Do you like working out in a gym or sweating it out on the racing track? Whether you are a regular sports person or a weekend warrior, you must have experienced one or the other sports injuries. Some terms you must have commonly heard or might be familiar with; sometimes they may sound Greek to you. This article will take you through the 10 most common sports injuries people often get.
Sports injuries occur due to overuse of a muscle, direct impact on a body part, or applying force more than our body can withstand; thus such situations give way to further injuries.
Bruises, sprains, strained muscles, injuries in the joints, and nosebleeds are all common; we will look at other common sports injuries, their prevention, and tips for quick healing.
Top 10 most common sports injuries are –
- Knee Injury
Knees are complicated joints and the most common body part to attract injuries as they experience a lot of stress and are overused in mostly all sports activities. Sudden impact to the knees or overuse generally attracts injuries that are very common with sportspeople like cartilage rips, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears, displacements, and fractures.
Knee injuries can be very painful, and only in extreme situations are surgeries performed. Proper workouts and stretching of the muscles can lessen the chance of knee injuries. Also, regular sportspeople are advised to wear their gears – appropriate padding and bracing of the knees to further prevent knee injury.
- Strains
Overstretching, fatigue, or tearing of a muscle results in muscle strains. They can happen anytime when your muscles have been improperly used or overused. Strains can happen in any muscle, but the lower back, neck, and shoulder are the common areas to get muscle strains.
Tendon strains or muscle strains are the most common type of sports injury, and these occur when the tendons get swollen or bruised. Tendons are threads of connective tissues joining bones to the muscle. During muscle strains, these tendon tissues become very painful. Usually, the strains are not very major and heal quickly, but sometimes if they prolong one must seek medical advice.
- Sprains
Sprains are also frequent types of injuries, particularly in games and sports where one needs to take quick movements and turns. Ligament tears and ruptures are sprain injuries.
Ligaments are tissues that hold bones together at joints. When ligaments are pulled or stretched in a wrong manner, they rupture. Sprains are more painful than strains and take more time to recover. Sometimes sprains can be very serious and require proper rest, else it intensifies the problem.
The most common type of sprain is Ankle sprains – where three ligaments on the outside of the ankle are torn or stretched due to an unnatural movement. A minor sprain usually needs no medical care immediately, but extensive sprains may require immediate attention of a certified orthopedic doctor Dr Naman Goel. If necessary, a doctor may advise for surgery to treat damaged ligaments.
- Tennis Elbow
One of the popular sports injuries is Tennis elbow, also known as golf elbow, happens when the tendons in your forearm become strained from muscle overuse of the wrist or arm.
When players or a person needs to take repetitive action or the same movement especially in games like cricket, tennis, golf, or others or people in jobs that require frequent use of forearm muscles can strain their muscles and result in tiny tears in the tendons; susceptible to developing tennis elbow. One needs to perform stretching exercises and take regular rest in between and avoid tennis elbow injury. One should immediately consult a specialist in Knee treatment and Sports Injuries in Faridabad like Dr. Naman Goel – expert Orthopaedic doctor.
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
Sportspersons involved in swimming, tennis, or baseball often get rotator cuff injuries. Rotator cuff injury results from repetitive motion that involves bruising, stressing, overusing of your shoulder area. Common symptoms include shoulder swelling, stiffness, shoulder pain when reaching behind the back, and discomfort when raising the arm.
The rotator cuff is a group of interconnected muscles and tendons, surrounding your shoulder joint. The rotator cuff helps in maintaining the stability and movement of the shoulder.
- Fractures
Fractures are the most common injury that can happen to anyone. A fracture occurs when you get a full or a partial bone crack by a strong impact on bones during sports or any other physical activity. Bone fractures are painful and you can also see the area swollen. Sometimes, you can move the affected area though it would pain. But at times, fractures can be very serious and one cannot move the affected area at all.
You can get fractures in the arms, legs, and feet and it may take 2-4 weeks to heal. One needs to take complete rest at the affected area as mobility is also restrained. Rare cases, fractures require surgical intervention.
You can reduce the danger by warming up, using the proper technique, exercising to preserve flexibility, and wearing the appropriate safety gear. It’s crucial to avoid “playing through the pain,” as this could indicate a strain or sprain that, if ignored, could render the bone more prone to fracture.
- Back Injuries
Back injuries are very common injuries especially the lower back injury. These are prevalent in athletes and in people who do regular workouts, as like your knees, they are subjected to considerable stress from physical activity.
Inflammation of tissues in the back and vertebrae cause injuries. This sometimes is very serious in nature and affects the discs in your upper and lower back.
Generally, back injuries heal within 60-90 days but some are more serious and may require surgery and extra time to recover. A certified sports injury doctor in Faridabad can give you the right advice in such circumstances.
- Shin Splints
Shin splints occur when muscles, tendons, and other tissues are inflamed near the shinbone. Sportspersons performing sprints, high or long jumps, athletes, or soccer/basketball players mostly experience such type of injury.
Shin splints can be very painful; hypersensitivity, and stiffness can be felt as symptoms. Shin splints can be easily treated with appropriate stretching and good rest. But one must consult a doctor if the discomfort prolongs above 2 days. Immediately one can apply ice and take painkillers and get some relief.
- Concussion
Head injuries where the brain is also affected by the blow or sudden jerk can give you traumatic brain injuries like concussions. Concussions impact on how your brain works and influence your memory, stability, and coordination.
Games like Football and soccer are two contact sports where concussions are most frequent; its symptoms are Headaches, nausea, and unconsciousness. If you experience concussion symptoms, you must immediately seek medical treatment by a doctor who specializes in head injuries. If not treated early, these injuries might result in severe complications.
- Groin Pull
Athletes commonly face Groin pulls – which occurs when muscle in the thighs that surround the groin are overstretched or torn under excessive pressure. One feels soreness in the groin or inside thigh muscles on pulling the groin. Often it gets difficult to close your legs or lifting up knees.
Mostly it is a minor tear, and one will only experience soreness and diminished strength. But when it is severe, groin strains will give you excruciating pain and restricted muscular function.
Mostly pain killers and cold compression with ice packs can give you relief in a strained groin along with rest.
Though sports injuries can happen to all who perform physical activity regularly or are playing regularly but one can try to prevent as much as possible.
“One must do proper warm-ups before, after and in between when required to avoid sudden thrust on any body part. Also be always responsible towards self while playing or any other activity – wear appropriate safety gears and equipment necessary as per your sports requirement. Use the proper technique and do regular workout to increase your flexibility and muscle strength” says Orthopedic Dr. Naman Goel, expert in ACL Surgery.
While we often take rest and painkillers in order to recover fast and not consult a doctor immediately; but if one gets an injury it is advised not to prolong a situation. Whenever you feel discomfort, keep an eye on your condition and seek medical attention for a quick recovery.