How To Treat Common MMA Injuries
MMA, also known as Mixed Martial Arts, is one astonishing contact sport that involves a combination of different martial methods practiced all across the globe. MMA is known to be one of the world’s most terrifying sports because of a limited number of rules involved, which causes a large number of matches in fatal incidents. The frantic sport includes extensive and boundless training, which equips them with thorough knowledge of the risks and injuries involved.
The MMA experts train under professionals that give them a complete understanding of how a human body works and cope up with the injuries. The human body is a complex body, and with MMA, it can become prone to tons of injuries. Oakville physiotherapy and chiropractic clinic is the best place to get treatment for MMA injuries. The most common ones are mentioned below with their treatment methods.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are the most common in MMA, as they undergo tremendous stress and can be forced into twisted positions while tackling the opponent by making a set of knee moves. It is very prevalent among the MMA fighters to damage their knee ligaments like Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) & Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) or meniscus.
These injuries do not involve strenuous medical attention and can be cured by allowing the body to rest, applying ice over the injury, bracing, and physical therapy. However, if the injury is severe, one might have to undergo a surgical treatment that repairs the torn tissue. Post-surgery, allowing adequate time to heal, is must-required for the healing process.
Hand Injuries
Hands are another common area for an injury during an MMA practice or fight. Hands are the most used body part during any fight. Wearing gloves in practice and during the match is mandatory at all times, but they do not necessarily protect the hands from injuries. Due to lots of punching, jabbing, and striking, the fighters usually suffer from ligament tears, broken bones, jammed fingers, and other injuries.
Hand injuries in MMA fights are difficult to prevent, but with proper precautions, they can be avoided at times. In most of the hand injury cases, a cast or a brace can be applied so as to prevent the movement in the damaged area. For normal ligament tears or jammed fingers, proper rest and regular application of ice are advisable.
Fractures
During an MMA fight, a lot of stress is put on the bones, which can result in bone fractures. There is no fixed body that is most prone to a fracture. However, the most common areas for a fracture are ribs, face, knees, arms, fingers, and nose. Following a fracture, the adjacent tissues of the organ can also get damaged.
The treatment of the fractured bone totally depends on the severity of the damage. Some fractures can be treated by applying a cast or a plaster to immobilize the area. Some severe fractures might require surgical treatment, where metal or titanium rods, pins, and screws can be fixed with the bone for the treatment.
Concussions
Concussions during an MMA fight can turn extraordinarily volatile and can be life-threatening too. In MMA, unlike hands and knees, there is no protective headgear involved due to which it becomes crucial to protect the head.
However, direct head hits are not allowed in MMA, but neck area hits are allowed, which puts the fighter at a higher risk of concussion. Severe and multiple concussions can lead a fighter to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. It becomes essential for the fighter to protect his head at all costs during a fight.