Treating Sports Injuries

What Are Sports Injuries?

Injuries are a part of any sporting event. One may suffer a fall, collision, heavy blow, or crush injury anytime. Certain body parts like bones, joints, muscles, tendons (attachment between a bone and muscle), or ligaments (attachment between two bones) are more prone to injury in sports. At the time of injury, one may suffer pain, bruising, swelling, stiffness, and inability to move the injured body part. Some injuries may have a more serious impact causing loss of consciousness and massive bleeding. Depending upon the severity of symptoms, one should take appropriate medical care to attain fast recovery.

What Are the Commonly Encountered Sports Injuries?

1. Sprains and Strains - They are the most common types of injury. A sprain is caused by stretching, twisting, or tearing of ligaments. A muscle strain happens when the muscle is pulled beyond a certain level. Both could cause pain, swelling, and difficulty in moving the affected part.

2. Injuries to the Bone - Bones may suffer tiny cracks due to repeated stress and moderate to severe fractures with or without bleeding from the injured area. There could be pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the affected part.

3. Back Pain -This is very common in sports activities. One may feel stiffness, soreness, and difficulty moving around. Not warming up properly before starting the activity can be a reason. There could be a number of causes of back pain, ranging from simple muscle sprain to disk bulge, prolapsed intervertebral disk to lysis, and listhesis. Proper assessment is hence necessary, and back injuries should not be taken lightly.

4. Hamstring Injuries - Muscles and tendons at the back of the thighs suffer sudden injuries. There could be swelling, pain, stiffness, and bruising.

5. Heel Pain - This may be due to popping a tendon in the back of the heel (Achilles tendon) or inflammation of tissues under the sole (plantar fasciitis). Both are very painful conditions and could require medical attention.

6. Swollen Joints - These are due to bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs called bursa in the joints) or tendonitis (inflamed tendons) at the knee, hips, elbow, shoulder, wrist, or other joints.

7. Knee Pain - This may be due to sprain, strain, or inflamed tendons at the knee joint. Sometimes the ligaments at the knee may tear to affect one’s mobility.

8. Shoulder Pain -This is often caused due to inflammation or tears in the tendons of the shoulder (rotator cuff). The shoulder may get dislocated as well, causing pain and stiffness.

9. Head Injuries - Can range from mild bumps and bruises to serious concussions and internal bleeding. If one falls unconscious, suffers a seizure, or shows changes in behavior, it may be a medical emergency requiring immediate hospitalization.

10. Skin Wounds - Can be mild abrasions to big lacerations that may require stitches. One should take care to prevent the wound from getting infected.

What Are the Treatment Strategies for Mild Sports Injuries?

For mild injuries like sprains and strains, the doctors recommend home treatment and regular monitoring. One may adopt the ‘PRICE’ therapy for a few days to attain recovery. It involves the following steps:

• Protection - Support and protect the area from further injury using braces, splints, or padding.

• Rest - Restrict the activities involving the injured part so that it gets time to heal naturally. For a leg injury, one can avoid additional stress by using a cane or crutches while walking. For a wrist, hand, or shoulder injury, one may wear a sling.

• Ice Application - Repeated application of cold packs in the affected area helps reduce inflammation and relieve symptoms like pain. Cold compression is a doctor-recommended remedy for injuries. One should make sure that the ice pack does not cause a freeze burn.

• Compression - Tight elastic compression bandages help with pain and swelling to an extent. They also restrict the movement of affected joints so that one can heal faster.

• Elevation - Doctors advise the injured person to keep the affected part lifted above chest level. So that one can reduce inflammatory fluid collection and swelling.

If the above strategies do not help with healing or the symptoms remain unchanged, doctors advise hospitalization or other medical interventions.

What Are the General Treatment Strategies for Various Sports Injuries?

Generally, the doctor treats the injury and its symptoms based on the type of injury one has suffered. Let us look at the mode of treatment doctors adopt for sports injuries:

1. Pain Control - Doctors prescribe pain-relieving drugs such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen to ease pain and inflammation in the area of injury. Applying creams, sprays, and lotions containing pain killers also help with symptoms. The pain control medications should be taken on the doctor's advice and should not be exploited.

2. Immobilization - Doctors may partially or completely restrict the movements of the injured part using casts, splints, or slings. This helps prevent further damage to the muscles, nerves, and bones in the affected area. It also helps reduce swelling, pain, and muscle spasm. For mild sprains and muscle pains, one may be allowed to remove the cast and gently move the affected joint.

3. Steroid Injections - For injuries with severe or persistent inflammatory symptoms, one may need corticosteroid injections to relieve the pain and swelling. Steroids suppress inflammation and alleviate the symptoms, though one may require repeated doses. Steroid injections should not be routinely taken as they may weaken the ligaments. Careful assessment and understanding of risks and benefits should be done before incorporating them, especially in sports persons.

4. Surgical Procedures - Severe injuries like a bad fracture, nerve damage, and bleeding may require surgical repair. The doctor may place plates, rods, screws, or wires to fix the broken bones and help with healing. Sometimes a displaced bone or nerve may be surgically relocated to its proper position. Torn ligaments in the knee or ankle may also need surgical repair.

5. Physiotherapy - For people who suffered major injuries, where the symptoms lasted for a long time and took a long time to heal, the doctor may suggest physiotherapy exercises. It involves special massages, body manipulation, and exercises to strengthen the muscles. Physiotherapy helps regain normal function and range of mobility in the affected area. It also prevents recurring injuries to certain body parts.

Conclusion:

Sports injuries may be mild to moderate, and the recovery period varies from person to person. One should take utmost care till reaching full recovery. Doctors recommend gentle movements and exercises to start with and gradually switch to strengthening exercises and stretches. Returning to the previous level of activity may take a while. The doctor or physiotherapist can advise one on the most suitable recovery programs for the best outcomes after injury.