Sports Injuries
Sports injuries are a common type of injury and may occur throughout your body to bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other structures. This type of injury occurs while you are doing an exercise or participating in a sport. You have an increased risk of getting sports injury if:
- Were not regularly active
- Don’t warm up properly before doing exercise.
- Play contact sports
Parts Of Your Body Mainly Injured By Sports Injuries
Sports injuries may mainly affect any part of your body. Some common body parts that may be affected due to sports injuries are as follows:
- Achilles tendon – Achilles tendon is a thick cord connecting the back of your lower leg to your heel. It makes you walk nicely. But the tendons may get swollen, inflamed, and stiff. It can even tear down. The condition is known as Achilles tendonitis or Achilles tendon rupture.
- Ankle – Your leg and foot get joined together at your ankle. It comprises three joints and several bones, cartilage, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. A sprained ankle may often cause ankle pain.
- Elbow – An elbow is a joint that may act as a hinge between your upper and lower arms. You may also experience pain in your elbow from repeated motions and overuse.
- Head – Your head includes your skull, face, and brain. A concussion is one of the most common injuries you may get affected with.
- Knee – Your knee is a complex structure that may act as a hinge between your thigh and your lower leg. It contains various bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. Knee injuries include meniscus tear, ACL tear, etc.
- Shoulder – Your shoulder serves as the link between your upper arm and your body’s core. It includes your rotator cuff, a collection of tendons and muscles that keeps your upper arm in the shoulder joint. Injuries to the rotator cuff, including tendonitis and tears, are common in sports.
Common Types Of Sports Injuries
There are various types of sports injuries. Some of them are as follows:
- Broken Bone – When a bone is subjected to unexpected force, a broken bone (bone fracture) may occur.
- Cartilage Tear – Some bones have cartilage cover and protection at their ends because it is a strong but flexible shock absorber. Joints, including your knee and shoulder, can undergo cartilage damage.
- Dislocation – Dislocation happens when the end of a bone shifts from the joint’s position. Your shoulder, for instance, is dislocated if it pops out of its socket.
- Tendinitis – Tendonitis develops when the tissues (tendons) that attach muscles to bones swell and become inflamed. Over time, repetitive movements are what lead to it. Jumper’s knee is one instance (patellar tendonitis).
- Sprains – Overstretching or tearing of ligaments may result in sprains. Ligaments are those pieces of tissues that help in connecting two bones in the joints.
- Strains – Sprains may be caused due to overstretching or tearing of the muscles. Tendons are the thick, fibrous cords of a tissue that helps in connecting the bone to a muscle.
Symptoms Of Sports Injury
The symptoms and signs of a sports injury depend on the type of injury. Some common symptoms of sports injury include the following:
- Aches, tenderness, or pain
- Bruising
- Deformities, such as a bone or joint looking out of place
- Reduced range of motion
- Inability to bear the weight on your leg or feet.
- Swelling
- Weakness or stiffness
- Heating your skin in a particular area.
Treatment of Sports Injuries
The therapy for your sports injury will be determined by its location and severity. The first step in treating a sports injury is usually to reduce the inflammation and promote the healing response. To recover faster from a sports injury, consult with an experienced physical therapist. Following are some of the techniques that are applied for the treatment of sports injuries:
- Rest – You should limit the forces acting on the injured parts of your body. It usually means stopping all kinds of sports activity. It also refers to crutches, slings, or other aid to rest the area thoroughly.
- Ice – Ice is beneficial for controlling any swelling or inflation in an area. It is tremendously helpful in reducing pain. It is seen that those athletes who use ice therapy for an acute injury don’t need pills to relieve pain or swelling.
- Compression – Compression is usually performed snugly and not tightly, wrapping up the injured parts using a compression bandage. Too much tight compression may lead to worsening symptoms and other problems that are related to it.
- Elevate – Elevating the injured area or region can help reduce the swelling or inflammation in the body, ultimately providing relief from the pain.
Conclusion
The best way to prevent a sports injury is to warm up properly and stretch. Cold muscles are prone to overstretching and tears. Warm muscles are more flexible. They can absorb quick movements, bends, and jerks, making injury less likely. A trained and experienced physical therapist can be very useful in designing the right treatment plan for faster recovery from pain, injury, or discomfort.
