Because boxing is a combat sport, there is the chance that you’re going to get hurt. Hopefully that will not happen to you if you decide to follow this path of blood, sweat, grit, and spunk.
Like all sports, boxing does have its dangers. As long as you don’t do any bonehead moves that could get you hurt, you’ll be fine. However, accidents like injuries can happen to anyone. That’s right, anyone. What do you do if you do get hurt? What kind of injury is it? How severe is the injury? What kind of treatment should you seek?
Consider the following if you injure yourself:
- WHERE DID I GET HURT?
- HOW SEVERE IS THE PAIN?
- WHAT KIND OF INJURY IS IT?
- HOW DID I GET HURT?
- WHAT KIND OF TREATMENT SHOULD I GET?
Types of Injuries
According to The most common injuries by fittoplay.org, these are the most common injuries in boxing.
- CONCUSSION
- SPRAINED WRIST
- INJURIES TO FACE (CUTS, BRUISES, BROKEN FACIAL BONES)
- BONE FRACTURES IN HANDS
- SHOULDER DISLOCATION
- SPRAINED FINGERS
- BOXER’S KNUCKLE
- BENNETT’S FRACTURE
- ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY
- PAIN IN NECK AND BACK
- STRAINS IN MOST JOINTS
The Total Orthopedics blog explains the most common shoulder injuries in boxing. Shoulder injuries are not uncommon in the sport. BOXING INJURY GUIDE: THE MOST COMMON SHOULDER INJURIES IN BOXERS
- TORN ROTATOR CUFF
- ROTATOR CUFF TENDONITIS
- SUBACROMIAL BURSITIS
- TORN LABRUM
Types of Treatment for Injuries
There are different types of treatment for the different types of injuries. It all depends on the type of injury and the severity of the injury.
- ICE: Applying ice can help reduce any swelling, cramps, and inflammation, and it helps the pain go down.
- WRAPS/BANDAGES: Bandages help protect injuries from getting any more injured, and they also protect the injury from dirt and bacteria, which can lead to infection if left untreated.
- SURGERY: This is necessary if the injury is if something is torn or partially torn, like a muscle, tendon or ligament. Or if a bone is broken.
- PHYSICAL THERAPY: Physical therapy helps restore movement, and helps reduce pain wherever it hurts.
The Healthline blog has some good remedies to try if, God forbid, you do get hurt (specifically Boxer’s fracture) on here: Boxer’s Fracture: Treatment, Recovery, and Long-Term Effects.
According to the Healthline blog, some remedies you can try as treatment for Boxer’s knuckle include:
- ICE
- SPLINT (UNTIL HAND HAS FULLY RECOVERED): Splints help to immobilize an injury. This can help reduce swelling and reduce the risk of potentially getting hurt again.
- REST: This is something that I do often, as I haven’t suffered any major injuries in my life. Simply resting the injury and taking it easy until it heals can help.
- KEEP HAND ABOVE HEART LEVEL
- PRESCRIPTION/OVER THE COUNTER PAIN MEDICATION
- CLEAN WOUNDS ON THE INJURED HAND
- TAPE THE HAND AS A SOFT SPLINT, WITH PINKIE AND RING FINGER TAPED TOGETHER
- CORRECTION OF DISLOCATED BONE
- PHYSICAL THERAPY
- EXERCISES AT HOME
Other Things to Consider
One thing you should consider is how long you should rest whatever is injured. My recommendation? I would say listen to your body. If you get injured somewhere, you can try some self-physical therapy to pinpoint where it hurts, and just take it easy until the injury has healed. That’s my way of treating minor injuries.
If the injury is more severe, like a break or a tear, then you should see a doctor immediately. There is no other way. Torn ligaments or tendons can take about a year to heal.
According to the Total Orthopedics blog, they too recommend medical treatment for injuries ASAP. However, there are some athletes who choose to power through injuries and let them heal on their own. I have went through that on a few occasions, where I would just rest an injury until it heals. Most of the time my strategy works. I haven’t had a major injury in my lifetime.
My Experience
In my experience with training as a boxer, I have on and off tendonitis in my right arm. My left arm is fine. One way I keep my joint protected is by wearing elbow sleeves. The sleeves I wear are the Iron Bull Strength Elbow Sleeves 5mm (1 Pair) – High Performance Elbow Sleeve Support for Weightlifting, Weight Training & Powerlifting – Best Compression Straps – for Men and Women, I got them on Amazon earlier this year.
I remember an incident when I was punching on a heavy bag with my bare hands. I didn’t own a pair of wraps or gloves at the time. What ended up happening was, I landed a punch on the bag and my hand bent the wrong way. I was afraid that I broke a few bones, because I remember hearing bones crack.
I wore a brace around my hand for about a week or two to keep my hand straight. It turned out the injury was a sprained wrist. There were no broken bones or dislocations in my joints from the hard impact.
I have not suffered any other injuries while training as a boxer. Why is that? Because I learned how to have better control when I am throwing punches, especially with the lingering tendonitis in my arm. I am remembering to not throw haymakers that could damage the entire arm. It’s like I said in my previous posts on this site, form is everything!
Closing Words
I hope you all learned something about how to treat yourself if you get hurt while boxing. While boxing can be a fun and exciting experience (especially for first-timers), it is important to know what could potentially happen if things go wrong. That and what protocol to follow as a result of something going wrong.
Long story short, safety is the top priority. We don’t want to see anyone get seriously hurt.
As long as you take proper precautions, maintain proper form, and enjoy yourself while doing it, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you do get a major injury, get it treated fast. Otherwise, it could spell disaster.
Happy training, and stay safe!