Most common Jiu Jitsu injuries and how to treat?

Martial Arts and Injuries

People who practice martial arts experience various types of pain and discomfort in different parts of their body. It is because fast and explosive movement increase stress in the joint and surrounding connective tissues (muscle, tendon, ligament) have strain and sprain if they are not strong and flexible enough to take the force.

Injuries from Jiu Jitsu

BJJ focuses on taking one’s opponent down to the ground, gaining a dominant position, and using a number of techniques to force them into submission via joint locks or chokeholds. Since its goal is to get submission through joint locks and chokes, it can give a tremendous amount of force to the joints in the body.

Most common injuries in Jiu Jitsu

1. Rib cage pain – Jiu Jitsu requires lots of trunk muscle activation and rotational movement
2. Neck pain – neck chokes with/without Gi gives lots of pressure in the neck
3. Low back pain – if core muscles are not able to stabilize low back, it can cause muscle strain as well as lumbar disc herniation
4. Finger pain – grabbing the Gi of the moving opponents can create strain in finger muscles & joint
5. Shoulder pain – submission techniques such as Kimura and Arm Bar bring the
6. shoulder out of range of motion and ends up having ligament sprain/tear and muscle strain/ tear
7. knee/ ankle pain – knee bar/ ankle lock strain the muscle/tendons and sprain ligament

Radiating pain in the arm and legs

If you feel a radiating sensation, tension, pain and stiffness that is not getting better with massage or stretching, you need to have a check-up with a medical professional to check your spine. It can happen from disc herniation or nerve impingement from myofascial trigger points.

How to treat it?.

1. Assessment with physical exam and movement test

Screening your body with movement test and physical exam to find out what is the cause of your pain and movement restriction

2. Manual Therapy

Myofascial trigger point is the most common source of pain and dysfunction in the musculoskeletal system. However, it is very difficult to detect with radiological methods.

Manual therapy uses hands-on techniques releasing adhesions and trigger points in the injury areas.

In order to break up the strong adhesions, we use Graston techniques, friction massage, spine adjustment, cupping, and percussion machines depending on their condition.

3. Shockwave Therapy

One of the main benefits of Piezowave Shockwave Therapy is its ability to treat myofascial trigger points in both the superficial and deep layers of the muscles.

When the Piezowave machine is applied on the dysfunctional myofascial tissues, the patient can feel pain, discomfort or radiating sensation in the other part of the body. Thus, it is a great diagnostic tool as well as an excellent treatment machine.

4. Stretching and strengthening program

Once dysfunctional tissues are treated, the patient can resume the movement without pain.

Stretching and mobility exercise programs will begin to improve flexibility and muscle function. Strengthening and functional exercises will be incorporated in the program to improve performance. Core stability and plyometric exercises will be added in the later stage.