What is Sports Injury?

Sports injuries can occur anytime during exercise or while participating in sport. Children are at higher risks for these types of injuries but adults are at risk too. An individual is at risk if he/she:

• Not regularly active
• Didn’t warm up properly before exercise
• Plays contact sports 

What are the different types of Sports Injury?

Different types of sports injuries have different symptoms and complications and the most common types are:

• Sprains - tearing or overstretching of the ligaments results in sprains.
• Strains -  tearing or overstretching of the tendons results in strains.
• Knee Injuries - any kind of injury affecting the knee joint movement due to sports. It could be a minor overstretch to tear in the muscles and tissues of the knee.
• Swollen muscles - swelling is a natural process to an injury.
• Achilles tendon rupture - this tendon is a thin powerful tendon at the back of an ankle.
• Fractures - broken bones are known as a bone fracture.
• Dislocation - dislocation of bones in an individual’s body while in sports.
• Rotator cuff injury - the rotator cuff keeps the shoulder moving in all directions and any tear in these muscles can weaken the rotator cuff. 

What is the treatment regimen for Sports Injury?

The common treatment method regimen for sports injury is RICE and it stands for:

• Rest 
• Ice
• Compression
• Elevation

Other than the RICE method, over-the-counter and prescription medications that provide relief are available to treat a sports injury.

When should an individual seek medical attention for a sports injury?

If the injury looks and feels severe then emergency care should be sought. Few severe symptoms are:

• Swelling and pain that does not subside
• Visible lumps and bumps
• Visible deformity
• Popping and crunching when joint is moved
• Unable to bear weight on joints
• Instability

One should seek medical attention when the following symptoms are experienced with the sports injury:

• Breathing difficulty
• Dizziness
• Fever 

How is Sports Injury prevented?

Following are the ways to prevent a sports injury:

• Warmup and stretch properly
• Use proper technique
• Have proper equipment
• Do not work through the pain and overdo it
• Cool down after activity
• Resume the activities slowly

Who is at higher risk for Sports Injury?

Few factors that contribute to a higher risk for sports injury are:

• Childhood - due to the active nature of the children they are at higher risk for a sports injury.
• Age - as an individual grows old, they are more likely to experience an injury.
• Lack of care - sometimes, sports injury starts with minor pain but due to lack of care results in severe injury.
• Obesity  - extra weight on the body causes unnecessary stress on the joints of hips, knees, ankles, etc hence increases the risk of sports injury.