Common Sports Injuries to Be Aware Of
Sports activities offer excellent ways to enhance our physical flexibility and endurance. They keep our bodies highly active and boost our energy levels. Whether you are someone who takes an active part in professional and amateur sports activities or not, it is always a good idea to practice a number of different sports activities as they can benefit your overall health. However, participating in sports also increases your chances of being affected by different types of common sports injuries. Statistically nowadays more people train to perform in sports activities and are therefore vulnerable to such injuries. While it is not always possible to avoid these injuries, in some cases pre-sport and post-sport stretching exercises can help to minimize the harm caused by sports injuries.
It always helps to have a clear idea of the various common sports injuries and how they may affect you. Below is a list of such injuries and how they occur.
Jumper’s knee:
Jumper’s knee is said to have occurred when an inflammation or injury impacts the tissue connecting the thigh muscles and kneecap to shin bone. It is also referred to as patellar tendinitis. This form of injury is mainly caused by repetitive motions or overuse of the specific parts of the body affected by it. While jumper’s knee can literally impact anyone, it is mostly people involved in those sports that involve plenty of jumping who are affected by it. For instance, if you are in the habit of playing basketball or volleyball, then you have a high risk of developing jumper’s knee. Moreover, the chances of the condition gets increased if you are used to playing on hard surfaces. The main symptom of the condition is knee pain felt below the kneecap. Sometimes you may also experience stiffness or weakness in your knee as to try to jump, kneel or climb the stairs.
Sprains:
Sprains are by far some of the most widely occurring sports injuries. When the ligament close to a joint, like the knee, the ankle, or the wrist gets torn or stretched, a sprain is said to have occurred. Sprains are frequently caused by some twisting motion or by falling. The pain associated with it can be severe or mild, depending on whether a ligament gets torn or stretched. The pain can also be accompanied with severe swelling and bruising. You may not even be able to use the particular joint for some time after the injury.
Strains:
Strains are injuries to the muscles and are different from sprains. Strains are said to have occurred when there is tearing or stretching of the muscle tissue by accidental overextending. While mild strains are often caused by repetitive motions, acute strains tend to usually happen with single movements. During sports, you may suffer from acute strains if you are involved in running, lifting or jumping or changing direction quickly. You can also develop strains in cold weather. Symptoms of strains include sudden pain accompanied by limited motion for the affected area. With severe cases, there can also be bruising and swelling.
