What Are The 5 Most Common Sports Injuries?

187
Sports injury

Exercise and physical activity are undoubtedly the best options for a wide range of health benefits. They help in keeping our bodies fit and functional. It is how athletes and sportsmen upkeep their fitness to outshine in their fields. However, engaging in such practices makes athletes susceptible to injuries. Such injuries are referred to as sports injuries. 

What is a sports injury?

Woman runner hold knee pain Free Photo

A sports injury is any injury caused during an exercise, athletic activity, or usually sports. The injuries may include muscle bruises, strains, sprains, and broken bones. Mild sports injuries can easily recover with rest and some treatment; however, the injured has to go through surgery to treat complex injuries. Many sports athletes will hire a Brisbane physiotherapist to offer them therapy before and after a heavy workout to culminate the injury threats. However, people who get sports injuries from their workouts can opt for a nearby physiotherapist to aid the injuries. For example, look for physiotherapy Ashford Kent if you live in Ashford, etc. 

Types of Sports Injuries: 

Sprains: 

Sprains include injury to the ligaments. A ligament is a firm band made of fibrous tissues that connect two bones. During workouts and exercises, you make such movements that have a risk of extension or breakage of the ligament. A damaged ligament, which includes breaking and extension, that results from workout and athletic activity, is called a sprain. A mild sprain can be treated at home with some rest and instant ice therapy. However, if the ligaments break, surgery would be required to fix it. An ankle sprain is one of the most common sprains as most athletic activities include running in which the foot sometimes erects from its normal position and causes a threat of sprain. Sprains can also occur in the back, knees, wrists, and thumbs. 

Strains:

Strain is to muscles as sprains are to ligaments. Strain is a sports injury in which muscles or tendons are stretched or broken. Like a ligament, the tendon is made of fibrous tissues that connect bones to the muscles. So whenever a muscle or tendon experiences severe stretch, it causes strain. Strains are more common than sprain; they result from the wrong training or exercising technique. The main causes of strains are hyper stretching, inadequate warmup, or overuse. In the condition of strain, you may experience muscle pain, bruises, spasm, and stiffness. Some of the types of strains are hamstring, pulled groin muscles, and strained quads.  

Shin Splints:

Shin splints is a cumulative stress disorder, which means that it is common in people working out in an extremely stressful situation. It is a pain around the knee and downside through the lower leg that causes pain in the shin bone. It is majorly caused by putting stress on the bones and muscles of the lower leg. People with weak bones are prone to this kind of sports injury. However, it may commonly happen when running downhill or wearing the wrong shoes for running or workout in general. 

Fractures:

Fractures are injuries that happen to the bones. The bones are strong and show flexibility to an extent. But when the pressure on the bones exceeds a limit, they cause a fracture. There are four types of fracture:

Closed fracture:

A closed fracture is also known as a simple fracture in which the bone does not break the skin. 

Open fracture:

It is a kind of fracture in which the bone breaks through the skin and becomes visible. 

Incomplete fracture: 

An incomplete fracture, also known as a partial fracture, is one in which the bone does not completely break down.

Complete fracture: 

It is a fracture in which the bone breaks into two parts. 

Dislocations:

Dislocation is a kind of sports injury in which the joints of any body part dislocate or move away from their usual position. The point where the bones connect with each other is called a joint. So any movement that causes displacement of joints is called dislocation. It can occur in the knee, shoulder, jaw, hip, or fingers. Dislocations are very painful, and in severe cases, they can shun a person’s ability to move.  

Causes of Sports injury:

Overuse:

People who regularly exercise and are involved in athletic activities are prone to get injuries. The overuse injuries include knee injuries, elbow and arm injuries, and ankle and foot injuries. These injuries are caused by repetitive trauma and not because of a specific injury incident. It means that carrying out the same exercise for a long time can cause injuries. For example, runners are more susceptible to overuse injuries even after running for years. In fact, the culprit behind their injuries is that they keep running all the time. However, there are a few technical elements that lend a hand to the overuse injuries. For example, the runner must be running on an uneven path or have been running with improper shoes. 

Inadequate warmup:

The second cause of the injuries is the inadequate warm-up. Before doing any exercise, athletic activity, or playing sports, it is essential to do a warmup that prepares the body to bear the excessive physical strain afterwards. The warm-up exercise turns the body from being on a rest mode. However, it is essential to give your body rest post the workout to cool down. Most people start their exercise without a warm-up; in that case, the muscles and bones experience a sudden shock that causes many injuries. 

Hyperextension:

The word hyper means over, and extension means to stretch or prolong something. Hyperextension as a whole means overextension of the muscles/ ligaments. So during the workout or athletic activity, if you stretch your muscles or ligament far and beyond their limit, you will experience multiple sports injuries. There is a specific range of stretching the muscles and ligaments, but when this limit is crossed, it puts extra pressure on them, causing pain and bruises. So, hyperextension is one of the common causes of sports injuries. 

Improper use of equipment:

Another common cause of sports injuries is the improper use of equipment. If you are working out, you will need specific equipment to carry out the exercise; if you play sports, there is different equipment for different sports. For example, you need a racket for playing tennis and badminton, a ball for football, baseball, basketball, and cricket. Using the wrong equipment or the right equipment wrongly leads to many sports injuries. 

Bottom Line: 

Sports injuries are very common in people who engage in daily workouts and athletic activities. Some common types of sports injuries are strains, sprains, shin splints, fractures, and dislocation. To prevent injuries, you must do a warm-up drill, use appropriate sports gear, and avoid overstretching.

Also Read: Top 7 Benefits of sports physiotherapy?