Surfing injuries in recreational surfers

A detailed reply paid questionnaire was posted via surface mail to overseeing members of Australian surfboard riding clubs in May 2004. Clubs from Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland partcipated. Further participants were randomly recruited from surfing locations throughout Australia including beaches in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Participants were asked to recall injury details over a retrospective period of two years. Conclusions: Laceration is the most common surfing injury (52%), followed by contusions(36%), muscle strains or tears (4%), fractures (4%), joint sprains (3%), and joint dislocations (1%). Lower limbs are the most commonly injured area, followed by upper limbs, and the head and face. Surfing safety equipment should be designed to protect the limbs from lacerations, and aid in the prevention of serious injuries such as vertebral, facial and skull fractures. Delayed onset muscle soreness is common amongst recreational surfers. Medical doctors are the most commonly consulted health care practitioner by surfers for treatment of surfing related injury, followed by physiotherapists and Osteopaths. This minor thesis was written by post graduate students as part of the requirements of the Master of Health Science (Osteopathy) program