Most Common Sports Injuries in Athletes

• Dr Padam Singh

Most Common Sports Injuries in Athletes

Athletics is the mother of all games. Athletes are multi-sport athletes who have great control over their senses and body movements. These events include running, jumping, throwing, and competitive walking. These games build strength and coordination and maintain heart, respiratory, and mental health. There are risks associated with some athletic activities that involve intense physical stress and thrills. An athlete could injure themselves by moving in an unsafe way, falling, or contacting the ground. Poor technique or motor skills, overtraining, and a lack thereof are all common causes of injuries in athletics. However, you can take steps to minimize the chance of injury. A physiotherapist can help you build and maintain muscular strength. The therapist assists in early diagnosis and treatment. This helps the player get back to the game quickly. This blog will cover the most common injuries to athletes and the preventative measures taken.

Prevention of sports injuries

Insufficient warm-up, stretching, poor training methods, and lack of conditioning can lead to injuries.

• When overstretched, cold muscles (muscles that have not had warm-up exercises) are more susceptible to injury and tears than warm muscles (muscles that have undergone warm-up exercise), which are more flexible. They are more flexible and can withstand bends, quick movements, and jerks, making them less susceptible to injury.

• Movement should be performed correctly during sports and other activities. Different exercises call for different postures and positions. For example, in some sports, you can avoid injury to your spine and hips by bending your knees at just the right moment.

• Protect yourself and wear proper footwear to avoid injury.

• Avoid overexertion. In the event of an injury, you should stop doing so.

• After the sport, cooldown exercises such as stretching should be performed.

Common injuries among athletes

Strains

Strains are caused by overstretching muscles or tendons. This is common in athletes. Strains can affect all body parts due to overstretching and movement in ways that are not supposed to be. This causes damage and wear. Common muscle strains include pulled groin muscles, pulled hamstrings, and pulled quads. You can reduce strains by warming up and doing pre-session stretching exercises.

Sprains

When ligaments are stretched too much, it can cause a strain. Ligament pull, or tear, occurs when the ligament is not in the correct direction. Ankle sprains are most common among athletes. They are followed by knee sprains and wrist and elbow strains. Sprains can be very painful and require immobilization to avoid further injury. Warm-ups and pre-workout stretching can reduce sprains. A ligament can weaken from sprains, making it more susceptible to re-injury. It is good to keep the joint supported with a brace when you are playing.

Fractures

High impact and contact sports can lead to fractures in the arms, legs, and feet. It may take weeks for them to heal, and sometimes, surgery is necessary to correct. Wearing braces, proper warm-ups, padding, good technique, and working out can reduce the risk of fractures.

Concussion

Concussions can be brain injuries caused by a sudden head injury. However, not all concussions cause a loss of consciousness. Instead, a player may feel nausea, headaches, and difficulty concentrating. Athletes involved in contact sports such as football, boxing, hockey, and wrestling are more likely to sustain concussions. Also, gymnasts and skiers are at risk. If symptoms of concussion are present, the player should stop playing sports. Resting is the best way to speed up the healing process. Protective headgear is the best way to minimize concussion risk when playing contact sports such as football, hockey, biking, or skateboarding.

Rotator cuff injury

Players who perform overhead movements or overuse their shoulders in one direction can sustain rotator cuff injuries. Shoulder injuries are common in athletes such as swimmers, weightlifters, and players who play tennis, basketball, or volleyball. RICE should be used to treat shoulder injuries. A physiotherapist can help the player prevent injuries to his shoulder by encouraging him to do endurance and strengthening exercises. A common treatment for athletes with injuries is the RICE method. It stands for:

• R- Rest

• I-Ice

• C-Compression

• E-Elevation

This is a good treatment option for mild injuries to athletes. It can reduce swelling and pain in the first days following an athlete's injury.

Golfer's elbow and Tennis elbow

Overuse and repetitive activities can cause tennis elbow and golfer's elbow. This causes a small tear in the ligaments. A player may feel pain in the elbow. The injury can be on the outside or inside. RICE is the best treatment for minor injuries. To prevent elbow injuries, elbow braces and forearm strengthening exercises are best. The player should take breaks between activities and warm-up before starting.

Groin Pull

Injuries to the groin (inner hip muscle) occur when players move side-to-side like in soccer, hockey, and baseball. They are more likely to pull their groins. The inside of the thigh feels tender and bruised. The physiotherapist recommends RICE for treatment. It can take up to two weeks for the injury to heal. It is important not to return too quickly to your normal activities as this could cause serious problems. Proper stretching can prevent groin pulls.

Hip Flexor Strain

When these muscles are stretched out too far, it can cause injury to the hips flexors. This can happen due to stiff or weak muscles, a lack of warm-up, or a fall. This injury is common in soccer, hockey, and martial artists. The player may feel pain, spasms, and swelling. RICE can be used at home to treat a minor injury to the hip flexor. In addition, a physiotherapist might recommend strengthening the hips.

Hamstring strains

Hamstring strains can occur when players engage in running, jumping, hurdling, and sprinting. These strains are often caused by overtraining, overuse, poor technique, motor skills, or a lack of rest. A physiotherapist will help the player prevent hamstring strains by suggesting warm-up, stretching and strengthening, and endurance exercises.

ACL

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) strain is caused by a severe impact to the side or sudden stopping and changing direction. It is important to treat RICE immediately. A physiotherapist will recommend proper warm-up and stretches, as well as good posture. You can use proper padding and bracing when playing contact sports.

Patellofemoral Syndrome

Patellofemoral syndrome is caused by repeated kneecap movement against the leg bone, causing damage to the tissues. This injury can be sustained by swimmers, cyclists, runners, footballers, basketball players, and volleyball players. Wearing the right shoes can reduce this injury. Softer running surfaces such as indoor tracks are less damaging than concrete. To speed up healing, the physiotherapist suggests RICE right away. Before playing, warm-up exercises are recommended to prevent the injury from returning.

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS)

The medial tibial stress disorder is known to cause pain in the front of the legs. During high-intensity sports, the shock absorbers are the leg muscles. If the load is too intense or the muscles fatigued, the legs may not support it.

The player may feel pain at the joint where the bones and muscles connect in these cases. This condition is common in runners and players who exercise too often or aren't used to it. Sometimes, the shoe type you choose can cause this condition. The syndrome may lead to a stress fracture of the bone. A few simple steps can help reduce pain, such as RICE, proper footwear, stretching, massage, taping, and wearing proper shoes. A physiotherapist will recommend taking a break between any activities or training that cause pain.

Calf muscle strain

Stitched calf muscles are a common injury in athletes. Gastrocnemius (or soleus) is the name of the two calf muscle groups located at the back of your lower leg. These muscles are susceptible to strains. These symptoms include swelling, bruising, and tenderness. The physiotherapist recommends RICE to help reduce swelling pain and prevent more damage. Rehabilitation is essential to avoid injury again.

Achilles tendinopathy

While playing sports, the Achilles tendon may become strained. This tendon could rupture or be torn. As a result, a player may experience severe pain and difficulty walking. The physiotherapist recommends immediate treatment with RICE. Next, Eccentric exercises are performed where the leg muscles of the player are gradually lowered from a tiptoe position. The physiotherapist will instruct the player how to properly treat and manage their load to return to their old level of activity.

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is caused by over-activity and a lack of support. As a result, a player feels sharp pain at every step. This is common in runners, joggers, and soccer players. The best preventative measures are proper stretching and resting.

The severity of the injury will determine the recovery time. In severe cases, it may take several months. If you do not follow a comprehensive rehab program, there is a high chance of the injury reoccurring. An experienced physiotherapist can help you measure the pain.