes.
  • You can even use ankle tape and support bands while playing.
  • Try to play on a smooth surface rather than on an uneven surface.
  • Perform a proper warm-up before playing because it heats your body and muscles, which helps in reducing the risk of such injuries.

Treatment

  • Perform ankle exercises.
  • A normal sprain can be treated by applying ice to it.
  • Meditation can also help you in bearing ankle pain.
  • Use RICE protocol, which refers to rest, ice, compress, and elevate.

Jumper’s Knee (Patellar Tendonitis)

jumper knee

Patellar Tendonitis is also one of the common injuries that many players face.

In this injury, the patellar tendon swells up, which connects the tibia to the kneecap, and this causes severe pain.

This injury occurs when you put an overload on your ligaments and muscles while practicing, running, or jumping during a match.

Symptoms

  • Feeling stiffness in your knees.
  • Discoloration and blue spotting on the affected area.
  • Feeling sudden pain while changing your direction.
  • When you cannot run, jump, or move effectively around the court.
  • Feeling pain in quadriceps muscles.

Prevention

  • Take some rest if you feel pain while playing.
  • Be careful about your landing and next moves.
  • Do not indulge in more pressure and power while performing any shot.
  • Add some protein and nutritional supplements to your diet to keep your tendons and muscles strong.
  • Rather than this, you can also use some knee caps and gear, which can reduce the risk of facing knee injury.

Treatment

  • You can take Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs, like ibuprofen or naproxen) which are usually used to relieve pain.
  • A neoprene knee support can help you bear the pain and recover faster.
  • If the pain is bearable and the injury is minute, you can go for some home remedies like applying ice, heating pads, and organic meditation, and you can also wear a knee cap.
  • Also you can perform stretching and strengthening exercises.

Blisters

blisters

This injury occurs on your palm, between your fingers, and your foot.

Here the skin-loosen up and experiences friction burns, filling these blisters with lymph fluid.

These blisters are not dangerous but can cause some infections and diseases if you don’t get proper treatment.

When I was a beginner, I faced such injuries a lot because of the wrong grip and racket holding technique, which was painful but used to heal soon.

And I think you won’t like to go through this pain, even if it’s temporary.

Symptoms

  • Discoloration on the affected area.
  • The thick part of the skin which hurts easily loses its moisture.
  • Affected areas on the hand, palm, and toes become patchy and dry.

Prevention

  • Change the grip regularly.
  • Change your shoes if you find blisters on your foot.
  • Also, keep your hands and feet dry to prevent your hands and feet from blistering.
  • Use tape and bandages on sensitive areas of your hands to prevent more blisters.

Treatment

  • Skin ointments can help in healing the skin.
  • Tapping can also prevent your skin from facing more blisters ahead.
  • Immerse the affected area in warm water, reducing blisters and effectively healing skin.

Conclusion

Now you must be well aware that badminton is not a soft game but also consists of many difficulties.

And if you are one of those players, who usually face such problems, then I hope this article can help you.

Those facing such problems need to be patient and calm because injuries easily heal up within 40-45 days.

Until then, you must take care of yourself and follow the precautions and treatment mentioned above.

And in case you know about any other common injuries, which can occur while playing, or in case you have any questions going on in your mind regarding this post, then feel free to ask us or pin it up in the comment section below.

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