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5 Most Common Sports Injuries
While doing exercises and sports come with many health benefits, participating in these may still come with risks. During physical activities, different parts of your body may get the brunt of various movements, including your shoulder, knees, foot, and ankles. So, any instances of overuse or overexertion may lead to an injury.
Learning about some common sports injuries will help you prevent and treat any future incidents. Here are some of them:
Strains
This happens when a muscle or tendon is suddenly pulled, overstretched, or torn and is characterized by pain, tenderness, swelling, or muscle spasms. Strains are more likely to occur when you are physically active since you use a wider range of motion for your muscles and tendons. To prevent this, it’s essential to stretch and warm-up properly before doing sports or exercise.
Sprains
A sprain occurs when the ligaments, which connect your bones and joints, stretch, tear, or twist in the wrong direction. This often happens in the elbows, wrists, and ankles. Although similar to strains, sprains can be more painful with more severe cases requiring immobilization treatments.
Fractures
Sports that involve constant impact and contact with people and objects may lead to bone fractures. These typically result from a sharp blow or force to the bone, causing it to crack or completely break. Most fractures happen in the arms, legs, and feet. Depending on the type and severity of your fracture, treatments like braces, splints, and surgery may be necessary.
Achilles Tendinitis
This type of tendinitis occurs when the Achilles tendon, which connects your calf muscles to your heel, is overused. When this happens, you will feel tenderness, stiffness, and difficulty moving the affected area. Achilles tendinitis can be prevented through the use of proper footwear when running and gradually increasing your activity level to avoid strain from overuse.
Plantar Fasciitis
Another common sports injury is plantar fasciitis. This is caused by the overuse of the plantar fascia, which is the tissue that connects the heel bone to your toes. Individuals who frequently run or do activities that place a lot of stress on the heels are at a higher risk of developing this condition. Some treatments for this injury include physical therapy, orthotics, or steroid injections.
Reach Out to Thomas Podiatry & Associates
Sports injuries, whether minor or major, can lead to more severe problems if not treated right away. To get efficient and reliable sports injury treatment, reach out to an expert. Contact us at Thomas Podiatry & Associates in Salisbury, MD today!
Types of Sports Injury Treatment
Sports injuries may happen because of various reasons. They include inadequate warm-up, overexertion, overuse, and improper use of equipment or sporting gear. Some of the most common injuries are sprains and strains, tendonitis, dislocations, and fractures.
No matter how mild or severe your injuries are, urgent treatment is essential to minimize damage and relieve pain. Plus, it will also prevent any further complications. Read on to learn about some treatments for sports injuries.
RICE Method
This is a common treatment for minor sports injuries that is done for the first 24 to 48 hours. The RICE method has four elements, namely: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Doing these helps relieve pain and promote proper healing and recovery. Here’s what you should do:
- Rest – Avoid using the injured area or doing activities that put too much force on them. Besides causing discomfort, it may also slow down the healing process and worsen the injury.
- Ice – It helps reduce pain and swelling. Apply an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas on the affected area for 10-20 minutes, two to three times a day.
- Compression – Using compression bandages helps provide support and reduce swelling. Ensure that the bandages are wrapped snugly but not too tight to allow proper blood circulation.
- Elevation – You can further ease pain by elevating the injury as much as possible. Do this by propping the injured area with a pillow and keeping it at a level above the heart.
Immobilization Treatment
Another sports injury treatment is immobilization. It involves stabilizing the injury using casts, splints, slings, or braces to prevent it from worsening. Besides protecting the affected area, these medical devices also ease discomfort and swelling.
Physiotherapy
Depending on your injury, your doctor may also suggest physiotherapy. This treatment uses methods such as exercises, massages, and manual manipulation. They will help regain comfortable movement of joints and muscles and strengthen the surrounding muscles of the injured area.
Contact Thomas Podiatry & Associates
If you exercise or play sports regularly, learning about some treatments for injuries may be helpful. Despite that, if you experience severe pain or notice any obvious deformity from the affected area, call a sports injury doctor right away. Reach out to us at Thomas Podiatry & Associates in Salisbury, MD today to learn more about sports medicine.