Spring has sprung which means cricket season is officially upon us.
Cricket is a popular non contact sport that requires a combination of physical fitness, skill, and strategy. Overuse and impact injuries are common since players engage in running, throwing, batting, bowling, catching, and diving. A physiotherapist can identify risk factors for prevention of sport injuries, provide effective strengthening/conditioning exercise programs to improve muscle imbalance and promote safe return to sport
So let’s take a look at some of the most common injuries
- Lower back pain
Lumbar spine injuries are very common in fast bowlers since the technique involves placing a large amount of force repetitively through the back at great speed. The result of repeated or forceful trunk lateral flexion with rotation during the delivery stride and follow-through puts the lumbar spine at risk of developing disc degeneration or spondylolysis, a stress fracture occurring at the pars interarticularis. Bowling injuries tend to be overuse injuries and often present gradually over time. It occurs more often in young fast bowlers and are usually seen on the side opposite to the bowling arm.
- Shoulder injuries
The rotator cuff muscles are stabilizing muscles around the shoulder joint. A rotator cuff injury is an overuse injury due to repeated overhead throwing during fielding, bowling and wicket-keeping.
- Hamstring injuries
Cricketers are prone to hamstring strains because they may be required to perform an explosive movement after a long period of standing relatively still. Hamstring strains occur during sprinting with fast bowling, while fielding or sprinting between wickets as a batsman. The severity of the strain may vary between a dull ache or extreme pain making it difficult to stand or walk.
Contacts to email:
- Le page Park – Senior Womens Cricket Co-ordinator – Tim O’Meara E: [email protected]
- Le page Park – Senior Mens Coach – Steve McConchie – E: [email protected]
- Chelt cricket [email protected]
- Kingston Heath [email protected]
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