When you play competitive sports, injuries are part of the game. In fact, nearly 9 million athletes are injured each year playing a sport.
These injuries occur from head to toe. Nearly half of all sports injuries affect the lower body. Many are strains and sprains requiring rest and ice.
A significant percentage of injuries also affect the head and neck area. These injuries can yield unfavorable long-term health consequences. There is inherent risk involved with playing competitive sports. Sports medicine experts have long recognized that getting IV therapy from hydrateyouoklahoma.com is beneficial as it repairs the damage done to the body from training and injury, as well as enhances athletic performance. Read on to learn about the most common sports injuries. Explore seven sports injuries that commonly occur so that you take action to prevent them.
1. Shoulder Injuries
Various shoulder injuries affect athletes. They often manifest as muscle sprains or ligament strains. There are also dislocations and misalignments.
Many shoulder injuries occur due to blunt force contact. These injuries are commonly observed in soccer and field hockey.
Sports such as football and lacrosse utilize shoulder pads to provide protection. Nonetheless, dislocations and misalignments still frequently occur.
In baseball, shoulder injuries are commonplace even without physical contact. Throwing at high velocities is not a natural bodily movement.
The result is various shoulder sprains and strains. Shoulder injuries in baseball are sometimes so severe that the recovery period exceeds one year. We see this in Major League Baseball, where star pitchers routinely require Tommy John Surgery to repair shoulder damage.
2. Back Injuries
All sports place stress on the back and spine. Athletes commonly report upper and lower back pain. What they do not know is that many of these injuries have been building up over time.
While some back injuries are caused by blunt force, the majority start as inflammation. The inflammation is often found around back muscles and vertebrae.
Continued athletic movements exacerbate the issue. Baseball and golf swings are two examples that place repetitious strain on the back.
Athletes tend to push through the pain, and the back injury only escalates in severity. In some of the most difficult situations, the discs are injured, causing long-term pain. You should consider seeing a chiropractor for sports injuries if the pain is chronic or severe.
Preparation is the key to avoiding back injuries. Stretching and strength-building exercises help avoid most back injuries.
3. Ankle Injuries
Athletes twist or roll their ankles daily. Ankle injuries are common in basketball, soccer, and football.
The tell-tale sign of an ankle injury is inflammation around the ankle and foot. Accompanying the swelling is bruising around the ankle and down through the foot.
To avoid these injuries, basketball players wear special shoes with additional ankle support. Soccer players wear low-profile cleats; however, they find additional ankle support on their shin guards.
The best medicine for an ankle injury is rest. Experts suggest a steady dose of ice, compression, and elevation if you suffer an ankle injury.
4. Knee Injuries
Professional football fans know how common knee injuries are. It seems like every Sunday that a star football player tears their ACL or MCL ligaments.
There are so many different knee injuries that affect youth and adult athletes. For example, some athletes tear their patellar tendon.
This occurs when the patellar tendon completely detaches from the kneecap. With this injury, the knee can no longer be straightened out, and surgery is required.
There are many other types of dislocations and fractures. Inflammation, sprains, and strains are also common.
The best way to avoid knee injuries is by warming up and stretching properly. You may wear knee protection in certain sports like football or wrestling. Ice and rest is your best friend when dealing with a minor knee injury.
5. Shin Splints
We cannot adequately cover sports injuries without focusing on the issues that plague runners. Nearly 50 million Americans run or jog for exercise. Half of this group runs more than once per week.
While running is great for physical health, it does expose you to some common sports injuries. Shin splints commonly afflict cross country and track athletes.
Think about the constant impacts on your legs by running on hard surfaces. Shin splints, defined as inflammation in the lower legs, are the byproduct of frequent running.
There are several steps you can take to avoid shin splints. Investing in a good pair of running shoes goes a long way in combating lower leg inflammation. Also, a thorough warm-up and stretching session before running prevent injury.
6. Head Injuries
Head injuries have received a lot of media attention over the past decade. The emphasis on preventing head trauma is a byproduct of the NFL.
In professional football, there is a concerning number of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) cases. Simply put, CTE is brain degradation caused by frequent blows to the head.
Other common sports injuries include concussions and brain contusions. These types of head injuries often occur in football and wrestling.
Contact sports have a higher rate of head injuries. Nevertheless, head injuries also occur in non-contact sports when players fall or trip.
7. Wrist and Arm Injuries
Athletes also deal with a slew of wrist and arm injuries. Everything from the hand to the elbow is at risk of a fracture.
Wrestlers and football players routinely deal with wrist sprains. Elbow injuries often plague tennis and baseball players. The repetitious activity of tennis swings or baseball throws leaves athletes with the dreaded “tennis elbow.”
The byproduct of this repetition is strained ligaments in the elbow. The best way to avoid these types of elbow injuries is to avoid overworking yourself. For example, Little League baseball has employed strict pitch counts to prevent players from throwing too much.
A Recap of the 7 Most Common Sports Injuries
If you are playing a competitive sport, your risk of injury is elevated. Sports injuries occur in both contact and non-contact sports. It is not uncommon to see players roll an ankle or dislocate a shoulder.
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