No matter how much training and preparation goes into boxing, there will be some injuries that will inevitably happen. This risk is why it’s important to know what kinds of boxing injuries are most prevalent and how to prevent them. Some of them are more challenging to deal with when compared with others. Still, if you want to enter the boxing world, it makes a lot of sense to understand the most common injuries in boxing and how you can prevent them as much as possible.

Strain injuries

We noticed the most common wrist injuries in boxing come from strain injuries. This type of injury can also happen to your feet, calves, knees, back and neck. Dealing with strain injuries will not be easy, since it takes some time for your body to recover. Tackling can be rather challenging, but with the right approach, you will have no problem getting the best possible results and experience.

Shoulder dislocation

Dislocated shoulder boxing happens quite often among boxers. A shoulder dislocation appears when the humerus bone comes away from the scapula. When that happens, you have a separation that takes place at the glenohumeral point. You will likely deal with a lot of pain in your shoulder, and for most extreme cases, you can even have a change in the overall shoulder appearance.

Concussion

There are many ways to get a concussion from boxing. A concussion in boxing is a severe type of injury, and it comes due to repeated blows to the head. The boxing concussion symptoms can surge from the brain moving around inside the skull, putting the person in a confused, sometimes dazed state. A good physiotherapist knows boxing concussion guidelines and can spot an undiagnosed concussion so you can find medical treatment quickly for the best possible results. If you believe you are suffering from this type of injury, we strongly recommend you contact a physiotherapist near you as fast as possible.

Bruises and cuts

Cuts and bruises are also widespread injuries in boxing. You can encounter them while training or during a match. Bruises often appear when you are punched repeatedly in the same area. Cuts can occur when you hit something very sharp or receive a powerful punch against a bony prominence area. What you must clean the wound straight away, disinfect it and then cover it the best way you can. These cuts and bruises can appear anywhere on your body, so you never really know when and how they appear. However, boxing head cut is one of the most common types of cut a boxer can suffer from. It is tough to prevent cuts and bruises in boxing, all you have to do is find the right way to avoid them, and if you do encounter these, seek medical assistance quickly.

Bennett’s fracture

Bennett’s fracture, or wrist fracture, is a break in the forearm or wrist’s radius bone. The wrist has several small bones like the radius and ulna aligned along the arm’s long axis. If you break any one of these bones, it will cause pain and swelling in that area. It occurs due to a sudden direct force applied from a powerful punch against a hard object such as the opponent’s tibia or skull. Symptoms can include pain and swelling.

Carpometacarpal bossing

What is carpal bossing? Carpometacarpal bossing, also called Carpal Bossing, is a condition which leads to a lump that appears on the back of the hand, right at the junction of the small wrist bones and the long finger. Some of the most common injuries in boxing can end up being very simplistic, so it’s essential to understand where issues come from and how you can tackle them correctly. This one appears when you have a knock on the back of the wrist. It can be hard to find a suitable recovery method, but in this case, the best thing you can do is cold therapy and ice, with rest between activity and respite. We still recommend you to seek professional carpal bossing treatment immediately.

Boxer’s fracture

This kind of fracture usually appears in your metacarpal bones. If you punch objects or anything else with a lot of power, you will incur a lot of damage, especially to the bones between the little fingers and the ring. If you have a boxer’s fracture bruising, it makes a lot of sense to go to a physiotherapy specialist. Boxer’s fracture symptoms can include bruising, swelling, pain and your finger can even look pink and bent. Roughly, 20% of fighters end up dealing with this issue at least once during their career. So it’s clear that if you are dealing with Boxer’s fracture, you are dealing with one of the most common injuries in boxing and you should seek a physiotherapist expert in boxer’s fracture treatment.

Facial injuries

Facial injuries are quite common as well, especially during training. These can vary from broken bones to cuts, bruises, etc. Thankfully, these will not affect your performance as a boxer. Yet, it’s still crucial to address them the best way you can. Doing that will help immensely to prevent permanent disfigurement or, in most extreme cases, disability. Facial injuries might not affect your boxing career, but they can leave you with long-term emotional or physical issues, including to your nose, jaw function or even your eyesight.

Boxer’s knuckle 

The truth is that such an injury can be extremely problematic. It’s mostly related to the first knuckle of a finger, and the adjacent structure. This injury can involve the bone, joint cartilage, skin and even the metacarpal head’s ligaments. It’s another common injury for many boxers, especially those who have a habit of hitting very hard. You can avoid this injury with proper training, but there is always a risk of dealing with it at some point during your boxing career. The boxer’s knuckle healing time can be anywhere from 3 weeks to 12 weeks. If you are affected by Boxer’s knuckly, you will need to receive the right boxer’s knuckle treatment from your physiotherapist.

Achilles tendinopathy

What is Achilles tendinopathy? Achilles tendinopathy is the type of condition that leads to pain, stiffness and swelling in the Achilles tendon. The frequent injuries to the Achilles tendon have the potential to cause this type of issue. Thankfully, treating this injury with the right Achilles tendinopathy exercises can make a huge difference. However, expect the recovery process to be a rather lengthy one, even with the best Achilles tendinopathy treatment. Achilles tendinopathy symptoms can include pain at the back of your heel, stiffness, swelling tenderness and in some extreme cases, you can hear some crackling noise when you move your ankle. Your physiotherapist will likely help you recover with Achilles tendinopathy eccentric exercises.

What should you do?

In this article, we listed the most common injuries in boxing, and if you do train often or fight others, the potential of encountering one of them during your boxing career is relatively high. It can take some time and experience to figure out the right treatment for your specific situation. For that reason, you do want to talk with a physiotherapist as quickly as possible.

The truth is these common injuries in boxing are treatable. But you can also prevent most of them if you pay attention to how you train, the way you hit and how you recover as a whole if you suffer from any of these injuries. With the right regime, you will have no problem getting some extraordinary results. It will take you some time to do that right, but at the end of the day, you need to be cautious at all times. Strong punches and lack of recovery time can be a problem. Also, make sure that you put your safety first to get the utmost benefits and prevent injuries!

If you are suffering from a boxing injury, make sure you seek boxing physiotherapy as fast as possible. Get in touch with our physiotherapy experts today and reassure a successful boxing career!