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Injury SOS: what you should know about sports injuries
The downside of getting active
The term sports injury, in the broadest sense, refers to the kinds of injuries that most commonly occur during sports or exercise. Some sports injuries result from accidents; others are due to poor training practices, improper equipment, lack of conditioning, or insufficient warm-up and stretching.
Although virtually any part of your body can be injured during sports or exercise, the term is usually reserved for injuries that involve the musculoskeletal system, which includes the muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons.
MOST SPORTS INJURIES CAN BE PREVENTED IF YOU TAKE PRECAUTIONS
Fortunately, even though there are acute or chronic cases, most sports injuries, especially those due to adaptational processes or instabilities, can be treated effectively, and mostly you will be able to return to your previous satisfying level of physical activity after an injury. Even better, many sports injuries can be prevented if you take the proper precautions.
Common joint injuries
Joints can swell and suffer from inflammation and redness. They can become immobile, in which case your range of motion may be reduced. Typical joint injuries are knee and elbow injuries.
How do joint injuries occur?
Joint injuries are often seen after falling in contact sports, bicycle and car accidents.
Symptoms?
Pain, stiffness, weakness, instability, swelling and locking may be symptoms of joint injuries.
Find out what to do about them here.
Injuries | Symptoms | Steps you can take | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Injuries: | Runner's knee, plica syndrome of the knee, torn rotator cuff (shoulder) | Symptoms : | Inflammation, redness, swelling, reduced range of motion. | Steps you can take: | Inflammation, swelling and redness can be reduced by cooling (RICER). Braces help in cases of instability or too much joint play by improving coordination of joints and improving stability. Knee joint stiffness and arthritis will be helped by heat therapy. |
Common muscle and tendon injuries
Muscles and tendons (a tendon is the fibrous tissue that attaches muscle to bone in the human body) can become too weak which will lead to them not being able to stabilise the joints anymore. (This can quickly become a challenge for the joints which, in turn, might also, be affected.) Weak muscles will mean they will deliver less endurance and are more susceptible to injury.
When there is excessive stretching of a muscle or tendon resulting in pain, soreness and inability to use normally it’s called a strain. Signs of strain: pain, muscle contraction or tremor, and loss of strength.
How do muscle and tendon injuries occur?
Causes of strain are excessive use, pull or stretch of tissue affected. Strain may come about suddenly or develop from chronic use or overuse.
A typcial tendon injury is Tendovaginitis (inflammation of the sheath of the tendon) from overuse, or tendinitis.
Symptoms?
Swelling, moderate hematoma, pain at weight bearing.
Find out what to do about them here.
A severe sprain might feel the same as a broken ankle.
Learn more about ankle injuries.
Make sure that the sprain is examined and attended to by a doctor to rule out a fracture.
Injuries | Symptoms | Steps you can take | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Injuries: | Achilles tendonitis pain over tendon or tendovaginitis, shin splints (inflammation of the sheath of the tendon) | Symptoms: | Pain, stiffness, pain with range of motion, weakness and no endurance, unstable joints as weak muscles cannot stabilise them anymore. | Steps you can take: | Acute muscle and tendon injuries can be treated with RICER: cooling with a cold pack will reduce inflammation and pain. Chronic muscle injuries and stiffness can be treated with heat. During rehabilitation phase: heel lifts. |
Common ligament injuries
Ligaments are the fibrous, slightly stretchy connective tissues that hold one bone to another in the body. Because their function is stabilising the joint so that the bones move in the proper alignment, they are highly susceptible to injury. They also control the range of motion of a joint. For example, they are what prevents your elbow from bending backwards and they also help to perform the complex coordinated activities needed for sport.
Ligaments are made of dense connective tissue consisting of a protein substance called collagen. The organisation of collagen fibres gives the ligament its tensile strength.
Another function of ligaments is to provide proprioceptive input to the brain that allows a person to know what position their joints are in, without having to look.
How do ligament injuries occur?
A great deal of force is required to damage ligaments. In a collision sport such as football, this is easily done by opposition players or when a player catches their foot in the turf and their whole body weight goes over on one joint. This force then produces the structural damage to the joint capsule and ligaments known as a ligament sprain.
The anterior cruciate ligament located behind the knee (often referred to as the ACL) is commonly damaged in rough sports.
Another commonly injured ligament is the anterior talofibular ligament in the ankle joint.
Knee ligament injuries are most common, often caused by:
• Twisting your knee
• Getting hit on the knee
• Extending the knee too far
• Jumping and landing on a flexed knee
• Stopping suddenly when running
• Suddenly shifting weight from one leg to the other
General symptoms:
• Pain, often sudden and severe
• Loud pop or snap during the injury
• Swelling
• Feeling of looseness in the joint
• Inability to put weight on the point
without pain
Find out what to do here.
Injuries | Symptoms | Steps you can take | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Injuries: | Ankle: anterior cruciate or ACL, lateral collateral or LCL), wrist sprains, knee ligament injuries. | Symptoms: | Tender or slightly painful joint when weight is placed on it and swelling. Sprains are characterised as mild, moderate or severe. The severity of the injury will depend on the extent of the injury (whether a tear is partial or complete) and the number of ligaments involved. A mild sprain results when a ligament is stretched or slightly torn. | Steps you can take: | Torn ligaments are best treated with ice. Follow RICER. If you have sprained an ankle, ease the weight you place on it. Ice the area for 10-15 minutes three or four times a day. After RICER, compress the joint with a bandage to reduce swelling. All chronic insufficiency and ligament injuries due to instability can profit from braces. |