“We are able to identity a large need to prevent injuries and illnesses in order for the athletes to be able to perform at top-level. This is the first study in the world that has surveyed sports-related injuries and illnesses in Paralympic athletes over time. The results show that preventative measures need to be adapted specifically to Paralympic athletes”, explains physiotherapist Kristina Fagher, who is active in the research group Rehabilitation Medicine at Lund University, and who is currently presenting her thesis “Sports-related injuries and illnesses in Paralympic athletes”.
18 elite Swedish Paralympic athletes were interviewed about their own views and experiences on sports-related injuries. The interviewer told them about insufficient efforts and a lack of knowledge about preventative work. The group also spoke about injuries that were a result of the disability, for example putting too much stress on the shoulders of athletes who are in a wheelchair and collisions between athletes who are visually impaired.
“They also stated that it is difficult to have a disability and then experience a sports-related injury on top of that. Their day to day life becomes more difficult and if they needed to cancel their training that could lead to depression, stress and anxiety.
Roughly one hundred Swedish Paralympic athletes then went on to describe their disability, training behaviour and injuries/illnesses in the past year by using an e-health app that had been developed specifically for Paralympic athletes. It turned out to be mainly younger athletes age 18-25 who had suffered more serious injuries, as well as those who experienced recurring pain and those who regularly took painkillers.
“Younger athletes are the most committed and have a higher risk behaviour, while at the same time their bodies are not yet fully developed. In this group one could really use preventative work, to prevent them from sustaining injuries at this early stage in their lives”, Kristina Fagher explains.
After gathering information on training and injuries/illnesses for one year in real time, the following pattern was observed: two thirds of all athletes were injured during the year, 59 percent of the injuries were due to the disability and several of the injuries were serious sports-related injuries. The risk of injury was high for male athletes, for those who were active in team sports and for those who had not previously suffered a serious injury. Half of those interviewed described pain every week and a majority reported sleep problems. 77 percent experienced illness during the year, most often infections. Several of these infections were caused by the disability, for example urinary tract infections in athletes with bone marrow injuries.
The final conclusion drawn by Kristina Fagher and her fellow researchers is that sports-related injuries and illnesses is a problem among Swedish elite Paralympic athletes and the incidence is nearly twice as high if you compare it to similar studies for athletes without disabilities in Sweden.
“There is a large need to prevent both injuries and illnesses in order for the athletes to be able to perform on top-level, and the results show that preventative measures need to be adapted specifically to Paralympic athletes”, says Kristina Fagher and continues;
“The preventative work needs to be implemented and developed on several levels; within research, within sports organizations and with the coaches. In addition, the athletes themselves should be involved along the way. The results from our studies have bearing on an international level as well and can be used to improve the medical service for Paralympic athletes worldwide, both during training and at major competitions”.