Sports injuries are different from regular injuries and mainly affect an athlete. Sports injuries happen while participating in sports, training and or exercises. Overtraining, lack of conditioning, and inappropriate technique of performing a certain task leads to sport injuries. Neglecting to warm up prior to exercising or playing any physical sports also increases the risk of injuries. Although, sports injuries are mainly found in athletes involved with any form of physical sports, there are another species of athletes – the weekend athletes (engaging in sports only during weekend). This kind of “athletes” are actually more prone to such injuries, owing to their sedentary work week and the sudden weekend physical exploits that are bound to take its toll on their bodies.
Sports injuries are different from regular injuries, as athletes put their body under a lot of pressure, which sometimes leads to wear and tear in the muscles, joints and bones. Sports injuries treatment is better dealt with the help of sports physiotherapy, which is the particular branch of physiotherapy which manages injuries and physical issues associated with athletes. Sports physiotherapist helps the athletes in making recovery and also provides some education on the prevention of further injuries. Sports physiotherapists have sports specific knowledge and as such are better apt in helping the athletes make rapid recovery
Muscle strain, muscle pull or muscle tear is one of the most common sports injuries, that often takes place when a muscle is damaged due to overstretching and/or over activity. Undue pressure on the muscles during the course of normal activities, sudden heavy weight lifting, during sports activities, performing work in awkward angles can be some the most common causes. Muscle strains mainly affect the quadriceps, calves, quadriceps, groin, lower back, neck and the shoulder. Most common symptoms might be pain at rest, swelling, redness, bruising, pain in muscle specific movements, weakness, inability to move the muscle etc. This form of injury can be treated with some rest, ice compression and sports physiotherapy. At Bounce Back, we bring forth highly skilled and experienced sports physiotherapists who offer world class therapy sessions for fast recovery.
Ligaments are bands of tough, flexible tissue made up of individual fibres which connect the bones/joints together. The function of the ligament is to provide stability to the joint by passively limiting the movement between the bones. Ligament injuries in athletes are common and can occur at any joint. The ankle and knee ligaments are the most vulnerable and may be sport specific. Ligament gets strained when the joint is stressed beyond its normal range during sports activities which include jumping, twisting or landing awkwardly.
ACL or anterior cruciate ligament helps in keeping the knee joints together and brings stability. A torn ACL is extremely painful and buckling of the knee restricts the ability to walk. The injury takes place from a direct shot to the knees from behind, or from incorrect landing and or stopping and changing direction quickly. A complete ACL tear requires surgical manoeuvre followed by sports physiotherapy sessions.
It is another form of knee injury, which takes place when the medial collateral ligament that connects the femur to the tibia is injured. The ligament is located on the inner side of the knee. It is caused when the knees are pushed sideways. This form of knee injury can be treated with help of ice compression, braces and sports physical therapy sessions under the watchful eyes of a sports physiotherapist .
Ankle sprains take place when the ligament that supports the joint gets overstretched due to incorrect stepping or stepping on an uneven surface or due to twists and rolls. Usually ankle strains heal with RICE – rest, ice, compression and elevation. Rigid taping/ Kinesiology taping and dry needling can also help with faster recovery of the ankle sprain. But, more severe form of the injury needs brace or cast for few weeks to help in the healing process.
It affects the insides of the lower leg or shin area and is an overuse injury and also a common injury found among runners. Athletes having flat feet are more susceptible to this form of injury. Poor warm up/cool down regimes also lead to shin splints.
Stress fractures are also a form of overuse injury. It takes place when the muscles are no longer able to absorb the pressure, thus resulting in a fracture. Stress fractures usually effects the lower legs and feet.
Plantar Fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia ligament that connects the heel to the front of the foot. Wrong foot alignments put too much strain and stress on the plantar fascia leading to this form of injury. Tight calf muscles can further add to the injury. Main symptom of plantar fasciitis in heel pain on waking up which subsides after taking the first few steps. Plantar fascia is usually treated with rest, ice, stretching exercises and changing shoes (if the shoes are worn out). Clinical Gait analysis with a certified practitioner can help in identifying the foot type; thus helping in getting a permanent solution by getting the corrective slippers and CUSTOMIZED INSOLES. However in very severe cases cortisone injections and surgery might be needed.
Tennis elbow is also an overuse injury that affects the tendons located on the outside of the elbows. Racket players, cricketers and housewives are more prone to this type of injury. Poor warm up/cool down routines can also cause this injury. The main symptoms are pain on the outer side of the elbow joint, difficulty in gripping and lifting objects. Rest, ice compression and anti – inflammatory medicine usually help in the healing process. A physiotherapist can do dry needling, kinesiology taping and manual therapy techniques, which are the most effective methods of treatment.
Achilles tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendon just above the heel. Physical activity worsens the pain and is usually treated with some rest, ice, stretching and anti – inflammatory medicine, followed by sports physical therapy. In severe cases, heel raise may be given in the footwear to relive the pressure from the tendon. Besides the above mentioned sports injuries there are still several injuries that have not been discussed like Concussion, Lower back injury, Runner’s Knee and Hip Bursitis among others. More or less sport injuries treatment involves sports physiotherapy along with proper medication to bring relief to the athletes. In fact physiotherapy in sports injury has proven to be quite useful in the rapid recovery of the athletes and is one of the most trusted forms of treatment.