Top 5 Sports Requiring a Little Hot Tub Therapy

Bullfrog Spas

12 years ago

We have all seen athletes hobbling off a basketball court after twisting an ankle or football players limping off the field. There are numerous other instances of athletes making emergency room visits for everything from ice skating to rugby. If there was ever anything that athletes have in common, no matter what the sport, it’s sore muscles, joints, bones, and tendons, just to name a few. But which are the most common reoccurring injuries athletes experience today and in what sports do they take place? I can already tell you one thing, football is not number one, and the number one injury-causing sport may surprise you!

Top Forms Of Sports Injuries

Before we talk about the concussions, dislocated shoulders, and compound fractures that moms everywhere are using to keep little Johnny from playing tackle football, let’s go over the causes of sports injuries. The popular website, livestrong.com, lists the top three reasons for sports injuries. The top categories consist of things that can largely be prevented with the proper warm up, stretching, safety, and learning when to call it quits. These are also many injuries that hot tub therapy can help an athlete avoid and recover from.*

Overuse Injuries: First on the list of sports injuries are those that come from overuse of specific muscle groups or body parts. Shin splints, tennis elbow, and shoulder problems being the most prevalent.
Stops and Twists: Second are stops and twists and the stress they place on ankles and knees. It’s a given that these injuries are commonplace in team sports. Quick movements and the stress of one’s entire body weight pressuring tendons and joints cause soreness and sometimes more severe damage – a prescription for long recovery sessions in the hot tub.
Falls: Third on the list are falls. The most common injury in your winter sports and other extreme sports such as mountain biking are wrist and elbow injuries. Cruising around on a skateboard or jetting down the slopes is radical, until disaster strikes and you find yourself going face first towards a surface your face should never touch, much less smash into. The first reaction is to throw your hands down and brace as best as possible, before you end up holding your front teeth in your hands, and that’s where the sprained or broken wrists happen. (1)

Even with athletes in peak physical condition who are taking all the precautions necessary, injuries still occur in sports. And which sports result in the highest number? Like we mentioned before, it may suprise you. This list is only of recorded Emergency Room visits recorded by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, so these are not ALL of the injuries that happen, only those severe enough to require a visit to the hospital.

Basketball: 512,213
Bicycling: 485,669
Football: 418,260
Soccer: 174,686
Baseball: 155,898 (2)

It is likely somewhat surprising to most people that bicycling had roughly 65,000 more annual injuries than football and basketball has 94,000 more than football! With so many of these injuries being overuse related issues, along with twisted ankles, sore knees, and strained muscles, many athletes should look at the benefits of spending a little time stretching, relaxing and recovering in the best hot tubs in existence.*

*Be sure to consult a physician on the correct regimen for your injury.

References: