The average annual sports injury estimates 8.6 million per year. We’re here to share some tips and tricks to decrease your risk of injury so they can keep doing what they love to do.
Types of Sports Injuries
Different sports injuries produce different symptoms and complications. The most common types of sports injuries include:
- Sprains. Overstretching or tearing the ligaments results in a sprain.
- Strains. Overstretching or tearing muscles or tendons results in a sprain.
- Knee injuries. Any injury that interferes with how the knee joint moves could be a sports injury. It could range from an overstretch to a tear in the muscles or tissues in the knee.
- Swollen soft tissue. Swelling is a natural reaction to an injury. Swollen soft tissue causes pain and weakness in the affected area.
- Achilles tendon rupture. The Achilles tendon is a thin, powerful tendon at the back of your ankle. During sports, this tendon can break or rupture. If it does, you may experience sudden, severe pain and difficulty walking.
- Fractures. Bone fractures are also known as broken bones.
- Dislocations. Sports injuries may cause a dislocated bone in your body. When that happens, a bone is forced out of its socket. This can cause pain, swelling, and weakness in the affected area.
- Rotator cuff injury. Four pieces of muscle work together to form the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff keeps your shoulder moving in all directions. A tear in any of these muscles can weaken the rotator cuff.
Prevention
The best way to prevent a sports injury is to warm up properly and stretch. Cold muscles are prone to overstretching tears. Warm muscles are more flexible and decrease your risk for these injuries. They can absorb quick movements, bends, and jerks, making injury less likely. These other steps may help prevent sports injury as well:
- Make sure to get a health and wellness check from your doctor before beginning any new activity or sport. Your doctor will be able to warn you of any pre-existing conditions that may easily lead to an overuse injury.
- Use proper technique. There is a proper way to move during each sport or activity. Following those appropriate guidelines can prevent injury. For example, in some sports, bending your knees at the right time can help avoid an injury to your spine or hips.
- Have the proper equipment. Wear the right shoes. Make sure you have the right athletic protection.
- If you get hurt, make sure you are fully heard before you start the activity again. When you return after letting your body recover, you may need to ease yourself back into the exercise or sport rather than jumping back in at the same intensity.
- Cool down. Participating in stretching and exercises that lower your heart rate at the end of a work-out can lower your chances of injury.
- Avoid year-round sports for a single sport. When you don’t give your body time to recover from a particular activity, your risk of injury increases. For example, playing indoor and outdoor soccer through the full calendar year increases your risk for injuries. Take some time out to perform other physical activities that will exercise and strengthen different muscles.
If you’ve experienced an injury, don’t wait to schedule your appointment with Dr. Nelson. As you work closely with Dr. Nelson, he’ll provide a treatment plan based on your needs to get you back to exercising and playing sports at full capacity. Depending on the severity of your injury, he will recommend treatment anywhere from conservative to surgery. You can rest assured that when you choose Dr. Nelson, you’re choosing someone with years of orthopaedic experience whose number one priority is you and your recovery.
Don’t wait to get started on your road to recovery. To schedule your appointment with Dr. Nelson, please give us a call at 435-787-2000.
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