One cannot engage in sporting activities without the prospect of getting a sports injury. Nevertheless, different kinds of sports are known to have different levels of injury risk. This paper looks at the various sporting activities and the likelihood of one getting injured while engaging in that particular activity, and in so doing, arrives at which sport is safer for the players in a certain sense.
A Comparative Study of the Incidence Rate among Popular Sports
Football
Thus, football is considered one of the most dangerous sports, which inflicts a high number of injuries to the head, which can cause concussions and bone and joint impact. Research reveals that football players have an average of 9.6/1000 athlete exposures. Football's usual injuries include sprains, strains, fractures, and bruises of the ankle, knee, shoulder, and hand. The high rates of injuries are, therefore, attributed to the high-velocity impacts of rugby.
Basketball
Basketball research has established that the game has an injury rate of 9.9 injuries per one thousand athlete exposures. Ordinary injuries generally involve sprains and ankle, knee, wrist, and finger strains. These include jumping, landing, cutting, and pivoting, which are very common in basketball and, create stress on the body joints, respectively, the contact with other players also produces illnesses and injuries among them.
Soccer
The latter has an injury rate of 7.8 injuries per 1,000 AE, meaning soccer has lower rates of injuries than football and basketball. The soccer-related injuries include sprain /strain/ and contusive injuries of the ankles, knees, thighs, and groins. So, soccer involves a lot of running, and this is something that may cause one to impact injuries over time. This also includes collisions with other players.
Baseball/Softball
The research demonstrates an injury risk of only 2.6 per 1000 athlete exposures in baseball/softball, making it one of the safest sports. The most frequent ones are strains, especially those in the shoulder area, ankles, and hands, resulting from throwing and sliding motions. Few collar bone injuries result because players do not rub against each other like in football and basketball.
Lowest Injury Rate Sports
Swimming
The incidence of injury in competitive swimming is calculated to be almost zero. Water reduces pressure on the body, hence all the bones, as it supports the body weight. Most injuries are a strain that affects the shoulder section due to excessive overhead arm movements. Since the muscles can become tired and weak due to use of the arms, back or legs. Neglecting contact with any hard surface or other competitors reduces the majority of injuries. This makes swimming the sport with the lowest incidence.
Cycling
Another shallow impact, virtually risk-free sport is cycling or riding a bicycle. A study reveals near-complementarily low competitive cycling acute injury incidence. However, a cyclist might occasionally develop overuse issues such as knee tendinitis, nerve irritation, sometimes referred to as saddle rash or lower back ache with extended cycling time. However, most cyclists use preventive measures for minor overuse problems. Cycling can be termed the least dangerous sport. Hard impacts do not happen regularly as the movements performed are spinning movements and hardly cyclists get hurt.
Golf
As per the research; the injury rate in golf is almost zero. Hand and elbow pain, soreness, and inflammation are the most frequent complaints caused by tendinitis or bursitis due to excessive swinging during practice sessions. Free time between motions allows joint and muscles to rest reducing the chances of injuries and soreness. The probabilities for collisions are also low. Hence the risk control makes golf one of the sports with lowest incidence of injuries.
Conclusion
Swimming comes out on top as the sport with the most minor injuries with an injury rate near zero after comparing the different most popular sports for their injury rates. This means that the aquatic environment provides shock absorbance to the body. The following three activities are cycling, golf, and bowling with almost the same minimum injury rate because there are few severe impacts. At the other extreme we have impact activities such as football and basketball come with highest prevalence of acute traumatic injuries such as sprains, fractures and concussions resulting from falls or impacts on the field. Knowing more about the injury risk that is linked to various sports can assist various sport persons in selecting relatively low-risk sporting activity. For the ones who want a little more they have the risky, intense performing sports but also with necessary caution and safeties in mind so that the person doesn't get hurt.
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