Sports are fun and engaging, but unfortunately, they also come with their fair share of injuries. In fact, the average athlete will suffer from over 6 sports injury in their lifetime. Some of which can be extremely debilitating and long-lasting.
If you have ever suffered an injury while playing sports, you know how hard it can be to get back on track with your training or competition right away. That is why it is important to learn as much as possible about how to prevent injuries and what to do if you get injured.
This article will give you everything you need to know about sports injuries and how they happen so that you can stay healthy while playing sports.
How Does Sports Injury Happen?
Sports injuries happen when your body is pushed or pulled too far. Sports injury can happen in many ways. They can occur while playing or practicing, but they can also happen in the locker room or even on the bus ride home. Some of these injuries may seem inconsequential, but others can be life-changing.
Some of the most common types of sports injury are sprains, strains, fractures and concussions.
- Sprains: A sprain is a stretch or tear in a ligament. Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that connect bone to bone, muscle to bone, or muscle to muscle. Sprains typically happen when a joint gets twisted or bent too far. A sprain can be classified as either mild, moderate, or severe depending on how bad the damage is.
- Strains: Strains are one of the most common types of injury, which can happen anywhere from your ankle to your back. Sometimes strains can be superficial, meaning that there is some bruising or swelling that goes away with time and treatment.
- Fractures: A fracture is a broken bone. Fractures come in many different shapes and sizes. The most common types of fractures are those that happen on the outside of the bone, called open fractures. These types of breaks usually happen when someone falls from a height onto an outstretched arm or leg.
- Concussions: A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs after a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or body that jars the brain.
How to Prevent Sports Injuries?
There are a number of ways that you can prevent yourself from getting injured while playing sports.
- If your sport involves running, make sure you are wearing proper footwear. This will help with shock absorption and the prevention of blisters.
- Make sure that when you are lifting weights or doing other forms of strength training, that you maintain proper posture. Do not overextend your back or keep it in a bad position for too long. This can lead to muscle fatigue or injury.
- Warm up before doing any strenuous activity. It is important to loosen up muscles so they don’t become strained or torn from being contracted over an extended period of time.
- Practice good form. If you have been playing a certain sport for awhile, there may be habits you have developed that aren’t correct but can cause injury. Take some time to examine your form and see if there are ways to improve it. Remember, technique matters. A lot of people think that just because they have played their sport for years, their technique cannot possibly be wrong. However, this is not true. When developing new techniques as an athlete, take time to practice with coaches and trainers so you can develop these techniques properly.
- When playing high-impact sports such as soccer or basketball, wear shin guards. These are very helpful in preventing ankle injuries as well as reducing the risk of getting black eyes due to contact with someone else’s elbows or knees during play.
- You should also wear protective gear such as helmets and mouth guards. Injuries to the head and teeth can be fatal, so safety should always come first.
What To Do If You Get Injured?
If you are injured, don’t panic. The most important thing is to take care of your injury so that it doesn’t cause any other problems. Follow a few things if you get injured:
- If possible, don’t move the injured area. If it is a joint injury or a back injury, don’t push or pull on the injured area.
- Rinse any dirt off of the wound with cool water and apply pressure to stop any bleeding.
- Cover the wound with a clean, dry cloth.
- Use ice packs or warm compresses to help reduce swelling. Avoid icing the same spot for more than 15 minutes at a time.
- Take over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen as needed. Keep in mind that aspirin can cause severe side effects for some people so consult your doctor before taking it if you are unsure whether it is safe for you to take. Do not take more than two doses in 24 hours unless recommended by your doctor.
- If your injury is more serious such as a broken bone, see a doctor as soon as possible.
How To Tell If An Injury Is Serious?
- If it is a fracture, the bone may be sticking out of the skin or a bone may be broken in more than one place.
- If it is an open wound, it will be bleeding heavily or there will be lots of bruising around the injury site.
- If there are any signs of nerve damage, such as numbness or tingling in your fingers, toes or face, then you should see a doctor immediately for treatment.
- On the other hand, if pain is localized and you can put weight on the injured limb without difficulty, then this would most likely not be considered a serious injury.
Remember that even if you think it might not be serious, still seek medical attention as soon as possible.
What Is The Treatment For Sports Injury?
An athlete is experiencing mild pain, should rest and ice the injury for 20 minutes at a time, four times throughout the day. This will decrease inflammation in the injured area.
If pain persists after resting, icing and using anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen, it may be necessary to see a sports injury specialist in Jaipur.
If an athlete experiences moderate pain from their injury, they should follow the same steps as those with a mild injury. However, if severe pain occurs despite these measures, an emergency room visit may be required.
For severe pain, you can seek out the best physiotherapy sports injury clinic in Jaipur for the most accurate diagnosis and treatment.
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