sports injuries treatment

How to Minimize the Risk of Sports Injury?

July 25, 2022March 28, 2024
by Eva Hospital

There is no denying that injuries, big or small, are part and parcel of a sports person’s life. However, by making conscious efforts towards its prevention, we can minimize the risk of musculoskeletal injuries, which includes injuries to your bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons and connective tissues.

Factors that can increase the risk of sports injuries

Medical studies in sports show that the rate of injury in athletes may vary from 10% to 65%. This is why identifying possible risk factors for injury and plugging those gaps is required to lower the odds. Now, what are the factors that make you more prone to sports injuries?

Factors that increase injury risks for a sportsperson

Internal

Age
Gender
Body composition
Physical fitness
Anatomy
Skill level
Psychological factors

External risk factors

Type of sports
Protective equipment
Environment

Inciting event

Sports situation
Athlete behaviour
Whole body biomechanics
Joint/tissue biomechanics

7 tips to prevent sports injuries

Wrong techniques and posture:

Wrong techniques used during a sport can lead to frequent injuries. Learn the right trick to do a maneuver. Until then, you are better off refraining from doing it.

Wrong equipment & gear:

Along with wrong technique and posture, wrong equipment and gear can also lead to injuries. Use only recommended and medically approved safety gear to lower risks of sports injury.

Rest:

While a lot of emphasis is given on training, the merit of resting is often undermined. Your body remains, repairs and recharges during rest and you must have enough of that to prevent injuries.

Warn-up and cool down:

Warming-up and cooling down have to be part of your training routine. The body has to gradually pick-up the intensity and come out of it and should not be sent into a state of shock by sudden motions.

Strength building & flexibility:

Your training programme must focus on strength building as well as flexibility. This would cut down the risk of sports injuries.

Work every muscle in your body:

You are as strong as your weakest muscle. This is why each muscle group in the body must be worked for higher levels of strength.

Stay calm:

Sports ignite a rush of emotions in all of us. However, your health and safety is directly linked to the calm and composure you are able to maintain during this activity. You can be extremely fierce as a sportsperson while staying completely calm.. Don’t mistake excitement with real skill.

Sports Injuries Treatment

Sports Injuries – Types, Treatment & Prevention

June 26, 2021December 12, 2023
by Eva Hospital

Sports professionals often get injured in a practice session or during a match. They are prone to different types of musculoskeletal injuries commonly referred to as sports injuries. Most athletic injuries can be broadly divided into three main categories- Acute, Overuse, and Chronic.

Acute injuries are usually the result of direct trauma to the site in the last 4-5 days. Overuse injuries are caused by repetitive stress to a set of muscles or ligaments & occur over time. Chronic are those that have been nagging for a long time, like a few months.

Common Types of Sports Injuries

Various sports injuries present varied symptoms & complications. The most common types of sports injuries include:

Knee injuries: While practicing stretching, the tissues near the knee may tear pull. It can cause a knee injury.

Sprains: Sprain occurs due to overstretching or tearing of ligaments. Ligaments are bits of tissue that connect two bones to each other in a joint.

Strains: Sportsmen often suffer from strained muscles. These are similar to sprains in that they are also caused by tearing – of tendons or muscles. tendons are thick, fibrous strings of tissue that connect bone to muscle. They are often mistaken for sprains.

Fractures: Sports personalities might suffer from small to severe fractures or broken bones.

Achilles tendon rupture: Achilles tendon rupture is pretty common as well. The Achilles tendon is the biggest tendon above the ankle(at the back). It may rupture while playing a game, resulting in severe pain in the foot and difficulty in walking.

Rotator cuff injury: The rotator cuff is the set of muscles that keep the shoulder moving in all directions. External trauma, as well as overuse, can cause inflammation or tears in these muscles and weaken the rotator cuff.

Tennis/Golf Elbow: Also known as lateral epicondylitis, it is a common injury for golfers, cricketers & tennis players.

Dislocations: When a bone gets forced out of its socket, especially in a joint, it is called dislocation. It is seen very commonly in active sports. It can be painful and cause inflammation & weakness.

Also Read: Achilles Tendon Injuries- Symptoms, Causes & Recovery

Treatment

While some sports injuries may be mild, others may require immediate treatment or emergency care. Indications of such conditions are:-

Excessive inflammation at the injury site and extreme distress.
Observable lumps or similar abnormalities.
Clicking the joint while moving.
Inability to put weight on the joint.

Strains are sprains are treated first with the RICE method- Rest, Ice, compression, and elevation for the first day and a half.

This is okay for all mild sports and provides relief from pain. Tears also require medical care and sometimes surgery as well.

A fracture in the bone is treated by setting the bone in a plaster.

Sports Injury Specialists are more qualified to treat injuries for sportsmen based on the intensity of the game, projected time of recovery, and personal choices.

A compound fracture may require resetting the bone back to its proper placement in the body.

In complete fractures, the bone breaks in pieces and may penetrate the skin. Both the cases require immediate action.

Commonly the athletes tend to break the bones in ankles, wrists, ribs, hips, or feet. The most crucial part is casting and restricting movement.

Sports Injuries Prevention

Although some injuries cannot be prevented as they are part of playing a sport, there are many ways to prevent severe injuries and tears.

Warm-up & Stretching: warm muscles are flexible and more immune to injury. A proper and long warm-up and stretching exercises go a long way in preventing mishaps on the field.
Follow the proper techniques: Always follow the instructions of your coach. Learn the right way to move during the sport or training.
Cooldown: Cooling down is as important as warming up. Do the same stretches that you did, in the beginning, to cool down.
Use Proper Equipment: using unsuitable, wrong sized or substandard sporting equipment will make you prone to injury and away from your favorite game.
Use the Right Gear: Especially it applies to footwear. Wear the right shoes. You must possess the proper athletic protection. Tennis, football and jogging shoes are all different, for example. Also, take care of the size.
Go Slow and Steady: do not overdo things in enthusiasm. The shortcut might land you in a cast or a bandage when you have to take a forced rest.
Heal completely: after an injury do not be in a rush to start training. Wait till you heal completely. Also, build up the previous level gradually after an injury.

Dr. Tanveer Singh Bhutani, sports injury specialist and an orthopedic surgeon in Ludhiana with very high expertise. If you or your friend is having any of the above symptoms or sporting injury, consult the superspecialist at Eva Hospital. Book your appointment now.

Sports Injuries Treatment

Sports Injuries- What are the Types, Prevention and Treatment

January 14, 2020March 30, 2024
by Eva Hospital

Are you the weekend warrior, a regular sportsman, or a gym freak? If you are either of them, you would understand what adrenaline gush means while you are playing your game or even merely talking about it. The only grim part of games and sports is getting a minor or a major sports injury.

What are the Types of Sports Injuries?

Sports injuries can happen at any time while exercising or while at the game. Sports injuries can happen to anyone-children or adults. You shall be more prone to sports injuries in the following cases:

If you have a sedentary lifestyle
If you avoid proper warm-up before the game
If you play contact sports
If you are not active

Different types of sports injuries have different protocols to follow. Here are the most common types of sports injuries:

Sprains

The injury to ligaments caused due to tearing of ligaments is called a sprain. This is the most common sports injury. The tissues connecting two bones to one another in a joint are ruptured.

Strains

Strains are the over-stretched muscles or the ‘pulled muscles’ which cause tears in the muscle fibers or tendons. Tendons are thick, fibrous cords of tissue that connect bone to the muscle.

Knee Injury

The knee is the most commonly twisted or bent body part while playing. Overstretching, tear in the tissues, ACL tear or the injury resulting from repetitive movement of the knee cap called Patellofemoral Syndrome are all types of knee injuries.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow or Epicondylitis is the pain related to the muscles and tendons of your forearm. There may be a tear in the tendon due to repetitive stress and overuse of the muscles around the elbow. This is also called ‘golfer’s elbow.’

Fractures and Dislocations

Most commonly heard and most prolonged maybe this type of injury-fractures or dislocations. Bone fractures or when a bone is dislocated in the body are both painful injuries and may take a while to heal.

Groin Pull

The side-to-side motion may trigger a push off causing strain of inner thigh muscles or groin. This may sometimes cause significant swelling.

What are the Ways to Prevent Sports Injuries?

Dr. Tanveer Bhutani, a leading orthopedic of Punjab, is a strong advocator of ‘warm-up’ before any workout or game. He says that injuries are likely to happen when your body isn’t conditioned to a particular movement or angle per se.

Every movement or activity must begin with a proper warm-up and you must make sure to be properly dressed and geared up according to the activity you indulge in.

Read through the following pointers and you can prevent the majority of sports injuries:

Learn the proper technique of the game and movements. Different games require different postures and focus on different angles.
Wear proper shoes and equip yourself with proper pads and preventive gear.
Never push yourself beyond the limits suddenly.
Cooldown post the activity is equally important as a warm-up is. Rolling out the muscles using a foam roller is also recommended.

In case you feel pain or overstretch in any of the muscles, do not rush to the activity and give the body a chance to heal.

Dr. Tanveer advocates adequate Rest (R), Ice packs (I), Compression (C), and Elevation (E) as the foremost treatment of any sports injury. If the swelling or the pain or discomfort prolong, you must not delay in contacting an orthopedic immediately.

What are the Treatments of Sports Injuries?

“Some sports injuries will heal with RICE (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation) methodology,” says Dr. Tanveer, “however for the severe sprain or strain or a ligament tear, surgery may be recommended”.

Here are some common treatment protocols in the most frequent sports injuries:

In the case of Ankle Sprain or Strain:

Complete healing of a hamstring strain may take about one year. It is advised to exercise and revive flexibility so that the chances of re-injury are zilch. The doctor will examine a high ankle sprain to make sure that the bones in the lower leg are intact and not separated.

In the case of Groin Pull:

RICE can help heal a groin pull. However you should not be in a haste to resume the activity, else the problem can be permanent. For persistent swelling, your orthopedic must be consulted immediately.

In case of Knee Injury:

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) holds the leg bone to the knee and in case of suspected ACL, an orthopedic may recommend surgery as this is the most common type of injury.

While in games like running, volleyball or basketball repetitive movements of the knee cap against the thigh bone may damage the tissue under the kneecap. This is called Patellofemoral syndrome which may take up to six weeks to recover. The doctor may advise continuing low-impact exercise particularly working out quadriceps for relieving the pain.

In the case of Tennis Elbow:

Epicondylitis or tennis elbow causes irritation and tears in the elbow tendons. You may be advised against playing the game till the pain recovers.

Final Words

Sports injuries can be prevented with precaution and warm-up. Worst cases of sports injuries may not heal with RICE and expert advice of the orthopedics may be needed. Dr. Tanveer Bhutani, at EVA Hospital, is a sports injury specialist and has treated the gravest of sports injuries with precision and care. Stay fit, stay healthy and take care of injuries carefully.

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