Common sports injuries to try and avoid
- Written by News Company
Anyone who has ever played sport at a competitive level will know that it can be very punishing on the body. Obviously different sports are more brutal in different parts of the body, but there are certain injuries and weak points that often seem to occur in any sport. Some of these injuries are very severe, often requiring surgery, and in many instances being so severe that they can end careers. Others fall more into the niggle category or repetitive use category. What aches and pains your sport may have visited onto your weary body, here are a few common issues commonly experienced across a range of sports.
Common failure point
For people who play active sports where there is an element of contact, the most frequent injury is too the knee. A specialist knee surgeon Melbourne said that sports like rugby, Australian rules football, squash, Ultimate Frisbee and soccer were all major contributors towards ACL injuries. The ACL is the anterior cruciate ligament and severe damage to this ligament is commonly associated with these sports. As is meniscus damage and various other knee-related matters.
The ankle
The only joint that is injured regularly in sport than the knee is the ankle. Typically, ankle injuries are less severe as they tend to be sprains rather than ligament damage or breaks. That is not to say that everybody is ‘lucky’ enough to walk away with just a sprain, but it is the most common ankle injury that is brought to the ER. Sprains are ubiquitous across all sports that require people to run or walk. The injury is usually the result of uneven ground, bad tackles or awkward slides.
Head injuries
Head injuries present in a number of different ways. First up it is probably worth noting that cuts to the face will bleed profusely – normally disproportionately to the severity of the injury. So, in short, don’t be alarmed if you see a person pouring blood down their face after a collision, it is probably nothing too serious. But that is not to say that head injuries are not always minor – they can be very severe. Look out for concussions which occur when the brain collides with the inside of the skull. It usually results in unconsciousness but not always. A person who has been concussed should be taken from the field immediately, regardless of how they claim to be feeling.
Repetitive strain injuries
One of the problems with sport is that players tend to repeat the same actions repeatedly. It is the action of stressing the same muscle or joint consistently that can cause inflammation or even hairline fractures. In this regard, we are thinking about chronic pain that comes with things like tennis or golf elbow. Or the horrible back injuries often incurred by fast bowlers. The key here is to vary things and to make sure that the muscles are strong and healthy. Shin splint is a great example of an injury that can be avoided if the build-up is slow and steady – an athlete who builds load gradually almost never gets shin splints.