Sports Injuries: 5 Ways to Prevent Sprains And Fractures During Intense Physical Activities

Sports Injuries: Sports and physical activity are essential for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but they can also lead to various injuries.

Sports Injuries: Exercise is vital for maintaining good health, but engaging in sports or other physical activity can lead to injuries. What is a sports injury? A sports injury is when you suffer physical harm from sports, exercise, or athletic endeavours. Everyone is susceptible to sports injuries, but they are more common in individuals who are overweight, exercise without warming up or cooling down, play contact sports that may involve tackling or collisions, or even engage in activities that require them to jump, run, pivot, or change direction quickly. India.com got in touch with Dr Manan Vora Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sports Medicine Expert to talk about common sports injuries and how to prevent them.

5 Common Sports Injuries You Know

1. Sprains And Strains: These injuries involve overstretching or tearing of ligaments (sprains) and muscles or tendons (strains). They are prevalent in sports that require sudden movements, like basketball or football.
2. Fractures: Broken bones often occur due to high-impact sports like football or rugby. These injuries can range from minor hairline fractures to more severe fractures.
3. Tennis/Golfer’s Elbow: This is a chronic overuse injury. Repetitive arm movements, as in tennis or golf, can lead to injuries like tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) or golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis).
4. Runner’s Knee: Also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome, this condition is common among runners and can cause knee pain due to improper tracking of the kneecap.
5. Achilles Tendinitis: Overuse of the Achilles tendon, common in activities like running, can result in inflammation and pain in the back of the heel.

How to Prevent The Risk of Sports Injuries?

1. Proper Warm-Up: Before engaging in sports or exercise, a thorough warm-up is crucial. It helps increase blood flow to the muscles, making them more pliable and less prone to injury.
2. Strength and Flexibility Training: Regular strength and flexibility exercises can help improve muscle and joint stability, reducing the risk of injury.
3. Appropriate Gear: Wearing the right gear, such as helmets, pads, or supportive footwear, is essential in preventing injuries. Make sure your equipment fits properly.
4. Technique and Form: Proper technique is vital in avoiding overuse injuries. Seek coaching or instruction to ensure you are using the correct form.
5. Rest and Recovery: Adequate rest between training sessions and games is essential for preventing overuse injuries. Listen to your body and allow it to recover.

7 Tips to Treat These Sports Injuries

1. PRICE Method: Protection, Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation are fundamental in treating many sports injuries. Protection of the affected limb, rest the injured area, apply ice, use compression bandages, and keep the injured area elevated to reduce swelling.
2. Physical Therapy: Many injuries benefit from physical therapy to strengthen and rehabilitate the affected area. A skilled therapist can create a tailored recovery plan.
3. Medication: In some cases, over-the-counter pain relievers or prescription medications may be prescribed to manage pain and inflammation.
4. Immobilization: Severe injuries, such as fractures, may require immobilization with casts or splints to promote proper healing.
5. Regenerative Therapies: Many injuries require a PRP injection to help regenerate the injured tissue and promote healing.
6. Surgery: For some injuries, surgical intervention is necessary. This could involve repairing torn ligaments or fixing fractures.
7. Rehabilitation: Once the acute phase of an injury is over, rehabilitation is crucial for a full recovery. Gradual return to physical activity is typically recommended