Sports-Related Injuries In South Korea Rise As Increasing Number Of People Spend More Time on Sports and Outdoor Activities

by Therese Agcopra / Nov 02, 2015 02:27 AM EST

Cycling in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)

As more South Koreans opt to spend time on sports and outdoor activities, cases of sports-related injuries also increase in number.

Lee Jin Woo, an orthopedic surgeon at Severance Hospital, told Chosun Ilbo that the increase in the number of people getting into sports and outdoor activities have resulted in more people putting too much stress on their soles.

After the five-day work week was introduced in South Korea in 2011, a record of 180,000 people sought treatment for plantar fasciitis, a condition where the ligament connecting your heel bone to your tones becomes swollen or irritated. This causes the foot to hurt while standing or walking.

The number of patients suffering from Achilles tendon injuries also spiked from 12,000 in 2010 to 15,000 in 2014. Occurrences of Achilles tendon inflammation increased by 20 percent from 2010 to 2014.

Injuries pertaining to the Achilles tendon are mostly likely caused by soccer and basketball.

Sports activities involving the upper body also saw an increasing number of related activities in the past year. Shoulder injuries also grew rampant, rising from 100,000 in 2010 to 150,000 in 2014.

Last year, around 260,000 people visited clinics to receive treatment for inflamed or injured elbows and joints.

The Korean Culture and Tourism Institute showed that an average of $130 a month is spent by South Koreans on leisurely activities. The increase was associated to spending on camping and sports products.

More particularly, online commerce company Coupang revealed that sales for bicycles and camping products were higher than that of camping gear as more people prefer camping and cycling during the fall.

While South Koreans are meticulous with what they wear for sports or outdoor activities, orthopedic surgeon Suh Dong Won said not many of them take the time to properly warm up. This lack in warm up exercises makes the muscles rigid, later causing ligament-related injuries.