I’m not a CrossFitter, but I love my CrossFit patients. You all are some of the most motivated athletes out there. Through the years, in working with CrossFitters, I have developed a fondness for the community and inclusion of all body types and styles into The Box.

In a 2023 study of Crossfitters published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 48% of study participants had suffered at least one injury during their CrossFit Training.

Injuries had a direct correlation with:

The length of the training session
Continuing to CrossFit while in acute pain
Lack of warm up/cool down

Interestingly, the number of time per week the CrossFitter went to the Box did not have any relevance to the injury rate. Proper warm up, including isometric exercises, and training conducted without any symptoms of pain dramatically reduced the risk of injury.

What are the most common crossfit injuries?

Back Pain

In a recent study of CrossFitters being seen in Emergency Rooms, the most common injury identified was an injury to the spine (20.9%). Among the spine injuries, 83.1% occurred in the lumbar spine (low back).

If not carefully treated, back pain from a CrossFit injury can turn into chronic low back pain that can become costly and sap the joy out of even the most engaging activities like CrossFit exercise.

Some of the most common exercises that can cause back pain during a CrossFit workout include abdominal crunches, squats and deadlifts.

knee Pain

Knee pain is another common complaint in CrossFitters. Whether you experience pain when you box jump, squat, or wall ball, knee pain can be debilitating and prevent you from hitting your PR’s. Oftentimes, new CrossFitters experience knee pain due to not being used to the high volume of squatting, lunging and jumping involved in a CrossFit workout. CrossFit exercises that put stress on your knees include: front squats, back squats, squat power cleans and squat snatches.

Shoulder Injuries

A 2021 study out of Paderborn University determined shoulder injuries to be the second most reported injury among CrossFitters. Shoulder pain can develop into a nagging injury that can take a long time to recover from if you’re not careful. With many compound movements during a CrossFit workout, you will utilize your shoulders to lift above your head, in front of you, laterally, and support your body weight when performing other types of maneuvers. As we place so much reliance on our shoulders for many exercises, they can become susceptible to a wide array of injuries and overuse.

There is no shortage of movements and exercises that could potentially cause you shoulder pain but some of the leading ones include bench press, pullups, throwing exercises, rope slams, and shoulder press.

CrossFit Injury Prevention Tips

Warmup

One of the most important things you can do to prevent CrossFit injuries is to get in a good warmup. Stretching properly and warming up is an essential part of preparing your body for the strenuous workout you’re about to put it through.

A CrossFit Warm up can start with a few minutes of low intensity rowing or the stationary bike. Move on to arm circles, hip circles, inch worms and Spidermans. Once you’re a bit warmed up, perform a few reps of lateral banded walks, glute bridges, and scapular push-ups. Prepare your body for the work-out you are about to crush!

Keep a journal

Keeping a journal of your CrossFit activities is extremely useful. I suggest several categories including:

Exercises Performed (reps, weight, etc.)
How your body felt during the work-out (Dehydrated? Neck pain? Did you feel your form was good)?
Would you change anything if you could during that work-out?
How you slept that night (were you restless- this may be an indication of over-training, or a need to change your work-out time)
How your body felt the day after your work out
Your overall mood (diet, over-training, heart rate- all these things can affect your mood)

stop comparing yourself to others

Another common reason for many CrossFit injuries is trying to keep up with the people around you. Remember, we all started somewhere. Leaving your ego at the door is one of the ways of ensuring you can CrossFit for a long, happy and injury free time. Always use good form, technique and workout at a pace that is comfortable for you. Don’t ever try to “power-through” pain in hopes that it will go away, my caseload is full of CrossFitters that had that same line of thinking.

Choose Trainers and Gyms Carefully

Do your homework. Read the reviews of the CrossFit Box. Make sure your CrossFit Coach is well-educated and doesn’t use a “one-size fits all” approach to training. Ask about injury rates and member retention. This is going to be your tribe of people!

Seek Treatment for Injuries Before They Get Worse

If you’ve sustained an injury, the best thing you can do is get it addressed. Not only does ignoring an injury prolong the time it takes to recover, but studies have shown that working out with pain increases the chance of causing another injury.

Consider Montly maintenance and self-care with dry needling

Many of my CrossFitters come in once a month for dry needling and manual therapy in order to address trigger points that are forming in their myofascial tissue. This allows muscle fibers to be prepped and prepared for optimal performance during the tough workouts that follow.

Crossfit Injuries and recovery