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Cricket Injuries
Welcome back to our readers. This week we take a look at Cricket Injuries. As we all know the Australian cricket team is under extreme pressure at the moment with our batting line up currently in Melbourne for a batting camp. Lets hope they can get their techniques sorted at this camp before the Boxing Day Test.
This week we hear from Sportreat physiotherapist Hadyn Sleeman. Hadyn spent three months in India last year working in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 with team Pune Warriors. He was the assistant physiotherapist and worked with some of the most talented cricketers in the world: Graeme Smith, Tim Paine, Wayne Parnell, Yuvraj Singh, Angelo Mathews, Nathan McCullum, Callum Ferguson and Western Australian Mitch Marsh.
Read below for your tips from Hadyn Sleeman:
With summer starting and the Boxing Day test fast approaching cricket is becoming very popular to watch and participate in. With the local seasons for children and adults well under way its important to look at the common injuries in cricket, this week more specifically bowlers.
Common cricket injuries to include;
Disc pathologies
Side strains
Groin injuries: strain, tendinopathy & osteitis pubis.
Shin pain
Knee – tendinosis, ITB, Meniscal
Ankle – posterior impingement, anterior impingement, Achilles injury
Shoulder – tendinopathy, instability, impingement
Tennis Elbow
Hand injuries
Bowlers
Bowling is a repetitive action of loads approximately 5-9 times the bowler’s body weight. A bowler can deliver 10 000 – 20 000 deliveries per year.
Technique factors have been identified as the most important variables predisposing fast bowlers to stress fractures of the lumbar pars interarticularis and intervertebral disc. (Multiple references)
Four basic techniques used in fast bowling are; front-on, side-on, semi-open, mixed. And each technique consists of 5 stages; run up, back foot impact, transition, front foot impact and ball release. All these different techniques with different stages means there is a lot of room for poor technique leading to injury.
Disc Patholigies - Common injury for bowlers of all type due to the repetitive nature and forces involved are disc pathologies. Disc pathologies can vary massively in the nature and degree of injury. Bowling involves rapid extension to flexion of the lumbar spine and also differing degrees of side flexion. All those movements under stress and of repetition can cause harm to the disc. A Front-On technique has the highest incidence of these types of injuries.
Side strains - Bowlers can also commonly get side strains due to the muscles being used to propel the ball as they deliver. Bowlers with a ‘side on’ action are more likely at risk of this injury but are however less likely to cause intervertebral disc injuries and/or pars interarticularis.
Stress fractures – Repetitive twisting forces of the spine can cause stress fractures of the pars interarticularis commonly know as a pars fracture. Pars interarticualris is a thin bridge of each vertebrae which connects the two main parts of the vertebrae to form the spinal canal. The most common action for this injury is the mixed technique as this causes the most rotation of the spine.
Fatigue and over use play a big role in the above injuries; bowlers with a higher bowling workload during a training/game/season are at a greater risk of injury. Also if a bowler becomes fatigued their actions and biomechanics start to change therefore exposing them to a higher risk of injury.
With all the above information it is very important to stretch before and after all bowling, stay well hydrated and take breaks if required. If any symptoms or issues arise with cricket injuries Sportreat are here to help.
Hadyn Sleeman
(Referenced from Errol Alcott and Alex Kountouris (Australian Cricket Physiotherapists)
As we are now heading into the Christmas break I will return with our next blog on 12th January 2012.
From everyone at Sportreat we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year.
Mel Marsh
mel.marsh@sportreat.com.au
