It is common for athletes to fall prey to injuries while playing different sports. Whether you play cricket, football, participate in MMA or do gymnastics, at some point, you will face an injury.
This short blog article covers all the common sports injuries that you, as a sportsman, can face or may have faced.
- Sprains
Sprains occur on the ligaments, the tissues that connect one bone to the other. When these ligaments are turned in the wrong way, they cause tears or pull. Ankle, knee, wrist, and elbow sprains are the most common sprains. Sprains are very painful and take longer to heal.
Sometimes, they require the area to be immobilized, so it remains protected from any future injuries. Post and pre-match warmups prevent sprains and playing with a proper technique also helps.
- Strains
By far the most common sports injury, strains occur when different muscles and tissues stretch farther than they should or move in ways they shouldn’t. This causes damaged and torn muscles.
Pulled hamstrings, pulled groin muscles, and strained quads are the most common strains. Strains are minor and heal naturally. Warming up before your game helps prevent strains.
- Knee Injuries
Knees are joints that carry lots of impacts and wear during any gameplay or strenuous activity. Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), cartilage tears, fractures, and dislocations are common knee injuries.
Knee injuries are excruciating and sometimes require surgeries to fix the damage. Proper knee bracing and padding can prevent knee injuries. Moreover, pre-game warmup, stretching and maintaining a good posture also help.
- Fractures
Brutal sports (contact sports) can cause fractures of the bone. Arm, legs, feet, elbows are the most common fractures. Fractures are painful and require weeks of immobilization, sometimes even surgeries to correct the damage.
Fractures are risky while playing contact sports. You can avoid fractures by wearing proper padding, working out properly, and warming up before sports to keep your muscles flexible. If you get hurt, don’t continue your gameplay, as your bone is vulnerable to a potential fracture.
- Back Injuries
During any sports, your back takes some level of stress. If the stress increases, it may lead to inflammation around the vertebrae and back muscles. This can cause disc injuries and frequent upper and lower back pains.
The back injury treatment varies from person to person. From taking rest, physical therapy to surgeries, back injuries depend on various conditions.