Motocross Injuries And How To Prevent Them
Motocross Injuries And How To Prevent Them – Injuries are common in motocross (MX) and off-road motorcycle sports. Research has shown that motocross places extreme stress on the body and increases the risk of injury. Most motocross injuries occur during race events, but since the advent of freestyle motocross (FMX), injuries have become more common during tricks and ‘big air’ stunts.
Research has shown that 95% of motocross riders are injured. In fact injuries are so common in motocross that riders accept that an injury is inevitable at some point. Most motocross injuries occur during crashes or falls. Due to the speed of the bike, the resulting forces are high and injuries can be very serious. There have been numerous reports of death and spinal injuries among motocross riders.
Motocross Injuries And How To Prevent Them
Men are more likely to be injured during motocross than women. Most of the injured are under the age of 25. Any part of the body can be injured following a motocross crash or fall, although the upper limbs are more often injured than the lower limbs.
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Most motocross injuries occur during turns on the track, although landing from a jump is another high-risk activity for injury. Because the risk is high, protective equipment is essential. Read our guide to learn more about injury prevention in motocross.
The collarbone or clavicle is one of the most common broken bones in the body. A broken collarbone (broken clavicle) is a very common shoulder injury among motocross riders. A collarbone fracture occurs when the rider lands on an outstretched arm while falling from the bike. The force applied to the upper arm is often enough to break the collar bone.
Try not to fall! Be aware that 50% of motocross injuries occur in corners, so be extra careful when cornering. Look for other bikes and try to anticipate danger These are obstacles that can cause a collision or fall. Running the course before the event is essential to help you anticipate areas of the track that may be problematic. If you avoid bunching in trouble spots, you can often pick up a few spots when other riders collide.
Any suspected fracture should be evaluated and treated in a hospital. Ice packs can be applied to the shoulder to relieve pain (never apply ice directly to the skin). Painkillers prescribed by a doctor can provide relief from severe shoulder pain. A figure 8 shoulder support and sling can immobilize the shoulder and relieve pain.
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Once the treating physician is satisfied that the collar bone has healed sufficiently, shoulder range of motion exercises can be progressed to gradually increase the range of motion of the shoulder. These exercises may cause some discomfort, but with some encouragement from a physiotherapist, this discomfort will quickly resolve as normal movement returns. Shoulder strengthening should begin with resistance bands to regain full function.
It is common to break the wrist after falling on an outstretched hand. A Colles fracture is a fracture of the radius bone of the wrist just above the wrist. There is great pain in the wrist. The wrist shows a ‘dinner fork’ when viewed from the side. It results in wrist inflammation, fracture, and inability to use the wrist and hand. Suspected wrist fractures require a doctor’s evaluation and an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis.
The best way to prevent wrist injuries is to stay on the bike. Having a sensible race strategy based on your assessment of the course and pre-race briefing will help you stay out of trouble. Remember that twists and landings from a jump are the most common causes of ball off the bike and are when most wrist fractures occur.
If you fall off your bike, protective equipment can reduce the impact of the fall. Wrist guards should always be worn as they greatly reduce wrist injuries in the event of a fall.
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If a wrist fracture is confirmed on X-ray, initial treatment will be under the supervision of an emergency room physician. If the two fragments of the fractured bone are shown to be adjacent and well aligned, treatment is to immobilize the wrist for 6 weeks. Depending on the treating physician’s preference, a removable cast can be used from two to three weeks, provided X-rays show that the bone is healing well.
Once the cast is removed, physiotherapy exercises using therapeutic putty, hand therapy balls, and finger strengtheners can help strengthen the muscles around the wrist and reduce swelling in the wrist. In the period after the plaster is removed, it may be helpful to wear a wrist support when not performing exercises.
The acromioclavicular joint (AC joint) is part of the shoulder complex. It is located on the outer side of the collarbone, where it is attached to the front of the shoulder blade by strong ligaments. An AC joint sprain (shoulder separation) indicates damage to these ligaments. AC joint ligaments are most commonly injured by either a fall on the tip of the shoulder or a fall onto an outstretched arm.
Similar to a broken collarbone – try to make sure you don’t fall! A sudden stop that throws the rider over the handlebars is a common cause of shoulder separation. Try to avoid potential riders in front of you because if your front wheel comes to a sudden stop, you may end up flying off the front of the bike.
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A shoulder support can help prevent all types of shoulder injuries – they are essential if you have a shoulder separation, AC joint sprain or shoulder dislocation.
Apply ice packs to the shoulder to relieve pain (never apply ice directly to the skin). Painkillers prescribed by a doctor can provide relief from severe shoulder pain. A figure 8 shoulder support and sling can immobilize the shoulder and relieve pain. When returning to activity, a shoulder stabilizer can provide support and protection to help prevent re-injury.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) lies deep within the knee joint and connects the femur to the shin bone. Its function is to prevent excessive forward movement of the shin in relation to the thigh and excessive rotation of the knee joint. The ACL is commonly injured when landing on a bent knee from a jump or landing on an overextended knee. Riders without an ACL have a hard time controlling the bike, especially when landing jumps.
A high-quality knee brace can be effective in reducing the risk of an ACL injury. If you’ve ever injured your knee during motocross, you’ll appreciate that prevention is better than rehabilitation—high-quality knee bracing is the number one method of knee protection.
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High-quality knee braces can prevent the cost and stress caused by anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, medial collateral knee ligament (MCL) injuries, meniscal tears, and cartilage injuries. If you are already injured, a knee brace can be used throughout the rehabilitation period, from the initial injury until returning to racing.
All ACL injuries require the opinion of an orthopedic consultant. The PRICE treatment protocol is most effective when the ACL injury occurs immediately. It stands for Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. A cryotherapy cuff is one of the most effective methods of delivering ice therapy and can be used as a home treatment for knee pain and knee pain. It can provide ice cold water and compression for 6 hours continuously to significantly reduce knee pain and knee swelling. Reconstructive surgery is necessary if the knee is unstable following an ACL injury. followed by a 6-month rehabilitation program with a physiotherapist.
Ankle fractures are named according to the exact location of the fracture line. Lateral malleolus and medial malleolus fractures may occur alone or together (bimalleolar fracture) or with fractures of the posterior tibia (trimalleolar fractures).
A broken ankle can result from direct contact with another rider or your own bike. In some cases this may be due to a bad landing.
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Once a bike lands on your ankle there isn’t much you can do about it. Riding sensibly will help, but the most important thing is to make sure you are fit to ride. If your fitness is good, you will be able to concentrate throughout the race and you will be less likely to make mistakes due to the many dangers of fatigue. Ankle braces can also help reduce the risk of ankle injury.
Any suspicious ankle should be transferred urgently to hospital for assessment by a specialist trauma doctor. ‘Open’ fractures where the bone fragments go through the skin are the most obvious, but all serious ankle injuries require a full assessment and an X-ray assessment.
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