Engaging in sports is a good way to remain
healthy and lead an active lifestyle. However, engaging in physical activities
which involve the coordinated motion of muscles, ligaments and bones in our
body could potentially result in aches or injuries leading to feeling of pain,
swelling or aches.
Some Common Sports
Injuries
Whether you’re a professional athlete or just a
weekend warrior, chances are that you could possibly injure yourself during the
process. In such situations it would be advisable to seek health care for
proper diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation. Some of the common injuries
which could occur due to sports activities include -
Sprain or strain of muscles
Fracture of bones
Ligament or tendon tears
Dislocations of
joints
Common Causes of
Injuries
The degrees of seriousness of these injuries
could vary from person to person and is heavily influenced by the individual’s
personal health record however, studies have found certain factors to be
recurring reasons for injuries. These include -
●
Poor training practices
●
Use of improper equipment
●
Lack of conditioning
●
Not warming-up or stretching properly etc.
Types of Sports
Injuries
According to sports injury specialists, there
are mainly 3 types of conditions which would require urgent medical attention,
diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. They include:
● Acute injuries- Include Sprains, strains,
fractures, dislocations, growth plate separation, torn cartilage, bruises,
cuts, scrapes, pinched nerves, herniated disks etc.
● Overuse injuries - Tendonitis; shin splints;
stress fractures; growth plate problems like Osgood-Schlatter, Sever’s disease,
or Little League elbow; bursitis; fasciitis; compartment syndrome; nerve
entrapment; spondylolysis etc.
● Illnesses or serious individual medical
conditions - Concussions, Fever, Cardiac & Respiratory diseases, Heat
injuries etc.
Why Early Recognition
is Crucial in the Treatment Process
The early recognition of the injury is
absolutely vital. Sure, major injuries such as muscle tears could be detected
easily however injuries of implicit nature like overuse injuries (such as
tendonitis or stress fractures), develop over time and often have muted
symptoms. Identifying such injuries could be delayed until it has grappled an
entire muscle or ligament and thus would require major medical intervention
measure such as surgeries to heal
If you feel the injury is not that serious in
nature or doesn’t recur, you could consult a primary health centre. Most mild
injuries could be treated using over the counter inflammatory medicines (mostly
painkillers) and by adopting the “RICE” method.
● Rest - Take a few days off from the activity to give your
body time to heal.
● Ice - Use cold packs to reduce swelling.
● Cover - Wrap the sore area with an elastic bandage to reduce
swelling and provide stability.
● Elevate - Prop an injured foot or leg on pillows to reduce
swelling
Whether the injury is chronic or acute, it is
never a good idea to push through pain. In fact, doing so can lead to further
damage. Early recognition and treatment are crucial to ensure a proper
rehabilitation and return to normal activities. Therefore, knowing when to
consult a sports injury doctor is an important factor in ensuring that one
remains injury free.
Sometimes, the injuries might be of much more
serious nature and would require expert medical attention ASAP. Here are 6 tips
on when to see a sports injury doctor.
1. Significant swelling in muscles
Swelling refers to any abnormal enlargement in
the body. It forms as the result of inflammation or a build-up of fluid due to
the increased movement of fluid and white blood cells into the injured area.
This results in the release of chemicals and the compression of nerves in the
area of injury causing pain.
The body intends to use the pain and swelling as
a warning sign to the individual to prevent him/her from using the injured
part, to protect it from further injury. However, at times, the body's response
could be excessive, resulting in severe agony to the person. If not treated
appropriately, the swelling can become chronic, or long term. Chronic swelling
leads to tissues becoming rigid than their healthy counterpart and becoming
more susceptible to future injuries.
2. Knee pain when you
bear weight
Due to their constant use, our knees are the
most susceptible body part to overuse injuries. Most knee injuries are caused
by an external force bending or twisting the knee in a manner that it was not
anatomically designed for. A twisted knee can cause damage to the ligaments and
cartilage. High-force injuries such as sports-related injuries and motor
vehicle accidents can disrupt multiple parts of the knee anatomy, causing
multiple types of knee injuries.
3. Numbness or
tingling in the region
Numbness and tingling generally results from
some sort of nerve issue. Numbness refers to loss of sensation. Also known as
‘paraesthesia’, numbness and tingling most often occurs in the feet, hands,
arms and legs, but can affect any part of the body.
Numbness and tingling that lasts more than a day
requires a medical diagnosis. These symptoms may be indicators of some nerve
damage which could result in long term issues. Any numbness or tingling after
an injury needs immediate medical attention, and an individual should not
hesitate before contacting a nerve specialist.
4. Shooting nerve pain
Nerve pain is usually due to damaged nerves that
send false signals resulting in chronic pain. Some individuals having certain
medical conditions could develop unusual triggers making them hyper-sensitive
to certain conditions. For example,
individuals with herpes zoster, can’t tolerate clothing or sheets touching the
infected area. Other nerve damage can result in painful body positions during
standing or sitting.
5. Recurrent pain that
gets better but comes back again
Recurring pains are also symptoms of some sort
of nerve damage. Nerve damage could often result in sensations of shooting or
burning pain. It often is the result of nerve damage or a malfunctioning
nervous system. The impact of nerve damage is a change in nerve function both
at the site of the injury and areas around it.
6. Pain that lingers
despite a period of taking it easy
Such pains could be an indicator of chronic
pain. It occurs when your body continues to send pain signals to your brain, even
after an injury heals. Chronic pain is usually caused by an initial injury,
such as a back sprain or pulled muscle. It’s believed that chronic pain
develops after nerves become damaged. The nerve damage makes pain more intense
and long lasting. Chronic pain can limit your mobility and reduce your
flexibility, strength, and endurance, and make even carrying out daily tasks
and activities difficult.
Diagnosis with such symptoms are red flags that
point out the requirement of consulting a sports medicine specialist. Whilst
primary care doctors can treat
sports-related injuries to an extent, a sports medicine specialist would be
much more experienced in treating sports injuries and specializes in the latest
therapies to help you heal faster.
Choosing the Right
Treatment
The particular sports injury doctor you would
require, and the treatment plan that works for you, the healing period for
injuries, and so on, would vary from person to person. Some of the important
factors that should be considered while choosing the treatment plan would
include your lifestyle, your injury record, your treatment preference. The
trick is to find an expert sports injury
doctor who will understand your needs.
The individual must understand that proper
treatment and healing are time consuming and would require constant rapport and
dialogue between the doctor and the patient, along with patience to stick to
the plan until the injury is completely healed.
