Let's Talk About Injuries

There isn't as much research on injuries in rhythmic gymnastics as there is in other sports, but it is safe to say that feet and spinal injuries are highly prominent in the discipline. According to Skadefri, an evidence-based resource site that provides information on common sports injuries, injury risk factors, and specific injury prevention exercises the most common injuries in rhythmic gymnastics are ankle sprain, patellofemoral pain syndrome, medial tibial stress syndrome and back pain. These are all very common injuries that athletes and active people suffer. What's interesting about gymnastics however is the alarmingly high number of overuse injuries and the cause of these. Research shows that the main cause of injuries is psychological rather than physical, having more to do with behaviors, cultural values and unwritten norms influence gymnasts’ attitude towards pain .

Gymnasts have a high pain tolerance and train with some degree of discomfort on a daily basis, often failing to recognise the difference between pain from fatigue and pain from overuse, resulting in chronic overuse injuries.

-APA Sports Physiotherapist Kate Roberts

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