When you think of sports injuries, activities like football, boxing and mixed marital arts come to mind. You may not think many injuries in volleyball happen since it isn’t a contact sport. After all, you’re only supposed to use your hands to hit the ball. Unfortunately, injuries in volleyball like concussions are more common than you might realize.
Types of Injuries
Volleyball is a safer sport than many others, and you won’t see a lot of acute injuries. Instead, what you will see are injuries from overuse and improper technique. Ankle sprains are one of the most common because of the surface used. You will see them even more in beach volleyball with the unstable surface of the sand.
Hand injuries are the most common acute injury because of the contact with the ball. Joint sprains and dislocation are to be expected for many players. Fractures can occur as well even though they may not be serious enough to be recognizable without an x-ray.
Jumping and switching directions quickly often lead to knee injuries. One common issue is known as jumper’s knee or patellar tendinitis. Treatment is usually just stretching and strengthening or possibly a break from playing.
One of the most serious injuries for volleyball players is an ACL tear. It happens when an athlete lands on their feet wrong after a jump or when they do a cutting maneuver. Serious tears require surgery and may mean the end of the career for the athlete.
Concussions in volleyball are also very serious, and have more permanent, life-long consequences than those to your extremities. With the amount of jumping, spiking, blocking and more trauma can occur both from taking a volleyball to the face or head area, as well as the occasional fall on your back on the hard floor hitting your head. This is why many teams and players are now wearing protective headgear like that which Gamebreaker offers specifically for volleyball.
Preventing Injuries
The nature of injuries in volleyball means that many of them can be prevented. Perhaps the most important factor is proper warmups. When the muscles are warm, they have more elasticity and are less prone to injury.
It’s also important to learn correct techniques for the various maneuvers. Listen to the coach and watch training videos from the experts. This helps ensure you know the proper method of each tactic or move and you put less strain on your joints, ligaments and bones.
Wearing the proper equipment is also essential. For court volleyball, the right shoes with skid-resistant soles are essential.
When you do get injured, seek medical help right away even if you don’t think you need it. For doctors and physical therapists, it’s much easier to treat a new injury than an old one. Recovery time is faster if you begin immediately so you can get back to the sport you love.
Don’t return to playing before you are ready. Follow your doctor’s advice and stay away until you receive the “all-clear.” If you do play before you’re ready, you are more likely to reinjure the same area of have a new injury because of the added pressure.
No matter what sport you play or what position, it’s essential to have the proper protective equipment. See Gamebreaker for the best protective headgear to keep you safe in your favorite sport.