Sports injuries are injuries that occur in exercising or in sporting activities. Whether you’re a highly trained athlete or an amateur, there is always a possibility that you could get debilitating pain and injuries from accidents, poor technique or overtraining. Athletic injuries are common in sports; here are some of the common athletic injuries:

Sprint Injuries

A strain is a chronic or an acute soft tissue injury; it occurs to a muscle or other soft tissues. In sprint events, muscle strains are common, especially calf strains, groin strains and hamstring strain. Sprinters always push the limits of speed plus they often train as close to the edge of injury as possible.

The risk of getting an injury can be lessened by proper warm-up. That includes strength and conditioning as well as dynamic stretching. Also, shin splints (shin pain) is a common complaint; it comes as a result of overuse, running on hard surfaces and running on toes the way sprinters do.

Throws

Throwing usually involve high stresses on the shoulder joint and lower back. In Javelin, rotator cuff injuries are known to be common due to the arm’s rapid deceleration after releasing the implement.

Low Back Pain

Back pain is common in the shot, Javelin and discus due to the combination of extension and twisting simultaneously. Muscle imbalances can end up building up and eventually Lumbar disc disease may occur. Conditioning and proper warming up can help to lessen the risk of getting an injury. Throwing several times using the wrong arm may help in preventing muscle imbalances.

Jumping injuries

Jumpers incur enormous forces through the knee and lower back when taking off. Patellar tendinitis (jumpers knee) is a common cause of pain to the inferior kneecap (patella) region. Groin strains, hamstrings as well as back injuries are common as well. Injury risk can be mitigated by properly warming up as well as conditioning to strengthen your muscles making sure you avoid muscle imbalances.

Long and Middle Distance Running

In long and middle distance running, overuse injuries of your feet and legs are the most common. Here are some examples.

Shin Splints

It’s also referred to as MTSS (medial tibial stress syndrome), and it’s defined as pain at the inner edge of your shin bone that causes your shins a lot of pain.

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis (Achilles tendinosis or Achilles tendinopathy) is an overuse injury that causes inflammation, pain or even Achilles tendon degeneration at the back of your ankle. This injury should be caught early or it will be hard to cure. However, with the correct treatment, particularly eccentric strengthening exercise, you can achieve a full recovery.

Other examples include the following:

• Plantar fasciitis
• Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome (Runners knee)
• Lower leg compartment syndrome

Options for Treatment

When you get an injury, use the Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, Diagnosis (RICED) method as soon as possible. It’s the treatment of choice the first 48 hours after you get an injury. Take it easy and rest, you should only move within the limit of your pain.

Use ice immediately, and for twenty minutes after every two hours, you should apply a frozen gel pack or ice wrapped in a towel that is damp. It helps to control pain and bleeding and decreases secondary tissue damage.

After this, you should bandage the injury firmly, which helps to control swelling. You should then elevate your injury to be higher than your heart level as much as you can to reduce swelling.

Sports and Spinal Physio

The physiotherapists at Turramurra Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy are trained to treat athletic injuries to ensure you return to your sport quickly and safely, reducing the chances of re-injury greatly.