Short Term Injury: The Sport Of Boxing

Boxing is Dangerous Boxing is a sport in which two opponents who each wear padded gloves punch each other for a set period of time. Boxing is done at all levels, from amateur to professional. According to many studies and professionals on the subject boxing is indeed a dangerous sport. The short term and long term health of the boxer is put at risk. For over 50 years there has been at an average of 10 boxers die in the ring each year. Boxers put their health and even their lives at stake every time they choose to compete in a boxing match ("Common Boxing Injuries & Prevention | iSport.com").
Short Term Injuries While boxing, injuries that can last anywhere from one day to a few months occur on a regular basis. Most short term injuries do
not require the injured participant to stop boxing for a set amount of time, but some do. 99% of boxers admit to having some type of cut or bruise given by an opponent at some point in time in their boxing career. Cuts can be from the impact of the tightly wrapped gloves or from contact with the opponent. Boxers often get deep cuts that require stitches ("Common Boxing Injuries & Prevention | iSport.com"). Sprain and strain are very common injuries in the sport of boxing which is another reason the sport is very dangerous. A sprain which is also known as a torn ligament, is a result of trauma or a joint being bent passed the functioning range of motion. Sprains are most often in ankles, hands or wrists. Over a quarter of all hand injuries are caused from boxing. Strains, pulled muscles, are the overuse or overstretching of the muscles. In boxing the muscle strains that are most common are bicep, elbow, and back ("WebMD - Better information. Better health."). A concussion is a traumatic brain injury, in boxing, caused by being hit in the head or body or a fall that causes the brain to hit the skull. Concussions can be very severe resulting in permanent brain damage or even death. Professional mixed martial arts, MMA, fighter Jonathan Gottschall once said, “A boxing contest is a brain-damage contest. Who can give out more brain damage and who can absorb more of it.” ("Common Boxing Injuries & Prevention | iSport.com"). Boxers often fracture bones. The most common bones fracture by boxers are the nose, the hands, the ribs, and the jaw. The metacarpal bones that connect the wrist and the fingers are broken mostly by boxer so doctors call this fracture the boxer’s fracture. Getting continually punched in the face causes many fractured noses, certain hits to the nose can result in death. Ribs are often fractured in the ring. A fractured rib can lead to many other problems like punctured lungs ("WebMD - Better information. Better health.").
Long Term Injuries 90% of all boxers, professional and amateur, have experienced some type of brain injury in their career.
Dementia Pugilistic, chronic traumatic encephalothy, more commonly known as punch-drunk syndrome was originally discovered in boxers in the early 1920’s. Punch-drunk syndrome is a type of dementia that is caused from multiple concussions or head shots. This syndrome was first, and most commonly, found in boxers ("Dementia Pugilistica"). Two out of every five boxers shows signs of ocular trauma. Ocular trauma is the medical term for eye injuries. Black eyes, bruised area around the eyes, are a very common injury in boxing. Although the bruising goes away over time there may be other problems that last longer including retinal tears and retinal detachments. Glaucoma can slowly appear years after the boxer has stopped boxing. Glaucoma is a condition of increased pressure in the eyeball that causes a person to slowly lose sight. Multiple hits to the face and around the eye can cause glaucoma ("Expert Witness for Eye Injuries in
Boxing"). Carpal Blossoming is a bump on the back of the hand where the finger bones and wrist bones connect. The cartilage is thinning which causes the body to try and produce more bone, known as arthritis. Carpal Blossoming is a result of continuously hitting with the hand. The constant hitting breaks down the cartilage in the hand ("Long-Term Effects of Boxing", 2015).
Boxing Statistics A study done by Forstl’s team of researchers tested eighty four amateur boxers on mathematics and visual space exercises.
The boxers who were knocked out were given the similar tests a week later and they did considerably worse ("Common Boxing Injuries & Prevention | iSport.com"). The Heidelberg Boxing Study tested amateur boxers and people who do not box. Each participant of the study had a magnetic resonance imaging, MRI, of their brain. The researchers were looking for difference in the brains of the boxers and the non-boxers. There were slight differences but nothing drastic. The differences in the boxers’ brains were most likely from the brain damage. The results study is being tested further to make sure the results are correct, but as of right now the study shows that there is a good chance boxing can lead to Parkinson’s Disease ("WebMD - Better information. Better health."). Boxing is a dangerous sport for amateurs and professionals. Long term and short term injuries are prevalent and inevitable in boxing. Short term injuries can turn into long term injuries. Studies, statistics, retired boxers, and professionals on boxing have all given facts about the dangers of boxing ("Long-Term Effects of Boxing",
2015).