Anyone who participates in sports, whether professionally or just for leisure, runs the risk of getting hurt. It’s critical to familiarize yourself with some of the most prevalent sports injuries so you can recognize any problems while you are on the field. The sooner you seek medical care, the more probable it is that you will recover fully.
According to a study released in 2020 males in 15-24 year age group were shown to have the highest rate of hospitalization for sporting injuries. The most common type of injury requiring hospitalization was fractures, which is not unusual when you consider the high representation of the demographic participating in contact sports. Fractures are also the number one cause of injury requiring hospitalization in females. Other injuries can lead to a hospital visit, most notably concussion where a full medical assessment is highly recommended.
This is the more extreme end of the injury scale, and most will be lucky enough to not have to face these injury challenges. Less easy to avoid are strains, sprains and tears. Whilst painful they generally don’t require queuing up for hours in your local emergency department. With prompt initial treatment and if needed, guidance by a physiotherapist through your recovery you can be back doing what you love in the quickest time possible. You might even learn some new tips to strengthen the injury site and prevent further incidents. Check out our list of more common sporting injuries below.
Hamstring Strain
If you’ve had one, you know about it when it happens! That little bit of over exertion, putting the foot down, looking for that extra yard of pace when running then bang, there goes your hammy. This injury can vary in severity from a mild strain to a full-blown tear. Initial treatment should always be the PEACE (Protection, elevation, avoid anti-inflammatories, compression, and education) and LOVE (load, optimism, vascularization, exercise) method. Because the injury is related to activity, try to limit walking as this will only inflame the affected areas. Painkillers may help with managing the pain of a hamstring injury but not always. As you recover you should ease back into work with low impact exercise like gentle stretching or walking. Consult a physiotherapist to discover what exercises are best for aiding recovery and helping strengthen your body to lessen the chances of re-occurrence. As far as prevention, maintaining fitness and proper stretching techniques are your best bet.
Groin Pull
The primary muscles on the inside of the thigh where it meets the pelvis are known as adductors. When they are stretched or torn beyond their regular range of motion you end up with a groin pull. You are more likely to experience this if your sport requires sudden stops or turns so you’re particularly vulnerable if you participate in any of the football codes, netball and basketball. Pain and tenderness in the groin region and the inside of the thigh are the typical symptoms to look out for. As with hamstring injuries, the sooner you use the PEACE and LOVE method the better your chances are for a speedy recovery. To ensure a full recovery, consult your physiotherapist.
Knee Injuries
There’s a lot going on inside your knees. Bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles. So, it stands to reason that there is also an awful lot that can go wrong with your knees. Serious injuries like a tear to the anterior cruciate ligament can take months to recover from and in some cases end your participation in a sport altogether. The network of ligaments is the most common source of knee injuries. Depending on the kind of blow or hyperextension causing the injury your posterior or collateral ligaments can be damaged. Meniscal tears can be triggered by sidestepping or even getting out of a chair the wrong way. Over time, the condition of your knees naturally deteriorates opening the possibility of tendon tears. Fractures and dislocations complete the list of possible injuries. Naturally, its dependent on your sport just how likely one of these injuries might befall you. As far as prevention goes, exercises that focuses on strengthening around your knee can help prevent serious injury and are used extensively in recovery to try and prevent further issues. Post injury it is crucial, whether you plan to return to competition or not, to consult with a physiotherapist and implement a recovery program to help you back to a full range of movement in a safe manner. Prompt treatment might just save you the pain and inconvenience of a knee replacement later in life.
Transcend Health can help you recover from your sports injury
If you’ve been unfortunate enough to succumb to a sports injury, the team at Transcend Health are here to help you get back up and running. Strains, pulls, musculoskeletal issues and even fracture recovery are all within their scope of expertise. Further to that, they work just as hard on the prevention side of the game with exercise programs crafted specifically to your fitness goals or delivered in a group setting to help you reach a higher level of performance and maintain it.
Contact Transcend Health today and take the first step in your recovery or improvement. Call 02 4961 3399 to discuss your needs and goals and how to achieve them. Alternately you can email them at hello@transcendhealth.com.au, use their online contact form here or drop in to chat to the team at 1/58 Broadmeadow Road, Broadmeadow. The longer you wait, the longer you’ll wait to be back in action!