Most Common Sport Injuries

Sports are not ordinary activities. They are activities which require physical fitness and strength. Athletes undergo proper training, fitness routines and a healthy diet to prolong stamina, increase strength and maintain an overall healthy condition in order to perform efficiently.

However fit or strong an athlete is, injuries can still occur at any time. There are plenty of sports injuries, however the body has certain parts that are far more susceptible to harm than others. This article will further discuss the most commonplace afflictions that strikes athletes of all sport and the ways to treat and avoid the injuries.

Concussion

This ailment is a stressful affliction to the brain which is brought about by a severe knock or abrupt stop after an incident. Spinal fluid envelops the brain in a protective manner but certain movements like a particularly hard blow or vehicular accidents can bang the brain against the internal walls of the skull.

The damage done to the brain can range from slight to acute and it depends on the blow’s intensity and the capacity of the brain to restore itself. The stricken individual might undergo symptoms such as loss of consciousness, dizziness, disproportionate dilation of the pupils or feebleness in one section of his or her body.

People stricken with slight concussion can recover within a few hours while others might display the injury’s symptoms for a week following the incident. He or she might undergo issues with common cerebral functions like memory and might experience mood swings as well. This is the reason why doctors advise family and friends of the patient to watch any changes in cognitive adeptness and personality for a few months, and if there were any, it must be jotted down for reference.

Treatment and Prevention

Patients with concussions are advised not to participate in contact sports or any laborious activity and told to take ample periods of rest. Acetaminophen is also taken if the patient has a headache. The length of rest will depend on the seriousness of the concussion.

If the patient returned to heavy activity without enough rest, this could bring about second impact syndrome.

Achilles tendinitis

The Achilles tendon is the toughest tendon in your body and it links the calf muscle to the heel bone. Once it succumbs to damage, it could get swollen and this condition is called the Achilles tendinitis.

The Achilles tendon exerts a great quantity of force so it is susceptible to go to extremes. Sports which require a great amount of bounding and continuous foot movement like tennis and basketball can do a number on its athletes, making them prone to this condition.

At first, the pain is considered mild and eventually worsens if the stricken athlete did not get enough rest to permit the injury to heal. The Achilles tendon makes walking possible for humans but then the inflammation and the pain it causes can be so acute that it gets in the way of walking.

If the patient carries on with putting stress on the inflamed tendon, the soreness might result into a ruptured tendon. This can result into more intense pain and grave damage to the body part.

Treatment and Prevention

Ankle support brace

There are strengthening drills and stretching exercises for the muscles of the calf that can help in avoiding Achilles tendinitis.

The doctor will recommend enough rest and anti-inflammatory meds for the patient. It’s best advised that the patient’s injury must be healed completely before he or she resumes strenuous activities.

If the injury is not too severe, the doctor might recommend you to use a proper ankle support brace and continue moving the ankle and carefully walking.

Slowly increase the movement and walking each day and don’t over do it. The Achilles tendinitis is a serious injury and should be treated in a proper medical way.

Shin splints

Tibia stress syndrone – shin splint

Shin splints or tibia stress syndrome (MTSS) is an agonizing affliction when the bone tissue and the lower shin bone’s thin membrane becomes aggravated and swollen. Exercising too much is one cause of it, as well as continuous jumping routines and running. Sports players, dancers and soldiers are usually prone to this condition.

Your lower legs take in plenty of tension as you run. It will deflect all that tension or shock if you wear cushioned running shoes and run at an appropriate pace. However, if you continuously wear worn shoes or if your feet has flat arches, you could be susceptible to shin splints.

Once inflamed, stricken individuals can experience pain around the lower shine bone.

Treatment and Prevention

If you run in the mornings, undergo training for long-distance sports, an athlete who plays ball or a dancer, you have to wear proper footwear and get into appropriate stretching exercises first and foremost so shin splints won’t occur. Treatment for this condition includes taking anti-inflammatory meds, ice application, stretching exercises and good rest.

To prevent shin splints you need to get proper advice when you’re buying new running shoes. The best running shoes might not be the cheapest or prettiest but will certainly reduce the risk for shin splints.

Groin strain

Athletes are most susceptible to this condition since they undertake activities which involves a lot of stretching, bending and lifting. This affliction happens once the adductor muscles in the upper inner thigh gets torn or exceedingly stretched out. Milder symptoms include swelling and pain while the most acute ones include agonizing pain, limited movement and stiffness of the muscles.

A combined number of movement and energetic activities during the course of a few days can bring about groin strain. The adductor muscles gets stressed due to continuous tensions and stretching for an extended time. It could also happen if those muscles were stretched beyond its secure range of movement.

Symptoms range from mild swelling to agonizing, enervating pain. A stricken individual with a minor strain often encounters swelling, bruising and mild irritation. Acute tearing of the adductor muscles often have symptoms of harsh pain, muscle stiffness, bruising and inability to stand or walk.

Treatment and Prevention

The best prevention one would recommend is proper stretching before engaging in strenuous activities. There are also exercise regimens available that will help in strengthening muscles located around the groin. Treatment often includes plenty of rest, stretching exercises, ice, heat and anti-inflammatory medicines.

Avoid heavy activities and let the injury heal itself properly.

Lower back pain

Lower back pain has plenty of kinds. It can range from a back spasm, sciatica or a slipped disc. However, the most common trigger of this condition is merely wrong stretching. This condition mostly affects baseball players, cyclists, runners, golfers and tennis players.

Lower back pain is mostly a result of a mild injury. Twisting your body the wrong way or hauling a particularly weighty load can strain the ligaments and muscles in your back and this triggers back pain.

Treatment and Prevention

Mild soreness can be taken care of with a pain reliever like acetaminophen or a non-steroidal pain medicine. You can continue daily activities after taking either medicine. Stretching exercises will also minimize the risks involved in this condition.

Many people participating in sports do some kind of stretching before the start. Make sure you do take enough time for proper stretching and don’t rush through this to start quickly. Starting quickly might turn around in not starting in your favorite sport for several weeks to several month.

Most team sports do already a warmup and stretching but cyclists and golfers should start to do the same. Before starting at the golf range for your warm up, swing your arms and upper body and do some good stretching to loosen those body parts up. Be ready for a good round of golf, you’ll feel a lot more relaxed and you will prevent back pains.

Ankle sprain

Basketball, soccer, volleyball and hockey players are often prone to this condition. If you do plenty of activities involving continuous running, jumping and abrupt turns, then you are at risk. Excessive movements can result to a twisted ankle and even the possibility of a torn ligament or tendon.

Plenty types of sprains are usually mild and won’t demand extensive treatment, but the more severe ones might require the stricken individual to undergo proper treatment and plenty of rest. It is classed by severity, from first-degree ankle sprain to the third which is the worst.

An individual with a first-degree ankle sprain experiences slight swelling and pain while a third-degree ankle sprain displays acute swelling of the affected parts.

Treatment and Prevention

Bracoo Breathable Neoprene Ankle Support Brace
Ankle support brace

Ankle sprain can be treated with enough rest, ice, heat and anti-inflammatory medicines.

Patients are also required to undergo strengthening exercises for the ankles. To reduce swelling of the affected parts and encourage circulation as well, try moving the ankle slightly.

If you don’t have a very severe ankle sprain, you might be able to continue walking with an ankle brace. Ask your family doctor for advice and get a good ankle brace that will support your ankle and will reduce the pressure on your ankle.

The prevention of an ankle sprain is sometimes very difficult due to the sports participated in. Sports like football and basketbal require a lot of sudden movement and an ankle sprain happens easily. If you you have weak ankles, you might want to ask your doctor for a neoprene ankle support or to tape the ankle before each training and match.

Pulled muscle

This condition can take place for a number of reasons and this includes stretching the muscle over its average capacities. Muscles which are not prepared to endure too much tension are susceptible to tearing. A direct hit can also aggravate the muscle and cause it to be stretched or torn.

Ruptured muscles can also occur, and this happens when the muscle fibers get torn from each other or the tendons which attaches them to the bone. It results into intense pain, bruising and swelling. A ruptured muscle needs immediate medical care and might lead to surgery.

Treatment and Prevention

Shoulder support brace

If you have a pulled muscle, you should take enough rest to let it heal. Your doctor might advice you to use a special brace to reduce the tension. Especially for shoulder muscle this could faster the recovery considerably.

To prevent pulled muscles from happening, make sure that you do appropriate stretching exercises first prior to strenuous activities. Avoid laborious work as well if you feel weak or not exhausted. Like most injuries, pulled muscles can be treated with ice, compression, enough rest and taking anti-inflammatory meds.

A lot of sports injuries are caused by improper warm-ups or stretches so be sure that those routines you’re getting yourself into is appropriate, and that the strength of the routine was increased at a timely pace. Also adequate intake of water, recovery time and doing routines that will correspond to your skill level are encouraged.

Pulled muscle injury might happen with many sports and we can’t provide you with one single advice to prevent this.

To take care of running-related injuries, make sure that you invest on proper footwear. There are different kinds of running shoes and the type of shoe you need depends on your running style and foot type.

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