Sports injuries are extremely common among amateurs and athletes alike. These include everything from minor muscle pulls to soft tissue and bone injuries. Some common sports injuries include strains, sprains, and fractures. While many sports injuries typically heal at home, it’s important to be aware of all treatment and rehabilitation options.
In this blog, we will discuss the different kinds of sports injuries, their symptoms, common causes, and treatment options.
What is a Sports Injury?
A sports injury is a type of injury that typically happens when you participate in a sport or an athletic activity of some kind. While physical activity, exercise, and sports are important for your mental and physical well-being, they also pose the risk of injury to your bones, tissues, and muscles.
Sports injuries can either happen suddenly or develop over a period of time due to prolonged strain on muscles or bones. Acute injuries are a result of a sudden force, fall, or hit. Repetitive strain injuries, on the other hand, are a result of excessive overuse of a body part.
Minor sports injuries typically heal at home when treated under the proper guidance of a physician. However, if you experience unmanageable symptoms, you are advised to seek immediate medical help. Sohana Hospital, Mohali, boasts the best orthopedic doctors in Chandigarh, who are experts at treating all kinds of sports injuries and facilitating rehabilitation.
Types of Sports Injuries
Some common sports injury types include:
- Bone fractures: This is one of the first things that comes to mind when we talk about sports injuries. Fractures happen when an immense or sudden force is applied to a bone, causing it to break or crack. Fractures are common in events of a fall, sudden twist, or collision. Too much strain on a bone can also lead to something called a stress fracture or growth plate fracture.
- Joint dislocation: A joint dislocation is when the bones that typically make up a joint get pushed out of their normal position within the joint. E.g. – when the shoulder pops out of its socket, it is said to be dislocated. These injuries are pretty common and can be reversed quickly.
- Sprains: A sprain occurs when a ligament stretches excessively and tears. A ligament is a band of tissue that stabilises joints and connects bones.
- Muscle strains: You can get a muscle strain if you overextend one particular muscle for a prolonged period of time. Too much stress on a muscle can cause it to stretch too far and tear. While most muscle tears are considered minor/mild injuries, if you get a severe tear, your muscle can tear all the way through.
- Tendinitis: This is a long-term injury caused by repeated strain on a tendon. This is caused by repetitive motions over a period of time.
- Bursitis: This type of injury occurs when repetitive strain on your bursae (soft tissues between bones and other tissues) negatively impacts the tissue.
- Concussions: When your brain bounces off the inside of your skull due to a sudden fall, thrust, or sharp movement, you might get a concussion. This is very common when you play contact sports.
- Contusions: A contusion is a bruise that appears on your skin when an injury leads to bleeding under the skin. Ordinary bruises are not worrisome; however, a bone or muscle contusion is a more severe form of this type of injury.
Most Common Sports Injuries
Some of the most common sports injuries are a result of certain body parts taking more stress than others. Since we majorly rely on our moving joints for any physical activity or sports, it’s these joints and tissues that end up getting injured the most.
Some of the most common body parts that suffer sports injuries include:
- Achilles Tendon
- Ankle Joint
- Knee Joint
- Head
- Elbow Joint
- Shoulder Joint
- Leg Muscles
Symptoms of Sports Injuries
Some common symptoms of sports-related injuries include:
- Muscle/bone pain
- Visible swelling, colour changes, or bruises on skin
- Out-of-place bone or joint (deformity)
- Difficulty moving or placing weight on the injured part
Causes of Sports Injuries
Some common causes for sports-related injuries include:
- Harsh falls
- Excessively strenuous workout
- Direct impact (knocking into another player or impact from sports equipment)
Risk Factors for Sports Injuries
Sports injuries are a result of accidents on the field, and accidents are contingent. However, there are some factors that can increase the risk of a sports injury. The risk factors include:
- Not wearing protective gear
- Skipping warm-up
- Jumping straight to high-intensity physical activities
- Aggressive contact sports such as tackle football, kabaddi
Sports Injury Treatment and Management Options
The first thing you can do when you get a sports injury is to employ the RICE method for instant relief. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Until you can reach a hospital or seek help from a professional healthcare provider, the RICE method can help manage the symptoms.
- However, it’s important to note that the method in itself is not a treatment but a temporary solution prior to the appropriate treatment.
While a minor sprain or pull may be easily treated at home, it is crucial to visit a professional to rule out any complications. Severe injuries may require treatments like:
- Pain relief through pain medications
- Closed reduction
- Cast/Splint
- Surgery
After due rest, you will need to restore strength and flexibility to regain mobility in the injured body part. Therefore, after the right treatment, you will require physical therapy as well, for the most comprehensive rehabilitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What can I do to prevent sports injuries?
While accidents can happen to anyone at any time, there are a few things you can do to reduce the risk of sports-related injuries.
These include:
- Wearing protective sports gear
- Warming up before physical activity
- Avoiding overexertion
- Changing up sports and physical activity so that one muscle or joint doesn’t have to bear too much constant strain
2. How to manage sports injury pain?
When you visit an orthopaedic doctor for your injury, you will be prescribed medication for pain relief. If your injury is not very severe, you can easily get over-the-counter medication to manage the pain. Additionally, you must keep your injured body part elevated, whenever possible, to reduce swelling and pain.
3. How soon will my sports injury heal?
Recovery time depends on the type of injury that you have. Sprains and muscle pulls typically heal within 5-7 days. Fractures can take up to 6-8 weeks to heal. If you get surgery, recovery time will again depend on the kind of surgery and how invasive it is.