Wrestling with injuries

Editor's note: Cody Scharf is the owner of Thrive Spine and Sport, a chiropractic and soft tissue clinic in Cedar Rapids focusing on sport and overuse injuries. Scharf is a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic and certified by Integrative Diagnosis for diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injuries.

By Cody Scharf, community contributor

Behind only football, wrestling has the highest risk of serious injury to athletes.

The NCAA Injury Surveillance System notes the injury rate for wrestlers is 9.6 per 1,000 athlete exposures. Most of the injuries suffered occur during competition.

Wrestling is unlike any other sport with its demand for a combination of endurance, strength and flexibility. While many different types of injuries occur, the most common injuries in wrestling are sprains and strains. Sprains and strains occur when a muscle or ligament is stretched beyond its limits.

During training, practice and competition opponents frequently target the neck, shoulders and knees to gain advantage. It is no surprise the most serious injuries in wrestling affect those areas. In order to best protect yourself from injury you need to insure these areas are as healthy and as flexible as possible. Even the slightest restriction can lead to sprains or strains or even tears during competition.

Here are some assessments you can check at home that can help protect yourself from injury on the mat:

- Cervical flexion (2 parts): Stand flat against a wall with the shoulder blades and the back touching the wall. Drag the back of the head up the wall, while dropping the chin without the head coming off the wall. The chin should touch the neck comfortably. Next, continue to drop the chin all the way to the top of the chest. Again, this should be effortless, and easily able to touch the top of the sternum.

- Shoulder abduction: Stand upright with the arms along the side of the body. Bring the arms overhead trying to bring the arms against the ears. There should be no space between the ears and the upper arm. The motion should not feel 'stiff” or 'tight.”

- Knee flexion: Stand upright with one arm against a wall or chair for support. Flex the knee, grab the ankle and pull it back until the ankle touches the buttocks. The front of the thigh should be in line with the opposite leg.

Due to wrestling's extreme physical demands, if any of these tests are restricted or difficult to perform, even in the slightest, they are limiting your performance and increasing the likelihood of injury. Difficulty, stiffness or pain with these movements is a sign of dysfunction and needs to be fixed.

Start by utilizing some mobility strategies. Foam rolling and mobility exercises for the neck, shoulder and lower body is a great place to start. Use the assessments listed as a way to track progress.

If they stay the same and remain difficult to perform, treatment is advised as the next step to reduce the chances of injury during activity.

l For more information, email Scharf at cody.scharf@gmail.com or visit www.thrivespineandsport.com