Martial arts popularity has grown over the years, with an increase in participants. While the competitors fight aggressively with one another, karate is still a relatively safe sport. The yearly injury rate, as of 2006, was fairly low. According to Randolph Evans in Neurology and Trauma, the average rate resides around roughly 2.5 people out of 1,000 for both amateurs and professionals. When you participate in any sport, however, the risk of a spinal injury exists.
Mild Injuries
In karate, mild injuries commonly occur such as sprains, contusions and lacerations. The spine is a frequent area where these types of injuries happen. Both bruises and lacerations can be seen on the surface of the skin, while sprains are internal. These types of injuries occur more often with men than women.
Whiplash
Participants in karate often suffer from whiplash after a competition. The power behind the hits when applied to the opponent's body forces it to rock back and forth similar to a car accident. This occurs because of the hyperflexion or lateral flexion of the spine and the result is anywhere from a mild whiplash case to quadriplegia.
Locked-In Syndrome
One injury that may occur due to spine trauma is locked-In syndrome, which is caused by the vertebral artery dissention of the spine. Locked-in syndrome is where you become totally paralyzed throughout the body. The only thing you can move is your eyes. You are unable to speak or communicate with the outside world. Once you have acquired this syndrome, the chances of recovering all motor skills are limited. While you may recover partial control of your body, you may always suffer from the disease.
Strokes
Spine injuries attained during karate can lead to a stroke. When performing karate moves, you may experience a carotid dissection, which damages the spine and causes a stroke. A carotid artery dissection begins when your arteries begin to tear in the neck. Blood begins seeping out of the artery and breaks through the different layers, which causes a mass effect on the body and possibly a stroke. When performing different karate moves, your opponent may strike you in the spine causing damage to your body and the artery below, leading to a dissection of the artery.
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