Many people tend to play one sport or another. Whether it's simply tossing the ol' pigskin around or being involved in a vigorous game of pickup basketball, Americans love engaging with sports. Sports is a great way to let off a bit of steam, be engaged with camaraderie and gain an ample amount of exercise while you're at it. However, you should be careful whenever you're out on the court or running laps at the track, as you can fall victim to a sports-related injury. Throughout the course of this article, you'll learn of the 4 most common sports related injuries.
Sprains and Strains
Perhaps the single most common sports-related injury is the sprain or strain. If you are engaged in any sort of physical activity whatsoever, you run the risk of falling victim to a strain or sprain (even those engaged in low-impact activities and sports, such as ping pong or power walking). A sprain occurs when a ligament overstretches itself over the bone. The severity of a strain can vary greatly, as you can wind up with a distended muscle or a complete tear. A strain is slightly different. More commonly referred to as a "pulled muscle," a strain is when you simply overstretch a muscle a bit, and they tend to be much less severe than a sprain.
Knee Injuries
Each year, about 5,000,000 people visit an orthopedic physician due to knee injuries, and many of these visits are motivated due to a sports-related injury. There are a number of knee injuries that can occur due to physical activity that range from minor to severe. Among the types of minor injuries that one can incur include runner's knee (which is a tenderness or pain along the front of the knee cap) and tendonitis (which is inflammation across the entirety of the tendon). More severe forms of knee injuries also exist in the form of severe bruising, ripping, or breaking of the cartilage and ligaments of the knee.
Shin Splints
Shin splints are an occurrence that runners – especially new runners – know of all too well. Shin splints are a pain that occur along the tibia, or shin. The pain tends to manifest itself on the outside part of the lower leg, although this pain can be carried throughout the leg and is quite common in areas of the leg around the ankle and calf. Shin splints are essentially wear on tight muscles, which mean that they usually occur when someone has not properly stretched or warmed up and has decided to run on a hard, flat surface. Shin splints can be easily avoided by properly stretching before going on a vigorous run.
Fractures
Fractures, more commonly known as broken bones, should definitely be included in a list of the most common sports related injury. Fractures generally occur when a one-time injury, usually incurred due to blunt trauma, affects the bone, causing it to break ever so slightly. Whenever the break is not complete, it is simply referred to as an acute fracture. Most acute fractures require a cast of some sort, usually plaster, and upwards of 6 weeks of little to no use of the arm. After the bone has healed, the cast is removed and the patient or client will generally have to go through a few weeks of physical therapy in order to gain full strength and mobility in the bone and surrounding muscles.
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Share3 February 2016
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