Sports Injuries: Treatment, Procedure, Cost And Side Effects

A sports injury is any injury related to the sports activity that may occur while exercising or playing or performing on the ground or court which involves the musculoskeletal system including the muscles, bones and cartilage. Sports injury is something every person, involved in some kind of hard physical activities from an average gym-goer to the serious athlete, may experience at some point of time. Accidents, bad form, an less or in sufficient warm-up or from performing exercises beyond your current level of strength or fitness are commonly known as the main causes for sports injuries.

Although there are numerous sports injuries which have come up in various forms over the past few years, only some of them are most common injuries that anyone can experience in casual time.

Muscle Sprains and Strains

Usually a trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of its position usually leads to a Sprain. A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament, the band of connective tissues that joins the end of one bone with another. Ankles, Knees and wrists are the most vulnerable and sprain-prone areas of the human body.

A person may suffer a strain, in case, his/her muscle or tendon, a cord of tissue which connects muscle to bone, suffers a twist, stretch, or tear. Strains are acute, non-contact injuries that are led by overstretching or over-contraction. Pain, Muscle spasm, loss of strength are the most common symptoms which are experienced during a Strain.

Knee Injuries

As Knee in the human body has a complex structure, and is also the most crucial part in the weight-bearing capacity of a human, it comes into the category of most commonly injured joint. Injuries to the knee can be from less severe to serious.

Runner's knee in which pain or tenderness may be felt around or under the knee cap, Iliotibial band syndrome that causes pain on the outer side of the knee, and Tendinitis or Tendinosis is caused by degeneration within a tendon, usually where it joins the bone, are are some of the less critical but still painful knee problems.

Bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments are kept in the category of most critical injuries. Generally, the cartilage in the knee can be of two types. First, a crescent-shaped disc called meniscus which absorbs shock between the thigh and lower leg bones. While the surface-coating cartilage is the second type of cartilage.

Dislocation of Joints

The dislocation of a joint is kept into the category of an emergency situation that needs immediate medical treatment. Some of the hand joints are the most likely to be dislocated part of the human body and the shoulder joints are most frequently dislocated part for that matter. Still, there are some uncommon part of the human body that have the least chances of being dislocated that are knees, hips, and elbow.

Traumatic Brain Injury

An immediate or unusual physical assault on the head may cause damage to the brain which in medical terms called Traumatic brain injury. A closed injury to the head may result in case the head forcefully hits an object, but the object does not break through the skull.

Spinal Cord Injury

When the cells in the spinal cord suffer damage caused by a traumatic event, it is called Spinal cord injury .

Suffering an injury is something very common for a sportsperson, as sports are unpredictable and anything can happen on the ground or court or field. For instance, Even an athlete, sometimes, gets injured due to something completely unforeseen. There are a number of circumstances in which a person may suffer a sports injury but those numbers are absolutely not limited.

• Lack of nutrients
• Over-training
• Fatigue
• Hormone levels
• Previous injury Change in climate
• Change in or poor equipment
• Muscle imbalances
• Dehydration
• Weakened muscles, bones, tendons, or ligaments
• Increase in activity or mileage
• Change in playing surface

Though sports injuries rarely contribute to fatalities, the traumatic brain injury is a sports-related injury which may lead to the death. Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability in various countries in the world. A sportsperson who survives a TBI may face effects that last a few days or the rest of their lives. Effects of TBI can include impaired thinking or memory, movement, sensation, or emotional functioning and even, death. These issues may not only cause death but also many times can have lasting effects on the related person, families and communities.

A systematic and proper treatment is most important after one suffers an sports injury. There are some general treatments that may be helpful to treat injuries caused by sports.

PRICE therapy: PRICE therapy can be helpful to treat some minor injuries, such as mild sprains and strains, for the initial treatment at home by using for two or three days. PRICE stands for protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Pain relief: In pain relief treatment, a person may take some common medicines with doctors or physician’s prescription such as Painkillers, such as paracetamol, to help ease the pain, Ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs tablets or creams to ease pain and reduce any swelling.

Immobilisation: Immobilisation helps to prevent further damage by reducing movement. It may also reduce pain, muscle swelling and muscle spasm.

Physiotherapy: Physiotherapy is a specialist treatment in which techniques such as massage, manipulation and exercises are used to improve range of motion, strengthen the surrounding muscles, and return the normal function of the injured area. Physiotherapy helps a person recovering from a long-term injury.

Surgery and procedures: Most Critical injuries such as severely broken bones may require corrective treatment. This includes a manipulation or surgery to fix the bones with wires, plates, screws or rods.

There is a common phrase that Prevention is always better than cure. Going by this, let us first see some of the important tips that help prevent the sports injuries.

• Allow body to recover by taking regular off from particular sport
• Wearing the appropriate & proper fit protective equipment
• Conditioning exercises during practice to strengthen muscles
• Stretching exercises after games or practice to increase flexibility
• Using the proper technique during the playing season
• Taking breaks or rest periods during practice and games to reduce injuries & prevent heat illness.
• Do not play through pain
• Avoid heat illness by drinking plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise or play