Introduction: Sports injuries can significantly impact a player`s performance, which can, in turn, hinder the overall success of the team during the season. Therefore, it is essential to effectively identify and manage players` injuries Aim of the study: This study focused on assessing the pain levels and return-to-sport periods related to prevalent injuries sustained by elite adolescent field hockey players during their training sessions. Additionally, it aimed to explore the relationship between pain levels and the time taken to return to sport. Material and methods: The study included 62 elite adolescent field hockey players who trained intensively for competitions throughout 2024. We conducted a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to evaluate pain levels and the duration of time required for players to return to sport, depending on the type of injury sustained. Additionally, a linear regression analysis was carried out to explore the relationship between pain levels and the time taken for players to return to their sport after an injury. Results: Muscle injuries had the highest incidence, followed by ligament, tendon, bone, and cartilage injuries. There were statistically significant differences in pain levels related to the type of injury (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the time it took for athletes to return to their sport varied significantly depending on the injury type (p < 0.001). For field hockey players, each 1-point increase in pain led to an average delay of 1.72 additional days before they could return to play (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In elite adolescent field hockey players, muscle and ligament injuries are associated with significant pain. However, ligament injuries typically require a longer time for athletes to return to sport, while muscle injuries generally allow for a quicker recovery.
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