Self reported injury patterns among competitive curlers in the United States: a preliminary investigation into the epidemiology of curling injuries.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the injury patterns among competitive curlers. METHODS Participants at two curling championship events were asked to complete injury history questionnaires. RESULTS 76 curlers (39%) participated; 79% of these reported curling related musculoskeletal pain, most commonly involving the knee (54%), back (33%), and shoulder (20%). Sweeping and delivering the stone were most likely to provoke symptoms. Time loss injuries were estimated to occur at a rate of 2 per 1000 athlete exposures. CONCLUSIONS Curling appears to be a relatively safe winter sport. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings and to further define the risk factors for curling related injuries.