Sports injuries are common and can occur throughout your body to bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and other structures. You can treat many minor injuries at home with rest, ice, compression, elevation and over-the-counter pain medications. But some injuries require medical treatment, such as immobilization, physical therapy and surgery.
Sports injuries can happen to anyone, particularly people who :
- Are out of shape.
- Don’t wear proper protective equipment.
- Exercise without warming up and cooling down.
- Participate in contact sports that may involve tackling or collisions.
- Take part in activities that involve jumping, running and pivoting or changing direction quickly.
Sports injuries can affect any part of your body. They most often affect :
- Achilles tendon : The Achilles tendon is a thick cord that connects the back of your lower leg (calf) to your heel. It helps you walk. But the tendon can become swollen, inflamed and stiff. It can even tear. This is called Achilles tendinitis or Achilles tendon rupture.
- Ankle : Your leg and foot join together at your ankle. It contains three joints, as well as several bones, cartilage, ligaments, muscles and tendons. Ankle pain is often caused by a sprained ankle.
- Elbow : Your elbow is the joint that acts as a hinge between your upper and lower arm. People often experience pain in their elbow from repeat motions and overuse (for example, tennis elbow and Little League elbow).
- Head : Your head includes your face, skull and brain. One of the most common head injuries is concussion.
- Knee : Your knee is a complex joint that acts as a hinge between your thigh and lower leg. It contains bones, cartilage, ligaments and tendons. Knee pain can be caused by jumper’s knee or runner’s knee. Other common injuries include meniscus tear and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.
- Shoulder : Your shoulder connects your upper arm to the trunk of your body. It contains your rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons that keep the upper arm in your shoulder socket. Rotator cuff tendinitis and rotator cuff tears are common sports injuries.
Here are many types of sports injuries. Some of the most common are :
- Broken bone: A broken bone (bone fracture) can happen when sudden force is applied to a bone.
- Cartilage tear : Cartilage is a tough but flexible shock absorber that covers and protects the ends of some bones. Cartilage injuries can occur in joints such as your knee and shoulder.
- Concussion : A concussion is a brain injury caused by a bump or blow to your head.
- Dislocation : Dislocation occurs when the end of a bone moves out of its normal position in a joint. For example, if your shoulder pops out of its socket, it’s dislocated.
- Tendinitis : Tendinitis occurs when your tissues that connect muscles to bones (tendons) become swollen and inflamed. It’s caused by repetitive movements over time. An example is jumper’s knee (patellar tendonitis).
- Sprains : A sprain happens when a ligament stretches too much or tears. Ligaments connect bones and stabilize joints. These injuries can be mild or severe, and they’re common in your ankle, knee and wrist.
- Strains : A strain occurs when you overextend a muscle and it stretches or tears. Examples include hamstring strain, back strain and abdominal strain.
Treatment for sports injuries varies widely, depending on the type and severity. Many sports injuries heal in a few days or weeks with rest and at-home strategies.
But for more serious injuries, treatment may involve :
- Immobilization with a cast, splint, sling, walking boot or other medical device.
- Injections to reduce swelling and pain.
- Prescription anti-inflammatory medications.
- Surgery to correct fractures or repair ligament, tendon or cartilage tears.
- Physical therapy (also called rehabilitation or rehab) to heal and strengthen injured body parts.
Benefits of Physical Therapy for a Sports Injury
The benefits of physical therapy :
- Relieves Or Eliminates Pain: With the guidance of your physical therapist, you can strengthen and stabilize muscles, joints, and connective tissue to increase your mobility and eliminate your pain.
- Individualized Approach: A physical therapist will create an individualized plan according to your specific injury and physical needs that make you susceptible to the injury you have suffered.
- Non-Invasive Treatment: Physical therapy can often help avoid surgery by reestablishing flexibility and mobility and reducing pain and discomfort while targeting areas of weakness. PT leaves you healthier and stronger than before your injury and also helps you reduce your risks of future injuries.
- Increases Strength and Endurance:With customized exercise plans, athletes can improve their performance while gaining strength in areas they weren’t aware there was a weakness. Exercise regimens can include cardio workouts to increase endurance and breathing patterns returning you to your game better than ever.
- Faster Recovery:Seeking a quicker recovery time is one of the main reasons athletes pursue physical therapy after their sports injury. What you put into your physical therapy is what you will get out of it. Attending every PT session and consistently doing your home exercises will ensure the best and fastest recovery.
- Improves Long-Term Health:By strengthening your muscles and joints, physical therapy can improve your long-term health. Learning new and better body mechanics can help prevent joint pain, arthritis, and osteoporosis.