Common Ice Hockey Injuries and Treatments

Summary 

Ice hockey is physically demanding: a fast-paced, competitive sport that can damage the muscles, joints, and ligaments. Even the best ice hockey players can still experience injuries from twists, contact and repetitive movements, despite excellent technique and precautions. This article shares the most common ice hockey injuries, causes, and effective treatments, from cross-training and stretching to the physiotherapy-recommended exercises and programmes that we often suggest at the White House Clinic. 

Common ice hockey injuries 

Each common ice hockey injury requires a bespoke approach to ensure optimal recovery. Injury prevention is key, through proper technique and prescriptive training, players can reduce their risk of injury. If you suffer from one of the injuries, it’s important to be seen by a professional promptly to enable you to return to your sport injury and pain free. 

Knee injury

After concussions, medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries are the second most common ice hockey injury. An MCL injury can be caused by the knee pushing inwards or twisting the knee while skating. Repeated stress on the knee from skating can also injure the MCL. Some players with an MCL injury will feel like their knee is about to give way, while others will be able to walk on it.

Knee injury recovery

Most people recover from MCL injuries without surgery. A physiotherapist will assess your knee and create a plan for rehabilitation, including exercises to help it return to its full range of motion without pain. To reduce the risk of injury, players should work on aerobic and anaerobic fitness and strengthening. Ice hockey players may include squats, lunges, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts into their strength sessions. Neuromuscular training will help players with movement patterns, agility, and speed while reducing injury risk.

Shoulder injury

Ice hockey is a physical game, and the ‘shoulder check’ is a defensive move that puts the shoulder at risk of injury. Shoulder injuries make up 8.6% to 21.9% of injuries in the game. Common shoulder injuries include ACJ, instability, and clavicle fractures. 

Shoulder injury recovery

Treatment for shoulder injuries depends on the level of damage. The majority of people with ACJ injuries don’t require surgery. Instead, slings, ice packs, and pain relief combined with gentle mobilisation are often enough. Physiotherapists can prescribe players suffering from shoulder instability with specific strengthening exercises to train the muscles around the shoulder to increase the stability.

Hip injury

The hip plays a big part in skating. The repetitive skating strides stress the hip joint and cause muscle tension. Players can also suffer from femoroacetabular impingement. Symptoms include clicking, pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion.

Hip injury treatment

To avoid “Hockey Hips”, performing a proper warm-up and balancing your training with strength work and stretching is important. Hip bridges, squats, and hip abductions all help strengthen the hips, while foam rolling and frog legs help stretch the area.

Mid-back pain

Ice hockey players may suffer from thoracic spine tightness. It can present as pain in the mid-back. Injuries to the mid back can happen from sudden twists and turns – common movements in ice hockey. Most people with mid back pain feel symptoms improve in a few weeks; however, to prevent ongoing problems, stretching and strengthening muscles should be a priority. 

Mid-back pain treatments

Ice hockey players may benefit from using foam rollers and focusing on dynamic stretches to reduce spine tightness. The spine is part of the kinetic chain. It needs to be mobile and strong to limit stress on the body and enhance performance. 

Conclusion

Ice hockey is a physically demanding and fast-paced game. It’s essential to avoid injury with the correct technique and balance training, such as strength exercises and stretching. If you suffer an injury from ice hockey, a physiotherapist can assess your symptoms and prescribe targeted and bespoke exercises to get you back on the ice. With professional physiotherapists at 14 locations across South Yorkshire, North East Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire, the White House Clinic can help you stay in the game.

References: 

NHS NHS Hip Exercise Programme 

NSCA strength and conditioning

NHS Self-care: Mid back 

NHS Lanarkshire Physiotherapy