Track and field events date back to the Ancient Olympic Games of Greece. Although much more evolved, such events are still a large part of the modern Olympic Games and are commonly seen in the sport’s departments of educational institutions all over the world, independent sporting festivals, and military games. While track and field events are extremely popular, participation does hold a risk for injury.
How Do Track And Field Injuries Occur?
Track and field isn’t just one sport, but rather a number of different athletic events centered around competitive throwing, jumping, and running activities. With the exception of relay races, events are individual challenges whereby a winner is declared by the fastest time or greatest height or distance achieved. Most track and field athletes choose to specialize in either track events or field events, but some choose to combine a number of both types of events in heptathlons or decathlons.
The running events, also called the track events, include competitions in sprint, relay, hurdle, steeplechase, and middle and long-distance running. Throwing and jumping events are considered the “field” part of track and field. The throwing events include competitions in discus, shot put, javelin, and hammer. The jumping events include competitions in high jump, long jump, triple jump, and pole vault.
The above events require athletes to have some combination of speed, strength, agility, stamina, and total body conditioning to run, jump, and/or throw for their competition. It’s actually the basic mechanics of the throwing, jumping, and running involved in track and field competitions that cause most injuries.
Track and field injuries can be broadly classified as either traumatic or overuse. In track and field, overuse injuries are more common. These are injuries that frequently occur when an athlete does too much, too soon, or too often and causes too much stress to the body. Traumatic injuries are sudden, acute injuries, such as seen when a jumper lands wrong on their foot or a racer trips and falls.
What Are Some Common Track And Field Injuries?
Runner’s Knee
Runner’s knee, also called patellofemoral pain syndrome, chondromalacia of the patella, and anterior knee pain, is essentially a catchall term to describe pain around the front of the knee. Runner’s knee is a common ailment in any sport that requires running, jumping, or frequent bending, and it just so happens that all the track and field events require one or the other of these knee actions. The pain can be caused by a number of different disorders, including a muscular imbalance in the thighs or buttocks; a direct blow to the kneecap, fallen arches or overpronation, patellar tracking disorder, and degenerative changes to the cartilage under the kneecap. Long periods of sitting or knee-bending activities often cause the pain and swelling to intensify. The knee may also catch, pop, grind, or buckle during knee movements.
Stress Fractures
A stress fracture is a tiny crack in a bone. Stress fractures are most often seen in the lower legs and feet because these are the main weight-bearing bones in the body. The tiny crack can occur from a number of different factors, including muscle fatigue that causes the bones to absorb more of the shock from running activities; frequent, high-impact running and jumping activities; uneven running surfaces; sudden increases in the frequency, duration, or intensity of running or jumping activities; poor footwear; the physical stress from over-training; and a preexisting bone insufficiency.
The symptoms of a stress fracture may include:
* pain and discomfort during weight-bearing activities
* pain that subsides with rest
* localized tenderness
* possible localized swelling, bruising, and heat
Strains
A strain, also called a torn muscle or pulled muscle, involves a muscle and/or a muscle’s attached tendons being abnormally stretched or torn. The injury can occur following a sudden, quick, and powerful muscle contraction that’s stronger the muscle/tendon fibers; following a direct blow or stretching of a muscle/tendon during a fall; or from prolonged overuse and weakening of muscle/tendon fibers. Commonly strained muscles in track and field include the hamstrings, groin, and calf muscles in running and jumping events and the biceps, triceps, rotator cuff, and lower back in throwing events.
Strains are graded based on the degree of tearing or stretching the muscle/tendon fibers suffer. A grade one strain is stretching or microscopic tearing that doesn’t interfere with day-to-day activities, but may cause tenderness and mild pain. A grade two strain involves moderate tearing that can cause mild to moderate tenderness, pain, swelling, heat, and range of motion limitations. A grade three strain is significant to complete tearing that causes moderate to severe pain, discomfort, tenderness, swelling, heat, and range of motion limitations.
Of course, these are just a few of the many track and field-related injuries. Other common injuries to the sport may include: plantar fasciitis, sprains, joint dislocations, fractures, heel spurs, shin splints, tendinitis, bursitis, menisci injuries, contusions, abrasions, IT band syndrome, muscle cramps, Achilles tendon injuries, and so forth.
