Injuries in Competitive Dragon Boating

Abstract

Background:Dragon boating is a fast-growing team water sport and involves forceful repetitive motions that predispose athletes to overuse injuries. Despite the rising popularity of the sport, there is a lack of studies on injury epidemiology in dragon boating.Purpose:To investigate the injury epidemiology in competitive dragon boating athletes.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiological study.Methods:A total of 95 dragon boaters (49 males, 46 females) representing their respective universities took part in this study. Data were collected retrospectively using a reliable and valid self-report questionnaire. The study period was from August 2012 to July 2013.Results:A total of 104 musculoskeletal injuries were reported (3.82 injuries/1000 athlete-exposures), 99% of which occurred during training. The most commonly injured regions were the lower back (22.1%), shoulder (21.1%), and wrist (17.3%). The majority of injuries were due to overuse (56.3%), and incomplete muscle-tendon strain was the most prevalent type of injury (50.5%). The time loss from injuries varied. In addition, a significant majority of the dragon boating athletes incurred nonmusculoskeletal injuries, with abrasions (90.5%), blisters (78.9%), and sunburns (72.6%) being the most common.Conclusion:Competitive dragon boating has a moderately high injury incidence, and there seems to be a direct relationship between exposure time and injury rate. A majority of the injuries are overuse in nature, and the body parts most actively involved in paddling movement are at higher risk of injuries. The high incidence of nonmusculoskeletal injuries in dragon boaters suggested that these injuries are likely outcomes of participation in the sport.

Retrospective Designs in Sports Injury Surveillance Studies: All is not Lost

“…It is without doubt that physical distribution of questionnaires lead to 100% response rates and a higher likelihood of complete responses. 8 Moreover, the physical presence of the research team members during distribution can serve to ensure completion and correctness of all data fields, clarify questions or doubts related to the type, nature and onset of injury, and exclude the non-sport related injuries. This increases the validity of the responses.…”

“…However, evidence suggests a fair degree of success using a 12 month recall period. 8,9,16 It therefore seems advisable to limit the recall time to 12 months in retrospective injury surveillance studies. This also implies that for season-based studies, the data should be collected as soon as possible on completion of the season.…”

Perfil Musculosquelético de Atletas de Canoa: a Perspetiva Médico-Desportiva de uma Atividade Assimétrica

“…Além disso, estes fatores de risco poderão ser agravados pelo menor grau de força das mulheres que na canoagem apresentam maiores taxas de lesões do que os homens. 6 O protocolo do ergómetro foi devidamente elaborado de forma a avaliar de forma inequívoca a eficácia do respetivo método de recuperação. Os atletas produziram potências semelhantes durante a sessão de treino e não houve diferenças significativas na concentração de lactato sanguíneo no final dos dois dias de sessões, mostrando que os atletas realizaram esforço semelhante, tendo as mesmas condições de fadiga para avaliar o respetivo método de recuperação.…”

Blisters and Calluses from Rowing: Prevalence, Perceptions and Pain Tolerance

“…Dragon boating (an activity that is more similar to kayaking than to rowing) seems to be more inducive to hand blisters, with as many as 78.9% of dragon boaters in a study reporting blisters. [36] Despite the fact that rowing causes blisters and calluses on the palm of the hand and fingers, it is common knowledge that, in general, training generally continues, possibly exacerbating the issue and increasing the possibility of infection [22]. This problem may be further aggravated when the rowers decline the use of gloves, which are perceived as hindering the real feel of the oar [21].…”