It is not uncommon to hear of an athlete suffering a sports injury. Generally when a star athlete is injured, the injury becomes headline news. And the public waits anxiously to hear any news on the condition of the player. Although it is not usually headline news, sports injuries can also happen to the average Joe and Jane. Anyone participating in recreational sports or exercise can suffer a sports injury. Participation in contact sports or long term exercise programs can increase the likelihood of a sports injury occurrence.
There are many types of injuries that can occur during or are a result of physical activity. Exercise and sports, though necessary to maintain good health, do place strain on muscles, joints, and bones. It is important to understand what causes sports injuries so that you can take steps to prevent them. It is also important to recognize an injury and treat it to prevent long term damage that could limit you in the future.
The most common sports injuries include:
- Sprains: a stretch or tear of a ligament caused by a trauma that knocks a joint out of position and can rupture supporting ligaments. Signs include tenderness, pain, bruising, inflammation, swelling, and limited mobility.
- Strains: A twist, pull, or tear of a muscle or tendon from overstretching or overcontraction. Symptoms include pain, loss of strength, and muscle spasms.
- Compartment Syndrome: A muscle swells filling the membrane (compartment) that encloses the muscle to be completely filled. This interferes with the functioning of the blood vessels and nerves.
- Achilles Tendon Injuries: An irritation, stretch, or tear to the achillles tendon. Usually this injury is notable by the sudden debilitating pain in the calf muscle at the back of the heel.|
- Shin Splints: This condition causes pain along the shin bone. The pain is usually along the front of the lower leg, the foot and ankle, or the inner edge of the tibea bone. Most often, this condition is associated with running.
- Fractures: A break in the bone from repeated stress over time or from a one-time injury.
- Dislocations: The joint between two bones is separated. This is considered an emergency injury.
- Knee injuries: There are many different injuries that can occur to the knee region, ranging from mild to severe. Runner’s knee is known for pain/tenderness around the knee cap; the discomfort can be under the knee cap or around the front of side. Tendonitis is caused by the degeneration of a tendon. Damage to the cartilage, ligaments, or bone is usually painful and requires medical intervention.
Sports injuries are usually incurred during participation in sports or exercise. They can be the result of an accident. And accidents are generally not preventable. But more commonly, sports injuries are the result of a preventable factor. Insufficient warm-up and stretching can cause a sports injury. Lack of conditioning is a common factor in sports injuries. You must prepare your body for physical activity. If you have not exercised or played a sport in a while, it is unlikely your body is conditioned for the stress of intense, enduring physical activity. Using improper equipment or poor training practices are also risk factors; as is overtraining.
If you suspect that you may have a sports injury, you may need to seek medical help. If the pain is severe or the injury produces swelling or numbness, you should contact your doctor. Pain that prevents you from placing any weight on the injury should be looked at also. Any old injuries that are producing pain or aches and come with swelling should also be looked at by a health professional. Any injury that has pain or swelling that lasts for longer than 48 hours should be looked at. You can treat a sports injury with the RICE method; rest, ice, compression, and elevation. But make sure that you check with your doctor if you have any concerns. Untreated sports injuries that should have received medical treatment can result in long term pain and discomfort.