Sprains, strains, and tendinopathies
Soft tissue injuries are common in sports, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). However, due to BJJ’s unique and dynamic nature, the types of injuries commonly found in BJJ differ significantly from those typically seen in most other sports. The most common locations of BJJ injuries are elbows, wrists, fingers and knees, and the single most common injury is hyperextension of the elbow (this most often happens during the armbar, pictured below).
BJJ injury types commonly fall into one of three categories:
Tendinopathies
⦁ Overuse injuries to tendons (the structures that connect muscles to bones)
⦁ This commonly happens when there is a chronic overuse of specific muscles or a sudden increase in the use of those muscles
Strains
⦁ Acute injuries to muscles or tendons (the structures that move our joints)
⦁ This often happens when muscles contract against resistance that exceeds their strength
Sprains
⦁ Acute injuries to ligaments or capsules (the structures that stabilise our joints to prevent excessive movement)
⦁ This is most common when a joint is forced beyond its normal range of motion.
So how do Physiotherapists treat these injuries?
First, the Physiotherapist discusses how the injury happened and what symptoms are involved. Then, they perform a thorough physical assessment, which may include evaluations of range of motion, strength, ligament integrity, neurological function, joint stability, and more.
Using the information gathered from the assessment, a comprehensive treatment plan is developed, taking into account the following factors.
The nature of the injury
⦁ Severity of the injury
⦁ The natural healing processes of the injured structures
⦁ Current level of strength and range
⦁ Your usual training regimen
⦁ Your goals and desires
References
Hunker, J. J., Tarpada, S. P., Khoury, J., Goch, A., & Kahn, M. (2023). Injuries Common to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practitioner. Cureus, 15(4), e37502. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.37502
McDonald, A. R., Murdock, F. A., Jr, McDonald, J. A., & Wolf, C. J. (2017). Prevalence of Injuries during Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Training. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 5(2), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports5020039
Petrisor, B. A., Del Fabbro, G., Madden, K., Khan, M., Joslin, J., & Bhandari, M. (2019). Injury in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Training. Sports Health, 11(5), 432–439. https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738119849112
Scoggin, J. F., 3rd, Brusovanik, G., Izuka, B. H., Zandee van Rilland, E., Geling, O., & Tokumura, S. (2014). Assessment of Injuries During Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Competition. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 2(2), 2325967114522184. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967114522184