Sports activities are significant to an individual’s well-being as numerous diseases like obesity and high blood pressure are associated with physical inactivity. Unfortunately, athletes are conceivable to encounter a sports injury at some point. These damages can cause pain and inflammation, making it complex to continue participating. Providentially, Colorado springs sports medicine has helped athletes deal with these injuries and continue engaging in their favorite activities. Athletes should have insights into common sports injuries they are vulnerable to and how they can handle them. The following are five common sports injuries that sports medicine can address.
Strains and Sprains
Strained muscles and sprained ligaments are common sports injuries because they can occur in almost all athletic activities. Strains happen when you pull a muscle. Alternatively, Sprains mainly occur from excessive stretching of a ligament or tearing it. Usually, when an unexpected movement pulls the tendon much more than normal, it causes a stretch causing pain and inflammation. These conditions can prevent an athlete from partaking in athletic activities, but sports medicine can offer medication and therapy to alleviate these symptoms.
Concussion
Concussion mainly occurs when an unexpected impact on the head occurs, causing the brain to lurch inside the skull. Many cases of concussion are common in high-contact sports such as rugby, soccer, and basketball. Sometimes the condition may range from mild to severe, with symptoms such as temporary loss of consciousness, headache, sleepiness, and dizziness. It is advisable to seek early treatment if these symptoms persist. However, the most productive way to minimize the risk of concussion is wearing protective headgear when engaging in high-contact sports.
Fractures
Fractures refer to a broken bone mainly resulting from a traumatic injury such as a collision. In most cases, they are popular in high-contact sports like football. Fortunately, it is easy to detect a broken bone since the early signs are serious and painful. A visit to your sports medicine specialist allows them to conduct an X-ray to identify the severity and extent of your fracture. The treatment for fractures varies depending on the location and extent of the fracture.
Back Pain or Back Injuries
The back and spinal column are prone to stress in all sports. With time, the stress can accumulate, causing inflammation near the back muscles and vertebrae. As a result, it contributes to disc injuries and often causes upper and lower back pain. In some cases, back treatment can vary depending on the scope of the condition. Some common treatments include physical therapy, rest, and surgery. However, you can reduce the risk of this condition by ensuring your muscles are strong and flexible with low-impact activities.
Shin Splints
In most cases, shin splints are typical among runners, particularly when running on hard surfaces. This injury causes pain in your lower leg, mainly the outer area where you see your bone’s shape. Sometimes the damage can recover independently with home remedies, such as rest, ice, and nonprescription medications. However, if the pain persists even with these remedies, you should talk to your sports medicine specialist for extensive evaluation.
Training properly and warming up before partaking in any activity is an acceptable method to prevent injuries. Also, wearing protective equipment like headgear is vital in reducing the risks of these injuries, mainly concussions. However, sometimes these injuries are inevitable, and the best thing you can do is to quit completely, but these activities are essential to your health. Therefore, you should invest in sports medicine specialists for early treatments. Although over-the-counter medications may be effective, they are only short-term, but a doctor’s appointment allows you to receive the right and long-term treatment.
