Understanding the Most Common Sports Injuries and Their Treatment
Sports injuries are caused by overuse, direct sudden impact, or by overstressing of a particular muscle. Generally, sports injuries occur during exercise or while participating in a sport and are not limited only to athletes. You are at risk of getting sports injury if you are not practising proper pre and post-exercise warm-up. With this blog let’s look into the common sports injuries and the effective treatments.
What is Sport Injury?
Sports injuries are injuries that occur during sports or exercise in general. They are of two types: acute and chronic. Acute sports injuries occur suddenly, such as sprained ankles. While, chronic sports injuries are due to repeated overuse of muscles or joints, such as tennis elbow and stress fractures. Sports injuries happen for many reasons and affect the different parts of the body.
10 types of Common sports injuries
Common sports injuries include sprains, strains, fractures, and dislocations, often caused by sudden movements, improper technique, or lack of warm-up.
- Sprains – Symptoms include pain, swelling, and stiffness in the affected part. This accounts for more than 15% of reported injuries.
- Bruises – It is caused by a blow, resulting in small internal bleeding under the skin.
- Concussion – A mild brain injury caused by a blow to the head, often leading to headache, dizziness, short-term memory loss, and potential loss of consciousness.
- Cuts and Abrasions – Caused by falls, with knees and hands being prone to injury.
- Fractures – These account for 20% of the sports injuries. Very common in occurrence and results in breaks or cracks in a bone, due to sudden impact, fall, or excessive stress on the bone.
- Dental Damage – A hard blow to the jaw can crack, break, or dislodge teeth.
- Strains – Pain, swelling, and discomfort in the affected area due to strain or a hard blow.
- Dislocations – Symptoms include intense pain, swelling, bruising, and an inability to move the joint normally. The affected area may appear deformed or out of place.
- Knee Joint Injuries – Affects ligaments, tendons, or cartilage. It causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the affected part of the knee.
- Nose Injuries – Caused by a direct blow, leading to either a bloody nose or a broken bone in the nose.
The risk factors for sports injuries include:
- Not doing exercises correctly.
- Playing the same sport throughout the year.
- Lack of warm-up and warm-down routine post heavy workouts.
- Overtraining, either by training too often, too frequently or for too long.
- Increasing your intensity of physical activity too quickly.
- Playing the same sport year-round.
- Running or jumping on hard surfaces for a longer time.
- Wearing shoes that lack proper support.
- Not wearing the adequate equipment for the required sport.
- Stressing the prior injured area
Sports injury treatment
The common method for sports injury treatment is the RICE method.
- Rest
- Ice
- Compression
- Elevation
The RICE method is particularly useful for mild sports injuries treatment. This has to be done in the first 36 hours of the injury to prevent further deterioration. It helps in reducing the swelling and pain and should be complemented with other treatment measures like over-the-counter medications.
If the pain persists and the injury looks severe, the first treatment should be administered by a specialist doctor. If the injured joint shows severe swelling, popping or crunching sounds, visible lumps or instability, then emergency care should be sought after.
Serious sports injuries require surgery and physical therapy to stabilize the affected area. If you experience difficulty beyond two weeks, you should consult your doctor for an appointment.
How can we prevent sports injuries?
To prevent sports injuries you should always prioritize warm-ups and stretches. Cold muscles are susceptible to injuries, while warm muscles are flexible.
Take these steps to prevent sports injuries:
Use of proper technique
It is important you do your exercises properly with the right movements and postures. Every body type is different in its pace and movements. Proper bending and stretching techniques should be taken care of.
Proper footwear usage
Wearing the right shoes is important. It should provide sole protection and a good cushion so as to not hurt the knees due to hard surfaces. Ill-fitting gears increase the chance of your injury.
Overdoing is bad
Remember the adage excess in everything is bad. If you had a prior injury, make sure you get adequate rest before coming back on track. Rest through the pain.
Warm down
Cooling down after the strenuous exercises is a must. This involves stretching and relaxing the muscles after the workout.
Weight management
Weight management is another factor that should be monitored. Remember your knees support the body weight, and if not managed well will increase the risk of injuries.
Opting for effective sports injuries treatment with MJ Naidu Hospitals
At MJ Naidu, we provide state-of-the-art facilities and have been at the forefront of orthopedic excellence for the last 38 years. Our team of 10 world-class orthopedic surgeons, along with a dedicated staff of over 200 professionals, has successfully performed more than 50,000 surgeries, aiding in the recovery of over 250,000 patients. We are committed to offering patient-centric care and ensuring that every individual receives tailored treatment to meet their unique orthopedic needs.