CrossFit Injuries

In a world where strength and fitness are valued more and more by the active population, the exercise movement known as CrossFit continues to be popular. And while the movement has slowed a bit in the past couple of years, we are definitely seeing a number of injuries in our patients that occur during CrossFit workouts. Let's learn a little bit more about CrossFit— then talk about some of the common CrossFit injuries.

How Long Does a CrossFit Workout Last? 

A typical CrossFit workout takes 1 hour. This is usually divided into:

• A 5-minute explanation of the exercises 10 minutes of warm up

• 15 minutes of strength and skill work

• 20 minutes of high-intensity workout

• 10 minutes of cool down and stretching

As we will learn later on in the article, the warmup and cool down periods are vital to having a healthy, injury-free workout.

What are the typical exercises in a CrossFit workout?

According to BoxRox Competitive Fitness Magazine, there are nine foundational movements of CrossFit, but those can be boiled down to three fundamental movements:

• Squats

• Overhead Lifts

• Floor Lifts

These movements are not inherently dangerous. However, due to some of the more aggressive, repetitive movements that are offshoots of these techniques, they can result in injuries.

And while the goal of CrossFit is to push yourself hard in order to gain strength and conditioning, doing some of these exercises in a fatigued state can increase the chance of injuries. 

What are the most common crossFit injuries?

Good question. CrossFit injuries that occur at a high rate are:

• Lower Back injuries

• Knee Pain

• Tennis Elbow

• Achilles Tendonitis

• Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

• Rhabdomyolysis

What Are the Common Crossfit  Injuries to the knee?

The knee is susceptible to some of the more serious injuries in CrossFit workouts. Here's what we see:

• Meniscus tears

• Cartilage damage

• ACL tears

Meniscus Tears in CrossFit

Deep squats can lead to mensicus tears, an injury that we see often in many of the competitive sports we treat. If you are doing crossfit and you feel a popping sensation in the back of your knee, I recommend stopping your workout and making sure to see your physician.

The big risk in leaving a meniscus tear untreated is the development of arthritis later on. As the cushion cartilage of your knee, the meniscus is particularly important if you want to continue an active lifestyle with a minimum of pain. So get in to your sports doc immediately if you think you’ve suffered a meniscus tear while doing CrossFit

ACL Tears in CrossFit

We talk a ton about ACL tears here on this website, but let's try to make it specific to CrossFit injuries. Some of the exercises in a CrossFit workout (box jumps being a good example) call for jumping, twisting, and turning, sometimes while holding weights.

Unfortunately, this is a possible recipe for an ACL tear. 

If you feel a pop in your knee, stop doing what you are doing when it happens. Cease your workout immediately. If the knee swells up shortly after the initial injury, you probably have an ACL tear. And as we've learned here multiple times, tearing your ACL puts your meniscus at risk. In fact, we sometimes see ACL and meniscus tears in tandem. 

How to Avoid CrossFit Injuries

Here are some tips to avoid injuries while engaging in CrossFit workouts:

1. Start slow and work your way up to full fitness and exertion

2. Pay attention to your body and don't put undue stress on an area of the body you may have injured previously

3. Warmup prior to your workout

Enjoy your CrossFit Workout

CrossFit is not inherently more dangerous than many other sports. However, because of the rise in popularity of this workout and the intensity that it sometime entails, we do see injuries.

So enjoy your CrossFit, but be safe and pay attention to your body. I want to see you around town looking buff, not in my office with a knee injury.

Good luck!