Cricketing injuries are a lot more common than previously thought. When cricket enthusiasts play regularly, and in different formats, injuries are inevitable. While some players are aware of the injuries and know how to prevent them or protect themselves, a large majority of players are not even aware. Injuries are often dismissed as mere sprains. This puts the player’s mobility at risk and can lead to long-term complications. To prevent this, cricket enthusiasts must be aware of such injuries and seek medical attention when they happen.
Cricket is the most popular sport in India, even though Hockey is the official national game of the country. The British left many legacies behind for Indians, some unpleasant, some useful, and one of them is cricket. Its popularity can be explained by the fact that at the national level, the Indian team plays in all formats of the game – test, 50 overs, and 20 overs, and almost all-round the year.
At a more local, or societal level, cricket is played in streets, school or college playgrounds, locality playgrounds, and at the league level – in stadiums. While street games that involve a rubber-ball or tennis-ball may not result in chronic injuries, those who play league games or higher, which involve heavier bats and leather balls, and lasting a full day, can lead to both chronic injuries (long run, mild pain) and acute injuries (instant, shooting pain).
Such players may use all the protective gear that is available – which includes helmets that protect from craniofacial injuries (to head and face), sun hats to protect from sunburn, leg pads to protect the shin bone, elbow guard, thigh guard, arm guard, chest guard, abdomen guard and batting gloves to protect batters, and finally wicketkeeping gloves. Yet, in-spite of so much gear, cricketing injuries are common and its important to be aware of them. This will help the player take the pain more seriously and seek medical attention.
Craniofacial Injuries: It is only in the last 2 decades that every single batsman in major cricket tournaments sports a helmet. Before that, a player could choose to wear a helmet or just a hat. This exposed him or her to severe injuries in the face and head. A fast and rising ball can cause concussion when it hits the head, a mid-face fracture when it hits the face, zygoma when it hits the cheekbone and severe eye injuries when it hits the eye, eye-brow or bridge of the nose. This applies to batsmen. Wicketkeepers are more at risk from bails that fly off and hit them in the eye.
Shoulder injuries: Both bowlers and fielders are prone to shoulder injuries due to repeated and eccentric use of the shoulder. The rotator cuff is a group of 4 muscles which along with 4 joints forms the shoulder area. Sudden overloading of the shoulder (or putting a lot of stress or strain on the shoulders) can hurt the rotator cuff. Bowlers, fielders and batsmen are all prone to rotator cuff injuries. It is one of the most common cricketing injuries. Shoulder tendinitis and tendinosis are other common injuries. In this, the tendons which connect the shoulder bones to muscles get damaged or inflamed.
Elbow injuries: Batsmen who use heavy bats and an improper batting technique develop Lateral epicondylitis. Fielders who need to suddenly throw a heavy leather ball over long distances develop repetitive valgus strain of the elbow. This manifests as medial epicondylar apophysitis in teenage players. Fast bowlers develop what is called a valgus extension overload syndrome with secondary intra-articular degeneration.
Hand injuries: Injuries to the forearm is more common than injuries to the wrist. Injuries to the forearm include bruises, hematoma, fractures of the fingers and contusion. Contusion is when a hard object (such as a leather ball) hits the soft tissues of the hand at high speed. This results in a bruise which takes time to heal.
Trunk Injuries:
Lumbar injuries:
Lower limb injuries: A study conducted on South African cricketers revealed that nearly half of all their injuries were lower limb injuries. These basically affect the following muscle groups or joints in the lower limb.
Cricketing injuries if not taken seriously can lead to serious complications over time. They can cause permanent changes in one’s mobility, strength, fitness and flexibility. In rare cases, the person may have to quit playing sports of any kind.
If you, or any of your dear ones, actively play cricket, and are suffering from pain in some part of the body, please rush to a leading hospital in your city. Such hospitals have orthopaedic doctors on their rolls who specialize in sports injuries and sports medicine. This is a more effective approach than meeting a general physician or your neighbourhood orthopaedic doctor. These specialists are familiar with the pattern of injuries sustained by cricket enthusiasts. So, they can diagnose and treat the condition more effectively. This will restore your health and fitness, and help resume playing at the earliest.
Reviewed by Dr Suresh S Venkita, Group Medical Director, Kauvery Hospitals
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
Chennai – Alwarpet/Vadapalani 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801
