Problems With Injuries Sportists Often Face And How To Deal With Them
Participating in different sporting activities is good for your overall health, and it also promotes an active lifestyle. Sport is also ideal for building and maintenance of muscular strength. However, sports injuries are common, and they are usually caused by falls, trips, over-exercising, and others.
The risk of injuries should not deter you from taking part in your favorite sport. You need to know the prevalent types of injuries and the measures that you can take to prevent them. Read on to learn the common problems with injuries sports often face and how to deal with them.
Strains
Of all sports-related injuries, strains are probably the most common since they involve the use of several tendons and muscles. The muscles and tendons may overstretch which can leave them torn and damaged. As a result, you will experience a great amount of pain. The common muscle strains include strained quads, pulled hamstrings, and pulled groin. However, the good thing about common strains is that they can heal naturally. You can rest, do ice therapy or cold compress, or keep the injured muscle elevated. You can also take medicine to relieve pain. To prevent the risk of strained tendons and muscles, you should warm up first before engaging in strenuous activity.
Knee Injuries
Knees are very complicated joints, and they usually endure a lot of wear and impact in different sporting activities. The knees also control the movement of the entire body; hence, they are susceptible to injuries. There are several forms of knee injuries, and these injuries can be painful. To reduce the risk of a knee injury, you can consider proper padding. When you suffer a knee injury, various forms of treatment may be required. For instance, you may need surgery depending on its severity.
Warm-ups stretching, and exercising can also help relieve knee pain. You can consider biking as a long-term management solution for knee problems. Cycling is a low-impact exercise that is good for bad knees since it does not aggravate the injury. However, you must know your limit when you consider biking and make sure that you choose the right type of bike that suits your needs. There are different types of bikes that you can consider for light exercises to keep your knees flexible. Light exercises do not cause severe pain to your injury.
Concussion
Concussions are common in sports like football. A concussion occurs due to the traumatic impact that can cause the brain to shake inside the skull. This can damage the tissues holding the brain, and the most common symptoms of concussions include dizziness, headache, temporary loss of consciousness, blurry vision, nausea, loss of balance, numbness, and drowsiness. A concussion can cause serious injury, so you must seek immediate medical attention from a brain and spine specialist. If the symptoms continue, you must stop playing sports. Normally, concussions heal naturally within a few weeks. It is essential to wear the right protective headgear to reduce the risk of concussions when playing sports like football, hockey, skateboarding, or biking.
Fractures
Bone fractures are caused by contact sports and they mostly affect legs, arms, or feet. A fracture can be very painful, and it may require surgery to correct the damaged bone. Alternatively, you will need weeks of immobilization for a bone fracture to heal. The injured organ should not move to allow steady healing of the bone. It is crucial to keep muscles flexible and strong to prevent severe injuries to your bones. You may also wear appropriate padding to protect your bones.
Shin splints
The pains that you experience down your lower legs, especially in the front are known as shin splints. Strenuous training like running causes shin splints. Like other sports injuries, you can consider resting, icing, or buying over-the-counter medicine to relieve pain. When you have an ankle sprain, you should exercise to keep it flexible and prevent loss of strength. You can ask a therapist to help you with ideal exercises. However, you should avoid strenuous exercises to enhance the steady healing of the ankle. If the pain persists, you can visit a doctor.
Participating in various forms of sports is good for your overall health, but injuries are also common. When you are injured performing your favorite sport, the common treatment regimen that you can consider include the following: rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). This remedy is appropriate for mild injuries, and it helps reduce pain, swelling, and bruising. There are also over-the-counter medications that you can use to treat sports injuries. Depending on the severity of your injury, you can consider seeing a doctor or physician.