Sports injuries are common complications in athletes that can occur in the whole body, including bones, tendons, muscles, ligaments and other body structures.
In most cases, minor injuries can be treated with home remedies, including rest, elevating the injured area, applying ice, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
However, some injuries require specialized examination and treatment by a pain specialist which we will explain below.
Examples of common sports injuries
Sports injuries may occur following an impact, use of inappropriate equipment, failure to perform proper exercises, failure to perform stretching exercises, etc. Complications such as muscle strains, sprains, joint dislocations, torn ligaments and tendons, head injuries, and bone fractures are very common.
Although joints are vulnerable to sports injuries, but during sports activities there is a possibility of injury in any part of the body.
### head injury
Concussion is one of the most common sports injuries.... This condition occurs after a blow to the head or strong shaking.... Repeated blows also cause problems with long-term memory and executive function.... If you suspect such a condition, seek treatment immediately.
Shoulder
Inflammation or tear of the rotator cuff is one of the most common problems in the shoulder.. However, other complications such as frozen shoulder or torn labrum can cause symptoms similar to these injuries.. ### elbow
Elbow problems such as lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow and medial epicondylitis are the most common problems related to elbow joint sports.. ### wrist
Wrist fracture is one of the most common fractures in athletes.. For example, hitting the ground and dragging your hand on the ground sometimes leads to a broken wrist that needs treatment.
### finger
Usually sports injuries such as dislocation of finger joints and swelling of fingers are observed especially in ball sports such as basketball and football.
thigh and groin
Many hip joint problems such as femoral impingement, FAI, lip tears caused by groin strain injuries are among the most common sports injuries.
### Spine
Back muscle strain is one of the most common spine injuries in athletes and even non-athletes.. In this category of people, deep and severe pain is often felt.
### Ran
In various sports, there is a possibility of stretching, tearing, and stretching in the quadriceps, hamstrings, and adductor muscles....
The hamstrings and quadriceps are usually at risk of injury, especially in high-speed activities such as athletics, basketball, and football. Such injuries occur when the muscle is overstretched and the muscle fibers are torn.
### Knee
Anterior knee pain or femoral patellofemoral pain syndrome is the irritation of the cartilage in the lower part of the kneecap, which leads to pain and wear around it. Usually, therapeutic exercises can be effective in solving this problem.
### Ankle
Sprain is one of the most common injuries of the ankle joint.... When such a sprain occurs, there is a possibility of repeated injuries.... Post-injury rehabilitation can prevent re-injury of the ankle joint.
### feet
The plantar fascia involves irritation of the thick, hard tissue that leads to the arch of the foot... this plantar fascia tissue can contract and cause painful conditions.
The cause of sports injuries
Sports injuries are divided into two categories, acute and chronic, and can occur following direct impact or excessive activity.
An acute injury occurs following an incident that results in significant symptoms.... For example, things like falling, being tackled, or being hit lead to an acute injury.
Despite the fact that such an injury is a part of sports, some people can avoid sports injuries to a large extent by having the right equipment and playing in safe conditions.
Chronic injury occurs in people over a long period of time...
Sometimes it starts as an acute injury and doesn't fully heal, or it may be caused by excessive activity or an inappropriate form of activity.
Many athletes play with pain that leads to chronic injuries.... Such pain varies from person to person.... Some common symptoms of chronic pain are as follows:
- mild pain
- Throbbing pain
- feeling of stiffness
- Burn
- deadly pain
- and…
Living with chronic pain can affect different parts of your body.. Such conditions affect your sleep, mood, appetite and energy levels.
Investigating the causes of sports injuries
Sports injuries are divided into two categories, acute and chronic.... These injuries can be due to direct impact, force or excessive use of that member.... We will examine each of them below:
An acute injury occurs following an incident that can result in significant symptoms. For example, things like being tackled, hitting a player, being thrown from a height, etc... will result in an acute injury.
Despite the fact that the mentioned cases are a part of sports, but in most cases, such cases can be avoided by having the right equipment in any sport.
For example, when you want to play soccer on wet grass or other unfavorable field conditions, the possibility of slipping increases.
Chronic injury occurs over a long period of time.. It may start as an acute injury and not fully heal.. Such an injury occurs due to overuse.
Many players continue to play despite the pain they have, this situation causes chronic injuries.
therapeutic solutions
The treatment period depends on the location and severity of the injury.... The primary treatment that is considered for all patients is to control the inflammation and also to increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
Usually, the RICE treatment method is considered as an immediate treatment for patients, which is as follows:
### Give your feet a rest
No pressure should be applied to the affected part of the body, in fact you should not exercise.
### Using ice
Ice or a cold compress helps to reduce swelling and inflammation and is also effective in relieving pain... ### Closure the affected area
Compression with a bandage on the affected area...but not so tight that it works effectively...too tight contractions will worsen symptoms and other problems.
### Raise the affected area
For example, if you have a leg injury, elevating it will help reduce swelling and relieve pain.
In the next step, the doctor will examine your condition and, if necessary, refer you to other specialists... The treatment solutions that are usually considered for sports injuries are as follows:
- Immobilization of the affected area using a splint, brace or brace
- prescribing medicine for pain relief
- Physiotherapy
- injection of medicine to relieve pain, including cortisone injection
- Surgery
When should you see a doctor?
Sports injuries are one of the common problems of athletes that do not always need to see a doctor.... In the initial stage, it is recommended to solve your problem with home methods, only if there is no improvement, go to the relevant specialist doctor for treatment.
Some symptoms indicate that you should be examined and treated by a specialist:
- Difficulty using the affected area (walking, lifting, etc.)
- Difficulty feeling when putting weight on the body
- Limited joint movement
- Change the shape of the damaged area
- Symptoms of infection (sweating, fever and chills)
- bleeding or damage to the skin
- Headache, loss of consciousness following a blow to the head and dizziness