INTRODUCTION :
Injury is any kind of pain or physical damage that occurs as a result of sports exercise or physical activity. Sports injuries usually result from overuse, insufficient warm up, overexertion of muscles and ligaments, and unfortunate accidents ( such as falls or clashing with another player ). And some of the common sports that may lead to injuries are :
Soccer – This can cause anterior cruciate ligament tear, groin strain, or hamstring pull.
Running – Running can cause ankle sprain, tendonitis, or shin splint.
Basketball – Stress fractures.
Approximately 2 million people face sport-related injuries every year.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPORTS INJURIES?
- Soft tissue injuries
- Hard tissue injuries
- Overuse injuries
- Head and neck injuries
Soft tissue injuries – Soft tissue injuries affect muscles, ligaments and tendons. Injuries can be explosive where the intensity level increases, such as endurance where the tissue is fatigued and trying to deal with more overall than it should have to. And there are many types of soft tissue injuries such as :
Tear : These are injuries to the muscles, tendons and ligaments. Tears are identified when these tissues are partially or completely torn.
Caused by : Tight muscles, sudden movement or Sharp objects.
Sprains : Sprains are injuries that affect the ligaments in the body, ligament holds bones or joints together.
Caused by: Incorrect technique or uneven playing surfaces.
Strains : These are the injuries to the muscle or tendons, and tendons attach the muscles to the bones.
Caused by : Incorrect technique or uneven playing surfaces.
Contusions : These injuries result in internal bleeding as a result of internal tissues being damaged, often we might refer to these as a bruising and some common confusions could be bump to the shin or areas where the skin is relatively thin and there is not much tissue between the bone and the skin.
Caused by: Collisions with another player or object.
Hard tissue injuries – Injuries which affect the bones and teeth are called hard tissue injury. And the main types of heart tissue injuries are fracture and dislocations.
Fractures: Fractures means a break in a bone. There are different types of fractures such as simple fracture ( fracture without any wound, where the bone is broken at one place), compound fracture ( skin and muscles are also damaged along with the fracture ), complicated fracture ( damages the internal organs along with the bones ), greenstick fracture ( fracture like a hairline or semi brick ), comminuted fracture ( bone is broken into three or more pieces ), impacted fracture ( end of a fractured bone enters into another bone ), stress fracture ( crack in bone ), transverse fracture ( Break in one of the bones of the spine ), oblique fracture ( bone is broken diagonally ). Caused by : Direct impact such as a fall or a severe tackle.
Overuse injuries – Overuse injury is overloading of the tissues of the body. Youth athletes are experiencing these overuse injuries now at a higher rate than they ever were before and A lot of it is just due to too much time on the fields combined with the bodies that are not yet ready to take that kind of force.
Caused by : Training errors are the most common cause of overuse injuries.
Head and neck injuries – Head injuries and spine or potential brain injuries are common across several sports including football, soccer, lacrosse, hockey and many others. When such an injury occurs to the head or the neck, it is important to recognise it very early. head and brain injury signs include things like headache, nausea, dizziness, vomiting or sometimes confusion means behavioral changes on the sideline, neck injury signs include sometimes just stiffness and sometimes bony pain, sometimes radiation to the arm and it is important to recognise both early before any further injuries can occur to the athlete.
Both head and neck injuries need to be fully resolved before returning to play, the timing of recovery can be anything from a few minutes to a few hours to a couple days or weeks in regards to head or neck injuries. Prevention is the key so using proper techniques and avoiding head-to-head collisions at all costs is important across all sports lines.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF SPORT INJURIES?
- Inappropriate coaching or instruction
- Incorrect technique
- Environmental conditions
- Other athletes or participants
- Clothing and equipment
- Inadequate warmup
- Muscular imbalances and postural issues
- Poor technique, overuse, or age.
WHAT ARE THE PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE TO AVOID SPORTS INJURIES?
Stretching – There are always two types of stretching: one is static ( resting stretch ) and another one is dynamic ( engaging the muscles ).
Hydration – Drinking enough water is very beneficial because it keeps the body hydrated and boosts energy.
Healthy diet – Food is very important in an athlete‘s daily routine so maintaining a healthy diet keeps your body healthy.
Sleep – eight hours of sleep will help a body to recover and help achieve its peak performance.
Cool down – So cool down is important to perform.
Wear safety Kits – Getting yourself in safety Kits helps to protect your body while you are playing.
WHAT IS REHABILITATION FOR SPORTS INJURIES?
Rice – Rest the injured part of the body, ice the affected area to reduce inflammation and pain, and compression which can include strapping or taping to reduce the damage of a swollen and elevation above the heart causes gravity and sends fluid back towards the body’s core.
Massage – Massage consists of a series of techniques that manipulate the soft tissue of our body, the benefits of massage include relaxation, reduce muscular pain, stimulation of lymphatic flow, reduce stress and tension, increase mobility and flexibility, and aiding soft tissue recovery.
Stretching – Static stretching is the process of passively taking a muscle to the point of tension and then holding that stretch for a specific period of time and dynamic stretching is an active extension of a muscle using force production and momentum to move a joint with a full available range of motion itself.
Ice baths or cryotherapy- Ice baths or cryotherapy is the process of total body immersion into cold water shortly after exercise in an attempt to enhance the recovery process.