What Are Sports Injuries

Injuries that are sustained as a result of participating in sports training or sporting events are classified as sports injuries. Sports injuries can be the result of accidents or poor training,...

Injuries that are sustained as a result of participating in sports training or sporting events are classified as sports injuries. Sports injuries can be the result of accidents or poor training, improper equipment, not warming up or stretching before exercising, practicing or before a game.

Common sports injuries include muscle sprains and strains, ligament tears, dislocated joints, stress fractures and fractured or shattered bones including legs, arms and vertebrae. Fractures are a break or crack in the bone and are from a one-time injury or from repeated stress to the bone over time.

There are acute injuries and chronic injuries as well as overuse injuries in sports. Acute injuries are those that occur at the time of a trauma. Chronic injuries are long-term injuries and overuse injuries are repetitive injuries or injuries sustained when you push yourself too hard.

Common symptoms of sports injuries are redness at the site of injury, swelling of joints or tissue, bleeding, unconsciousness, headache, swelling, loss of function, loss of range of motion. Pain is a common to most injuries and should not be ignored or played through. Symptoms are the result of muscle, tissue or bone injury. Symptoms can be acute or occur after the injury has worsened. Symptoms such as swelling are the result of dead or damaged cells releasing chemicals which then irritate or inflamed the tissue surrounding the injury.

Acute injuries have the following symptoms sudden or acute pain, swelling, an inability to bear weight on a joint, or to stand or walk, tenderness of a limb or an inability to move a joint or to move it in the usual full range of motion. Weakness of a limb is also a symptom of injury as well as a visible dislocation or break where the limb is out of place.

Chronic injuries may be evidenced by pain when performing an activity, a dull ache that is persistent even at rest, and also swelling.

The typical treatment for most sports injuries is the R.I.C.E. treatment, which consists of rest, ice, compression and elevation.

You can treat most mild injuries at home by using the R.I.C.E. treatment, which is rest, ice, compress and elevate. Rest by reducing the regular amount of activity and by not bearing weight on the lower limbs, by using a cane or crutch so as not to bear weight, or to use the uninjured limb instead of the injured limb.

Ice, means to apply an ice pack for at least 20 minutes at a time and repeat as needed for pain and to reduce swelling.

Compression also reduces swelling and is done by using ACE wraps or elastic wraps, special boots, air casts, or splints.

Elevation is when you place the injured limb or joint up on pillows so that it is above the level of your heart. This also reduces swelling.

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