With the conclusion of UFC 234, Melbourne is experiencing a spike in interests the world of mixed martial arts. Although the sport has been around for decades, fighting athletes like Conor McGregor, Rona Ramsay and Robert Whittaker has increased attention towards mixed martial arts and attracted new participants to this full contact pastime.
When you just starting mixed martial arts training, hitting the mitts and learning submissions can feel great. The rush of adrenaline when landing a shot on your partner or making them tap out is a real thriller. All the fun aside, you should probably note there are injuries associated with this sport.
The goal of any fighting sport is to knock the other person out or make them tap. That being said, receiving kicks and punches can result in collisions type injuries. If you aren’t use to striking, there is also a risk that you can injure your own arm and leg. This can include:
- Concussions: commonly associated with receiving a heavy strike to the head from kicks, punches or thrown directly to the head
- Contusions: bruising that commonly occur when you get hit in any part of your body either from a direct strike or blocking a strike
- Dislocation and Subluxation: occur usually when the joint of the body is being taken past its end range of motion ie. during an armbar
- Fractures: generally occur as a result from a high impact strike to anywhere of the body with less muscle protection, for example the shin and arm
- Muscle strains: occur anywhere in the body if that particular area have not been conditioned enough to withstand the activity ie. quadriceps strain
- Ligament sprains: typically occur when you are fatigued and similar forgot to brace for a movement like a kick. Ligament injury is also common during dislocation or subluxation.
If you do run into trouble with these injuries, a physiotherapist can help identify which structures have been injured and create an individualized rehabilitation program to get you back to hitting mitts. At Capital Physiotherapy, we have experienced physiotherapist with various sporting and martial arts backgrounds that can thoroughly assess your condition and help you return to doing what you love.
You can find us at South Yarra, Hawthorn (Formerly at Balwyn) and Footscray. Drop by or email us at info@capitalphysiotherapy.com.au or contact us at 0401 865 333 if you’ve got anything discomfort or just want to improve your performance!