Sports Injury

Introduction

In the past, sports injuries were mostly limited to professional athletes and young people participating in school sports programs. However more and more people of all ages are regularly participating in sports and exercise activities. No matter what activity, whether it is rugby, basketball, running,
aerobics, or weight training, there is always the risk of injury. These injuries can be broken down into two basic types, one from trauma such as a slip, fall or collision and the other being of the over-use or repetitive stress variety.

Traumatic Injuries

These injuries can cause the debilitating type of problems often associated with trauma. Typically, the ligaments are injured in this type of trauma, though fractures and dislocations may also occur in contact sports. A strain is any injury to either a muscle or its tendon and a sprain to ligaments. The most common areas for these types of injuries are the ankles, knees, and the shoulders, though other areas can be affected including the low back and neck. Of course, injuries to the neck and low back can be quite serious as the spinal cord or spinal nerves can also be involved.

The following is an acronym for the post-injury management of sprains and strains especially if no professional help is available: PRICE

P -Protect the injury from further damage
R -Rest the injury
I - Ice the injury to reduce swelling, bleeding, muscle spasm and pain
C -Compress the injury with a specialized support or elastic bandage to support the injured tissues
E - Elevate the injury if necessary when dealing with ankles and knees

Of course it is important to get the injury properly assessed by a health care professional to know the extent of damage. Though most of these injuries are able to heal, it is important to seek proper care during the healing process. If not managed carefully, some sprains and strains can leave us with long lasting problems of joint instability, painful or weak joints and muscles, and lack of mobility. Our office is specially trained in the sports injury management. We can give you the proper advice and treatment to insure that your injury will heal in the best possible way.

Overuse or Repetitive Strain Injuries

Repetitive stress injuries are becoming more common, especially among people pursuing sports such as golf, tennis, bowling or any other activity that are requires one to do the same activity over and over. Even running on a treadmill can cause such problems.

These conditions occur when we are involved in a repetitive activity that causes a very slight strain to tendons and muscles that alone would not cause a problem but done many times has an accumulative affect. After some time the muscle or other affected tissue develops changes that no longer allow it to function properly resulting in pain, stiffness and disability. There are two types of factors that predispose one to these types of problems one being:

Intrinsic or found within one's own body.
Extrinsic or external factors that can often be changed or controlled by the individual.

Common Intrinsic factors of Injury:

Age - the older we are the easier it is to get injured
Congenital abnormalities - some people are born joint or muscle problems
Previous injuries - previously injured joints or muscles often lack proper function

Common Extrinsic factors of Injury:

Equipment - improper grip size of tennis racquet, worn out running shoes
Playing surface - playing soccer on hard surfaces, uneven treadmill
Improper technique - improper golf grip or swing
Poor conditioning - doing activity when out of shape
Lack of warm-up - not stretching or preparing for activity
Increased frequency or duration - not building up slowly
Flexibility - too stiff to do activity correctly
Stress - being tired or stressed can cause number 3 or 7

Clearly, there are more factors that are extrinsic and within our control. However, most of us need assessment by a qualified health professional to determine the nature of the injury, as well as the solution to the problem. Left untreated, these injuries can greatly affect one’s life and limit activity. Besides eliminating the cause, treatment is often required to stabilize the condition. The treatment might include joint manipulation, myo-therapy, physical therapeutics, bracing
and specific exercises. Do discuss your sports related problem with one of our doctors. Please call our office to set up a convenient time.