If you’re considering taking up a sport or putting your child in a new sport, you’ll want to consider physical health and the likelihood of injury. When considering what sport has the most injuries, there are a lot of factors at play.
All sports have some element of danger, and there is an opportunity of injury no matter which sport you choose. However, some sports are certainly more dangerous than others.
Here, I’ve broken down the sport with the most injuries and how you can better protect yourself and those around you!
What Sport Has the Most Injuries?
Answer: Football.
Perhaps not surprising, football has the most injuries of any sport, with basketball falling shortly behind.
Football is fun, challenging, and one of the most enjoyable sports in America. It’s a great way to meet friends, develop mental toughness, and grow your athletic abilities.
However, there are some serious risks in the sport. Football injuries are common and often range in severity from bruises and scrapes to concussions and brain trauma.
What Type of Injuries Are the Most Common in Football?
Football players are at risk of both acute traumatic injuries and overuse injuries. Acute traumatic injuries are initially more severe and include injuries such as sprains, concussions, and fractures occurring from force (such as a tackle in football).
Overuse injuries include tendonitis and stress fractures and often occur from overtraining or repetitive movements over time. No sport is immune to overuse injuries because it develops as a result of practicing motions over and over, which is often a requirement of the sport.
CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is one of the more concerning and well-known injuries in football. CTE causes long-term brain damage and has been found in 99% of NFL players and 91% of college football players.
However, other injuries such as muscle strains and ligament tears are also quite common. Football players are also at high risk for bone fractures, especially in the shoulders and wrists, as well as shoulder dislocations.
These injuries are the result of constant, aggressive physical contact through hitting and tackling. A player’s position also impacts the likelihood of injury. For example, kickers are not at the same risk for injury as running backs because of the frequency for which they are hit.
How to Reduce Injury Risk and Recover
The best way to deal with injury is to prevent it from happening in the first place. In football, this means using the proper equipment, including helmets and appropriate padding.
Overtraining and not stretching muscles can also increase injury risk.
If you’ve already been hurt, be patient and smart in your injury recovery. Speak to your doctor and follow their instructions. Be prepared to do the appropriate rehab treatment and be patient!
Ready to Put on Your Helmet?
Remember that no matter which sport you choose, there will always be an element of risk. Determining what sport has the most injuries can depend on your position, size, and body type. But contact sports like football carry the highest risk.
However, with the proper equipment and precaution, the safety risk of football can be reduced. Plus, there are tons of other sports out there to choose from, so you shouldn’t ever feel limited by these risks.
So, what are you waiting for? Go, get out, and play!
And remember, if you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out some of the other awesome articles on this page!
