If you train Jiu Jitsu, you likely know someone who rolls with an injury. Maybe it’s a “bum knee” or “bad back”. Maybe, you know people who lack mobility, and that’s led to injuries over time. Either way, whenever you practice a contact sport, jiu jitsu included, you risk injury. That shouldn’t be a reason to avoid training. You just need to be aware of the risks and work on strength and mobility to decrease the risk of injury and improve recovery for when you do experience jiu jitsu injuries.
So, that being said, in this article, I break down the 3 most common jiu jitsu injuries, according to a 2024 study involving judo & Brazilian Jiu Jitsu athletes [1]. We cover the injury types & prevalence, common causes for those injuries, and ways to address or treat them.
I hesitate to say “prevent these injuries”, because the reality is that, while you may be able to reduce the risk of injury by building mobility & strength, injuries will happen. Now, being strong and mobile helps you recover from those injuries more quickly. So if you haven’t started training strength and mobility for jiu jitsu, go ahead and start.
The 3 Most Common Types of Jiu Jitsu Injuries
Research shows that these body parts are most affected by pain or discomfort in jiu jitsu athletes [1]:
- Lumbar Spine (90%); low back pain
- Knees (90%); knee pain
- Wrist/Hands (60%); mostly wrist pain, though many people that train in the gi experience pain at the finger joints
Side note here, while there is a real risk of injury with Jiu Jitsu (as with any combat or contact sport), research also shows that jiu jitsu is an effective way to decrease body fat and increase muscle mass [2]. So I’m definitely not saying you should stop training or quit if you experience one of these injuries; and don’t let the fear of injury prevent you from starting to train.
But, by being aware of the most common injuries and their causes, you can mitigate the risk of injury, and improve your ability to recover if you do experience an injury.
Lumbar Spine Injuries
We all know that jiu jitsu athlete that experiences low back pain. In fact, some days, it might be us. But how do injuries to the low back occur in jiu jitsu? The most common causes for this type of injury involve stocking, spinal twists, and even hyperextension while trying to escape back control.
To build resilience in the low back to reduce the risk of injury, and to improve recover if you do experience a low back injury, the research suggests working deadlifts into your usual exercise program [3][4]. In fact, the US Marines Corps found that an 8-week exercise program that involved deadlifts showed “significant physiological adaptations in strength performance” in combat athletes [4]. And, for patients who experience low back pain, deadlifts have also been shown to reduce pain and increase function [3].
If you have a low back injury from jiu jitsu, you can try these lower-level exercises first, then move to more heavy exercises once pain subsides. You can also check out this jiu jitsu mobility program we posted a while back.
Knee Injuries
Knee pain isn’t something specific to jiu jitsu. In fact, we all know someone who has “bum” or “bad” knees. So do knee injuries occur in jiu jitsu and grappling? The most common reasons for knee injuries in grappling include leg locks, sweeps, and wrestling/takedowns. In fact, a while back, we were training takedowns in class one morning, and I felt a slight tweak in my right knee after one drill. A few minutes later, my hamstring was on fire. I could hardly bear weight on my right knee and had to sit down for a while. I ended up going into the clinic and getting some dry needling done before starting some exercises and stretches to begin rehabbing that injury.
On this list of 3 common injuries, knees tend to to be both complex to deal with and easier to get. The reason for that is because the muscles at the knee often cross multiple joints. For example, the hamstrings, which flex the knee, also attach to the hips to extend them. So, it’s not uncommon for someone with a knee injury to experience low back pain as a related symptom. When I experienced that knee injury, I ended up with some hip and low back pain a few days later. Also, knees are hinge joints, meaning that they are designed to bend back and forth. Your spine, as an example can bend and twist, which helps prevent injury because there’s more available motion. If you get a lateral (sideways) force to the knee, you can injure ligaments and the like.
For knee pain, there’s some research that suggests one exercise (knee extensions) is effective in preventing knee surgery. However, for a more well-rounded knee injury rehab program would include knee flexion, extension, and even hip & ankle exercises (something similar to our running training program). Eccentric exercises for the quadriceps have also been shown to decrease knee pain in injured athletes [6]. I’d focus on strengthening both the hamstrings & the quadriceps.
Wrist & Hand Injuries
Grapplers often experience wrist/hand injuries during training and competition. Part of that is because of 2 factors: 1) in jiu jitsu and grappling, you are always grabbing or gripping with your hand and 2) we use our hands to brace (post) ourselves on the mat regularly. It is interesting to note that jiu jitsu and judo athletes experience higher rates of sprains and strains in their wrists/hands as opposed to MMA (mixed martial arts) athletes, who experience more fractures [1].
In addition to sprains & strains, some jiu jitsu athletes may experience nerve injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome. In fact, one of the guys I train with was just telling me that he will get carpal tunnel flair ups with certain techniques.
For wrist pain, strains, and the like, some people will try and use braces or splints to relieve pain and immobilize the wrist. A wrist brace can help to reduce pain during the initial healing period of acute injuries and sprains. If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, night-time splinting can be helpful in reducing symptoms and can even help prevent the need for carpal tunnel surgery. But, wrist braces & splints are not a long-term solution for jiu jitsu-related wrist injuries.
I usually tell people that, immediately after an injury, apply ice, rest the joint, and try a splint to see if it helps with the pain. However, once the initial inflammation and acute pain wears off (within a few days or a couple of weeks), you want to begin working to rehab the wrist/hand and also build additional strength to help prevent future injuries. You can do this with strengthening exercises. Use bands or weights, but focus on wrist flexion & extension (bending your wrist back and forth). If your fingers have been bothering you, you can also work on building your grip strength. Just get yourself a hand strengthener and focus on what we call palmar grasp (making a full fist) against resistance.
Summary
Whenever you practice a combat sport, Jiu Jitsu included, injuries are bound to happen. As I mentioned earlier, being strong and mobile helps you recover quickly, and reduces the risk of injury. But, especially after you get injured, it’s important to not only work to reduce the immediate pain and inflammation, but you want to begin building strength back (and better) so that you can prevent an acute injury from becoming chronic.
Part of the reason that Jiu Jitsu athletes end up with “bad” knees and joints is that, when they get injured, they do enough work to get over the immediate pain. But, they don’t continue to build strength and resilience in that joint. I often tell people that, if you get injured, you should try to not only “get back to normal” in that area, but you should try to build back even more strength. That’s why the treatment for each of the 3 most common Jiu Jitsu injuries on this list involves strengthening. So, if you get injured, work to get that part of your body stronger.
And, if you want help and guidance from a licensed clinician to safely return to the mats, feel free to give us a call or book an appointment online.
References
[1] Lunkes, L. C., Reis, A. N., Canestri, R., & Vilella, R. C. (2024). Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in body segments in judo and Jiu-Jitsu athletes. Brazilian Journal Of Pain, 7. https://doi.org/10.5935/2595-0118.20240010-en
[2] The Effects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Body Composition, Health Fitness, Functional Movement Screening in non-Elite Healthy Young Adults Asian J Kinesiol. 2021;23(3):29-37. Published online July 31, 2021 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15758/ajk.2021.23.3.29
[3] Fischer, S. C., Calley, D. Q., & Hollman, J. H. (2021). Effect of an Exercise Program That Includes Deadlifts on Low Back Pain. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 30(4), 672-675. Retrieved Jun 12, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2020-0324
[4] Semper, L. (2024). The Efficacy of Deadlifting for Occupational Performance in the United States Marine Corps (Thesis, Concordia University, St. Paul). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/kinesiology_doctorate/5
[5] Does one exercise a day make the knee stronger and keep surgery away? A randomized dose-response trial of home-based knee-extensor exercise in patients eligible for knee replacement (the QUADX-1 trial). 2021 April;07.
[6] , Superior results with eccentric compared to concentric quadriceps training in patients with jumper’s knee: a prospective randomised study.
