Breast injuries are common for female athletes. Here’s why better awareness and reporting are needed

In the to and fro of daily life, an accidental knock to the breast can hurt for a moment. But in the push and shove on the sporting field – such as the upcoming 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – a blow to the breast can cause breast pain, swelling and bruising.

Coaches, health clinicians and sporting organisations don’t know enough about this silent, female-specific injury. And female athletes involved in sports like soccer or football need to be aware of the potential dangers. Our recent review paper outlines how risks vary as breasts change in structure and function over a lifetime – through puberty, pregnancy, lactation, menopause and following surgery.

[M]ost injuries are not assessed or treated even though they cause symptoms that can last for weeks, negatively affect athletic and work performance and have long-term consequences, including:

  • breast fat necrosis (or tissue death), that can result in fibrous lumps within the breast
  • breast deformities and asymmetries from either the halting of breast development during puberty or the bursting of breast implants, with both requiring surgery if correction is sought
  • damage to the milk ducts of lactating breasts that can affect breastfeeding.

Female athletes also suffer from frictional skin injuries from bras, and from breast pain associated with hormonal changes or excessive breast movement.

Source: Breast injuries are common for female athletes. Here’s why better awareness and reporting are needed

2 thoughts on “Breast injuries are common for female athletes. Here’s why better awareness and reporting are needed”

  1. How fascinating. Deirdre McGhee is clearly doing important sex specific work as a sports physiologist.

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