Common Sports Injuries and How to Treat Them

It is a beautiful sunny day outside, and you decide that you want to go to the park to play soccer. All is going well until you suddenly take one wrong step. 

You feel a sharp pain. What just happened? Some common sports injuries can occur when you are exercising or playing sports for fun. 

These injuries can be relatively easy to recover from, but you have to start treatment right away.

Have you been suffering from a sports injury lately? Keep reading to learn about some of the most common sports injuries and how to treat them effectively.

The Most Common Sports Injuries 

When you hear the term sports injury, it is referring to an injury that is sustained during exercise or a sport.

A sports injury most likely refers to an injury to your muscles, tissues, or bones. Any other injury is typically more severe and not caused during exercise. 

Here are some of the most common injuries and how you can treat them right away at home. 

Shin Splints 

If you have shin splints, you will be experiencing pain that is shooting down the front of your leg. Shin splints are seen a lot in runners or someone who intensifies their workouts quickly. 

A mild case of shin splints requires icing, stretching, and rest. You can also help the shin splints by having shoes that are very padded and can cushion any impact. 

Shin splints can mean that there are stress fractures in your bone. This is a more serious case, so if the problem continues to persist, it is time to go see a doctor. 

Hamstring Strain 

Overworking or overstretching the hamstring can cause the muscles to strain. You will feel pain and may even see bruising. 

Three muscles make up the hamstring and are located directly behind the knee. Because of where the injury is located, even walking can make the injury worse and prolong the healing process.

It is important to rest your leg if the hamstring gets strained. While you are resting, your leg should stay elevated. Add ice to decrease any swelling. 

You can also try wrapping something around the hamstring to compress it. 

Calf Tear 

If you are changing directions quickly, running a lot, or pushing off of something, you might be prone to tearing your calf. 

In around a week or two, the injury will most likely be healed if the proper attention to rehabilitation is given. To make a full recovery, you should make sure that you rest and protect the calf from further injury. 

Also, add ice and compression to the leg. Elevation takes the swelling down and will decrease the healing time. 

Tennis Elbow 

Tennis elbow is an injury to the tendons of your elbow. The tendons degenerate after repeated use, like repetitive strokes of a tennis racket. 

This injury can also occur in avid golf players. However, when you swing the golf club, it affects the epicondyle. So, the inside of the elbow hurts rather than the outside. 

Typically, these injuries do not start arising until you are anywhere from 30 to 60 years old. 

The best way to treat tennis or golf elbow is to ice and rest the injury. Taking anti-inflammatory medication can help to speed up the recovery time. Physical therapy can also help something like tennis or golf elbow.

There may be a weakness in the muscles or tightness that causes even more stress on the elbow. Going to physical therapy can help you determine the underlying cause and strengthen your body so this injury does not occur again. 

Knee Injuries 

Did you know that 55% of injuries that occur happen in the knee area? If the knee cap grinds against the leg bone, the movement damages the kneecap's tissue. That is what causes you pain. 

Sports like tennis, baseball, basketball, and volleyball are most commonly the culprit. 

Make sure that you do not continue to be active with this type of injury. It can end up causing permanent knee damage. 

Stop all activity, and try to reduce the pain and swelling with ice. Apply for 15 minutes every few hours or so. Also, bandage the knee to keep the knee cap from moving around too much. 

Tearing the ACL 

ACL stands for anterior cruciate ligament. It connects your thigh to your shinbone right at your knee. Sudden movements or changes of direction can cause this injury. 

Sports, like football, skiing, hockey, or netball, all have components that can cause an ACL tear. 

When the ACL gets torn, you hear a loud pop followed by intense pain. Put ice on the injury to prevent more swelling, and then seek medical treatment right away. This is not an injury that can be treated at home.

A medical professional needs to diagnose the damage that has occurred. Depending on the severity of the injury, surgery may be required. 

Take Away the Pain

There are a lot of common sports injuries that you can take care of and heal relatively easily. Shin splints and hamstring strains are very common and just need some rest and ice to feel better. 

Some injuries need a doctor's touch.  But being in pain is never something that you should endure. If one of these common injuries continues to bother you, it is time to see a doctor. 

If you have been experiencing a sports-related injury, come into our office and let us help you feel better today!