Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Oh! But CrossFIt Is So Dangerous and Has More Injuries Than.....





     "CrossFit is so dangerous and it has more injuries then any other sport or activity."  I hear that one a lot.  It is amazing how many patients, friends, acquaintances, and even professionals tell me the dangers of CrossFit.

     I decided to look into it.  Currently, there are no scientific studies to back up the claim that people who do CrossFIt have higher rates of injuries then other physical sports/activities.  In fact, CrossFIt is not even in the Top 10 of sports/activities for injury.

   Below is a list compiled by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's Electronic Injury Data Surveillance System (EIDSS), (2006 Figures).

    1- Basketball: 529,837 Injuries.
    2- Bicycling: 490,494 Injuries.
    3- Football: 460,210 Injuries.
    4- ATV, Mopeds, Minibikes: 275,123 Injuries.
    5- Baseball, Softball: 274,867 Injuries.
    6- Exercise, Exercise Equipment: 269,249 Injuries.
    7- Soccer: 186,544 Injuries.
    8- Swimming: 164,107 Injuries.
    9- Skiing, Snowboarding: 96,119 Injuries.
   10- Lacrosse, Rugby: 85,580 Injuries.

     Truth be told, anyone who engages in any type of physical activity or sport runs the risk of injury.  In my office treating patients, I have lost track of how many mountain bikers that took a header flying over their handle bars.  I lost track on the amount of skiers and snowboarders jacking up their shoulders, knees and wrists.  And lets not forget the multitude of concussions in football, soccer and even regular PE class.  Don't even get me started on trampoline injuries.  And yes I get an occasional CrossFIt injury but their numbers don't come close to the injuries seen in other sports.  Does that mean we should also avoid these sports/activities because they can be potentially dangerous and fraught with injuries?  Of course not.  So why does CrossFit get picked on?  Because it is relatively speaking the new kid on the block in the sporting/exercise world and unfortunately, many old time trainers and exercise gurus are just ignorant on the subject of CrossFit.

   Injuries in any sport including CrossFit usually occur for the following reasons:

1- Lack of conditioning.  I think this is a primary reason why CrossFit gets a bad rap.  Often times a person new to CrossFit will dive in and not realize the strength, endurance and skill that is involved with it.  They do their initial visit with their instructor and they are laid up for four or five days from sore muscles.  They are out of condition and their muscles are not used to that type of load.  Technically, this is not a true injury per say but the muscles have been broken down and need time to recover.  That is why I inform my patients that go into CrossFit that they should take it slow and give themselves a month to get their first four sessions out of the way before they are turned loose to workout with the group.

     2- Improper form and lifting techniques.  When proper form and technique are not adhered to, injury can occur. but this can happen with any sport or activity.  Take your time, learn from your instructor and get the moves down using lighter weights before trying to tackle the prescribed weight.

     3- Ego. What is so wonderful about CrossFIt as well as the people involved with it is there is a lot of encouragement and motivation pushing you (positively) to reach the next level.  Again, this can happen in any sport.  We strive to improve and better our times as well as increasing or max in lifting.  Unfortunately, our ego can get us in trouble at times.  There is a fine line between knowing our bodies, knowing our current limits and breaking through a barrier to reaching a new personal best.  As a result, injury can sometimes occur.

    4- Fatigue/Lack of Proper Recovery.  Injuries frequently occur when we are tired.  We don't listen to our bodies when we should and pretty soon we get hurt.  Listen to your body.  Get enough rest for proper muscle recovery.  Drink plenty of water, eat plenty of high quality protein and don't forget to roll out your muscles using a roller or ball.

    I hope this settles any questions or concerns you might have.

    Enjoy!

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