How to prevent sports injuries? Archives

Dealing With a Sports Injury

March 24, 2022November 16, 2023
by Eva Hospital

What Is Sports Injury?

Every athlete or sportsperson is susceptible to experiencing an injury that can impact them mentally and physically, during their career.

The sportsman’s ability to cope with the injury and an adequate method of dealing with these injuries can go a long way to help them to return to their original form.

How Many Types of Sports Injury?

There are two kinds of sports injuries. They include:

Acute traumatic injuries: These injuries usually happen after a blow or force while getting tackled in sports like football, basketball or skateboarding, etc. They include fractures, sprains, strains, concussions, and cuts.
Overuse injuries: These injuries happen over time and usually from repetitive training and movements, like running or serving a ball in tennis, and are also called Chronic injuries. They might not seem serious at first but they can get worse if left untreated. These include injuries like stress fractures and tendonitis.

Also Read:-Causes of Common Sports Injuries

What to Do in Case of Sports Injury?

One should pull themself out of the game or stop doing their activity or workout as soon as they realize they are injured.

One should also immediately call a doctor if

Pain becomes very bad
There is swelling in the injured area
One is limping
One is unable to move the injured area
Pain does not get better with rest or gets worse
Pain lasts for a week or more
There is a blackout

Sports Injury Treatment

PRICE therapy

In most cases, minor injuries, like mild sprains and strains are initially treated at home using PRICE therapy.

Protection
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation.

Treatment for a sports injury depends on factors such as the severity of the injury and the part of the body affected.

Some common treatments for sports injury include:

Painkillers
Immobilization
Physiotherapy
Corticosteroid injections
Surgical Procedures

How to Prevent Sports Injury?

It can take a few weeks to a few months for a sportsperson to make a full recovery, depending on the nature of the injury.

One shouldn’t hasten the return to their earlier level of activity until fully recovered. However, aiming to gently start moving the injured body part as soon as possible can prove helpful.

The help of a professional, such as a physiotherapist or sports injury specialist, can prove to be effective. A suitable recovery program can be designed and they can advise one about the exercises that should be done.

Dealing with Sports Injuries

The impact of an injury can be hard on an athlete, especially when it affects their game. There are both mental and physical aspects at play during the recovery period and can add due to stress and anxiety.

The player needs to keep a few things in mind while dealing with the injury. These few points can prove to be a great coping mechanism for the sportsperson:

Being Aware of Sports Injury

Being aware of the reason, treatment, and prevention of the injury can help lessen the fear or anxiety to a large extent. One must feel free to ask their doctor, trainer, coach, or therapist about what can be done to heal quickly and fully.

Being updated about the diagnosis, the type of injury, treatment options, and their purpose and recovery period can help the patient be abreast with their progress.

Alternative workouts and any warning signs to look out for can also be discussed with the doctor. One must feel free to seek a second opinion if they feel so and especially if surgery is recommended.

Taking Responsibility for Sports Injury

Acceptance and positivity is the key to recovery. The sportsperson instead of focusing on their decreased performance should accept that they have an injury.

This helps one to make a commitment towards their recovery which can result in a positive outcome and instill a sense of confidence in the player.

Commitment to Sports Injury Treatment

A fair amount of motivation and hard work to get back in the game helps one to get back in the game rather than getting discouraged and slacking off on therapy.

The player must be committed to overcoming their injury by showing up for their treatments and listening to the doctor or the trainer.

One must focus on what needs to be done rather than what one is missing out on.

Getting Help for a Sports Injury

The right kind of support can be a big factor in healing and recovery. The sportsmen who tend to isolate themselves from teammates and friends due to injury most of the time end up getting demotivated and their recovery lags. Good advice or encouragement during the rehab process can be a big boon.

Appropriate Goals on Sports Injury

True to the sportsman spirit, a player should turn injury into another training challenge, rather than viewing it as a crisis. The goals must be focused on recovery rather than performance as it will work as a motivation.

Dr. Tanveer Bhutani at Eva hospital lays a great emphasis on working closely with a therapist or doctor during the recovery as they can help one set realistic goals, in line with each stage of the rehab.

Maintain Fitness When Injured in Sports

The type of injury can determine how the player should modify their training to add alternate forms of training, which can help in maintaining cardiovascular conditioning or strength.

The trainer, therapist, or physician can help the patient to organize a viable alternative workout program. A modified strength training program and a limited amount of exercise can help one to maintain cardiovascular fitness and focus on a better nutritional diet and health.

Rehabilitation

A well-planned rehabilitation program in consultation with a competent sports doctor and therapist, which may include physical therapy, manual therapy, ultrasound, or other technology can help relieve pain and promote healing to a great extent.

Prevention Sports Injury

Preventing re-injury is as important as recovery from the injury. Dr. Tanveer Bhutani orthopedic doctor in Ludhiana the fact that protecting an injured body part with modified shoes, tape, or a sports brace can help provide extra support to protect against a direct blow.

One must take it slow when they first get back to their sport and slowly build back up to your pre-injury level.

Most importantly, knowing your thresholds is extremely important. One must immediately seek help from a doctor if the pain continues.

A Word from the Doctor

Dr. Tanveer Bhutani has immense experience in treating patients with sports injuries and he explains that with appropriate knowledge, support, and patience an injury can be easily overcome.

Taking things slowly, setting realistic goals, and maintaining a positive, focused approach in consultation with a therapist or doctor helps most athletes and sportspersons to overcome minor injuries quickly and major injuries in time. Timely book online consultation for a sports injury treatment can help plan the treatment for any injury.

Last but not the least, remember that you are a sportsperson and injury is just another challenge. Give it your best shot.

Eva Hospital

Causes of Common Sports Injuries

February 26, 2022November 16, 2023
by Eva Hospital

An athletic injury can be annoying and agonising at the same time. Whether one is an active athlete or an occasional one, the treatment protocol and prevention of common sports injuries remain the same.

Causes of Sports Injuries

Most sports injuries are usually caused by inadequate training methods, structural abnormalities, weakness in muscles, tendons, ligaments and unsafe exercising environments. Poor training or knowledge is the most common cause of a sports injury.

Overuse

Continuous wear and tear of muscles, tendons & joints can cause fatigue and overtraining the muscles can lead to strains and cramps.

Lack of adequate rest and insufficient time for muscles to recover and heal themselves can cause this strain. A recovery period of 48 hours is required after a workout, for the muscles to heal.

A quick increase of exercise intensity and not taking breaks on experiencing pain while exercising can also cause injury.

Cross-training and alternative activities with different styles, speeds, intensities, and time frames of exercise is an important aspect that both coaches and players should be aware of.

A breakthrough of the plateau in the training regimen can be achieved by taking a break. Moreover, these breaks help to avoid overuse injury of the same worn-down muscles and tendons by confusing the “muscle memory” pattern of the athletes, preparing and allowing them to face and thrive in new challenges.

Wrong Surfaces and Shoes

Some Overuse injuries are a result of repeated, microscopic injuries to a particular part of the body, like many long-distance runners, may experience overuse injuries even after years of regular running.

The hard and uneven surface of the roads combined with repetitive movements can cause these injuries. Both up and downhill elements can cause additional stress on tendons and muscles in the lower leg.

Wrong shoes or sneakers can be one of the major causes of such injuries. The footwear should not allow side-to-side movement of the heel and should cushion the foot adequately.

Improper Rehabilitation

Any acute or chronic injury needs to be dealt with carefully. It is not advisable to go back to pre-injury performance levels immediately.

When an athlete is medically cleared to play, after an injury, the intensity of the workout on the first session should be 10% of what they normally do and a progressive regimen to work their way back up should be planned in proper consultation with their coach or instructor.

The rehabilitation phase after sustaining a sports injury is an important period when the athlete has to overcome not only the challenge of complete healing of the damaged structure and tissue but also of reconditioning of the musculotendinous complex.

The modalities of therapy should include adequate stretching, range of motion, electrical stimulation, shockwave therapy etc. The strengthening of sport-specific muscles through exercises is important even after the initial rehabilitation to fully strengthen the muscles.

Imbalanced Training Sessions

Focusing too much on a particular muscle group and neglecting the other related muscle groups can lead to a deformity eventually.

Like if one keeps working for the pectoralis muscle group and neglects the back and muscles of posture, a hunched over back deformity will develop in the long run.

So it is important to have an exercise regime that focuses on other muscle groups, besides the one worked on for the purpose of the particular sport on plays.

Neglecting an Injury

Ignoring a common sports injury sustained while practising during a high impact activity can be dangerous as it can lead to further damage.

The adage “Time is a big healer” does not usually work when it comes to a sports injury doctor near me Dr Tanveer Bhutani at EVA Hospital. He further adds that an early assessment of the grade of the injury can help your orthopaedic doctor to come up with an effective plan combining relative rest and a safe change of exercise activities while one recovers from the injury.

Bone Structural Problems

The bone structure differs from person to person, and almost everyone has one or two weak points where the bone and muscle arrangement is more prone to injury.

The common predisposition in the people prone to injuries to the ankles, legs, knees, and hips include:

Uneven leg length or flat feet.
Presence of over-high arches (Cavus foot)
Bow shaped legs
Knock knee arrangement

Awkward running increases with uneven leg length, making one more susceptible to injury. However many people with equal-length legs also suffer the same injuries by running on tilted running tracks or uneven roads. The leg that strikes the higher surface will suffer more strain on its hip.

The inward rolling of the foot after the heel strikes the ground before the weight shifts forward to the ball of the foot, is called Pronation.

The inward rolling spreads the shock of impact with the ground. But if it rolls too easily, it can place uneven stress on muscles & ligaments higher up in the leg.

Whereas the ankle and foot that are over flexible can cause excessive pronation, an over rigid ankle can produce effects of cavus foot.

The arch of the foot may be normal in itself but it has a very high appearance because the foot doesn’t flatten inwards on the weight having been placed on it. Being poor shock absorbers, such feet increase the risk of fractures higher in the legs.

Bowlegs or knock knees make the ankles more prone to a sprain as they tend to add extra stress through the knees and ankles over time.

There are a few other structural conditions that make sports injuries more common. These include :

lumbar lordosis: a forward curve in the lower spine
patella Alta: a higher than usual kneecap
high Q angle: kneecap that is displaced to one side, as with knock knees

Other Causes of Sports Injuries

Having a combination of muscles some of which are very strong and others that are weak can also lead to injury. If one’s quadriceps or front thigh muscles are very strong, they may be prone to stretch or torn hamstring i.e. rear thigh muscle. One of the causes of knee pain for many runners can be Tight iliotibial bands.

Consult a Doctor for Sports Injuries

Participation in sports or exercise can make one prone to muscle and tendon injuries and bone fractures. However, the health benefits far outweigh the risk of these injuries. Awareness about the causes can help to avoid these injuries.

Dr Tanveer Bhutani explains that all strenuous exercises cause microscopic damage to particular muscle fibres but the exercise helps to heal them stronger than before.

However, one must give them 48 hours to heal before working them again and should not vigorously exercise the same muscle on two successive days, as it will lead to damaging it faster than it is given a chance to heal.

One should either work on different muscle groups on alternate days or do “strength-training” exercises one day and cardiovascular exercises the next.

One must not try to use the injured part until it is well healed. And one should restart light exercises to get it back in shape.

A doctor or a physiotherapist can recommend specific exercises to strengthen particular muscles and tendons. Being aware of the causes and following the recommendations of an orthopaedic doctor can help you to enjoy regular and injury-free sports and exercise

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How to prevent sports injuries?