Sports Injuries

Sports Injuries come in many forms and afflict amateur athletes as much as professionals. Fractures, sprains and tears are common for soccer, basketball, golf and cricket players and is often a short term acute injuries that develop quickly and heal quickly. A fracture is when there is a crack or break in the bone. A contusion is a direct blow which can cause swelling, bruising and bleeding in the muscle. A strain occurs when the muscle stretches or tears at the point where it connects to the bone. Whereas a sprain occurs when the muscle stretches or tears at the point where it would normally strengthen a joint or support cartilage. Rotator cuff injury is one of the most common Sports Injuries.

Overuse Sports Injuries and tendonitis are long term, chronic injuries that take a while to develop and cause longer term discomfort and degeneration.  Chronic Sports Injuries usually occur due to overload and overuse on a body part or muscle. For example common Sports Injuries for tennis players include wrist and elbow damage due to repetitive ground strokes in this sport. It is important that athletes do not overtrain and allow for recovery time between training sessions. If injury does occur immediately stop the activity to prevent further damage.

Its important to watch out for the warning signs when dealing with potential Sports Injuries. Sports Injuries warning signs include joint pain, muscle pain, swelling, weakness, tingling, numbness or reduced range of motion. The body produces swelling and inflammation to help protect the injured area. Pain encourages you to immobilize the area and these both cause reduced range of motion so as to not inflict further damage. These responses allow the body to heal.

If you have any of these symptoms during exercise it is important to stop and commence treatment. The RICE treatment method is a good place to start for most sports injuries. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. The aim of this treatment method is to limit any further Sports Injuries and to reduce swelling.