With winter upon us, most of our interests and activities have moved to the shelter of the indoors. For many high school and collegiate athletes, this means competing in an indoor winter sport, such as wrestling. Athletes have wrestled competitively for thousands of years. In fact, high school wrestling currently ranks as the fifth most popular sport in the United States and is one of the fastest growing sports in the world.
Anatomy of wrestling
Most people are familiar with the sport through television broadcasts of professional wrestling, which is aimed at entertaining an audience. However, the true sport of wrestling is a much different type of competition and includes three styles: international freestyle, intercollegiate freestyle, and Greco-Roman. Each style has certain holds or moves that are permissible and are counted as points. High school and collegiate wrestlers participate in intercollegiate freestyle wrestling. A match between two opponents comprises three rounds that last 2 to 3 minutes each. During the first round, both wrestlers start in an upright position. During the second and third rounds, one opponent begins in a position of advantage. Points are given for take-downs, escapes, reversals, and near pins. A match ends if time has expired or if one opponent is pinned. Pinning means both shoulder blades are pinned against the mat for a period of 3 consecutive seconds.
Injuries in wrestling
As with other competitive athletes, wrestlers are not injury-free. Because taking an opponent down and pinning his shoulders to the mat often requires enormous amounts of leverage and effort, injuries to the upper extremities (hands, arms, and shoulders) are common. Shoulder injuries are particularly common in the opponent who is taken down hard, especially onto an old or inadequate mat. Some of the more common injuries include glenohumeral dislocation (dislocated shoulder) and acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation (separated shoulder). The forces generated, the position of the arm, and the direction of the body during the fall dictate whether the glenohumeral or AC joint will be injured. To treat these injuries, the wrestler may need to wear a sling to protect the shoulder, take an anti-inflammatory medication (such as aspirin or ibuprofen), and do range-of-motion and strengthening exercises.
Skin infections
Another common problem in wrestlers is skin infection. Because a wrestler's uniform essentially covers only the middle section of the body, it leaves most of the skin surface exposed. Thus, most of the skin is susceptible to the spread of a contagious disease that is on the mat or an opponent's skin. Impetigo, which is caused by strains of streptococcal or staphylococcal bacteria, can be spread by contact with an opponent's infected skin or by contact with fomites (dormant forms) on the mat. The streptococcal strain of impetigo usually causes crusted sores; the staphylococcal strain usually produces blisters. Both of these infections are treated with an antibiotic, such as erythromycin or penicillin.
Another common skin infection of wrestlers is a type of the herpes virus. Because it is associated with wrestlers (or gladiators), the scientific name of this virus is Herpes gladiatorium. This virus is usually spread by contact with an open, draining sore on the opponent's skin. To treat the infection, the doctor prescribes drying agents (such as benzoyl peroxide) and antiviral agents (such as Acyclovir). The virus cannot be cured; therefore, prevention is essential. Athletes who have open sores caused by herpes should be restricted from play until the sores have dried up and healed.
Wrestlers must be aware of injuries and skin infections that can keep them from participating. If they are injured or have an ailment during sports participation, these athletes should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible.
Reuben Sloan, M.D.
Columbus, Georgia