Sports injuries are divided into two broad categories, acute and chronic injuries. Acute injuries happen suddenly, such as when a person falls, receives a blow, or twists a joint, while chronic injuries usually result from overuse of one area of the body and develop gradually over time. Examples of acute injuries are sprains and dislocations, while some common chronic injuries are shin splints and stress fractures.
Treatment for a sports injury depends on the type of injury, but minor ones can usually be treated at home by resting, icing, compressing, and elevating (R-I-C-E) the injured part of the body. For more serious injuries, you will need to see a health care provider, and you may need to be set up for a course of physical therapy for rehabilitation and/or fitted for a cast, splint, or brace. In some cases, you may need surgery. A rehabilitation program that includes exercise and other types of therapy is usually recommended before resuming the sport or activity that caused the injury.
Types of Musculoskeletal Injuries
Who Gets Sports Injuries?
Anyone can suffer a sports injury, but several factors can increase the risk of sustaining injury.
· Not using the correct exercise techniques.
· Overtraining, either by training too often, too frequently, or for too long.
· Changing the intensity of physical activity too quickly.
· Playing the same sport year-round.
· Running or jumping on hard surfaces.
· Wearing shoes that do not have enough support.
· Not wearing the proper equipment.
· Having had a prior injury.
· Having certain anatomical features specific to each joint or poor flexibility.
· Taking certain medications, such as fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics linked to tendinitis and tendon rupture.
· The type of injury you are most vulnerable to depends on the type of activity you participate in, your age, and your sex.
Sports injuries are broadly categorized into two kinds:
Acute injuries, which happen suddenly.
Chronic injuries, which are usually related to overuse and develop gradually over time.
In some cases, wear and tear from overuse injuries can set the stage for acute injuries.
Injuries to the musculoskeletal system that are common in athletes include fractures, dislocations, sprains, strains, tendinitis, or bursitis. These terms are defined below.
Bone fracture.
A fracture is a break in a bone that occurs from either a quick, one-time injury, known as an acute fracture, or from repeated stress, known as a stress fracture. Growth plate fractures are unique to children who are still growing.
Acute fractures.
A fall, car accident, or blow can cause a fracture, and the
severity depends on the force that caused the break. The bone may crack, break
all the way through, or shatter. Injuries that break through the skin to the
bone, which are known as compound fractures, are especially serious because
there is an increased risk of infection. Most acute fractures are emergencies.
Stress fractures.
Stress fractures occur largely in the weight-bearing bones of the lower extremity. These include the femur, tibia and fibula, and foot bones. They are common in sports where there is repetitive impact, primarily running or jumping sports such as gymnastics, tennis, basketball, or track and field. Running creates forces two to three times a person’s body weight on the lower limbs.
Growth plate fractures.
The growth plate is an area of cartilage near the ends of long bones, and they enable the bones to lengthen until children reach their full height. Growth plates are especially vulnerable to injury until they are converted to bone, typically by the time a child reaches the age of 20. Growth plate fractures can result from a single traumatic event, such as a fall or car accident, or from chronic stress and overuse.
Dislocation
When the two bones that come together to
form a joint become separated, the joint is described as dislocated. Contact
sports such as football and basketball, as well as high-impact sports and
sports that involve significant stretching or falling, cause most dislocations.
A dislocated joint typically requires immediate medical treatment, but
sometimes the bones move back into place on their own. A dislocation is a
painful injury and is most common in shoulders, elbows, fingers, kneecap, and
femur-tibia or knee.
Sprain.
Sprains are stretches or tears of ligaments, the bands of
connective tissue that join the end of one bone with another. Sprains are
caused by trauma such as a fall or blow that knocks a joint out of position.
Sprains can range from first degree (minimally stretched ligament) to third
degree (a complete tear). Areas of the body most vulnerable to sprains are
ankles, knees, and wrists.
Strain.
A strain is a twist, pull, or tear of a muscle or tendon, a cord of tissue connecting muscle to bone. Athletes who play contact sports can get strains, but they can also happen from repeating the same motion again and again, as in tennis or golf. Like sprains, strains can range from a minor stretch to a partial or complete tear of a muscle or tendon. This is most common in muscle or tendons between two joints.
Tendinitis.
Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon, a flexible band of fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones. It often affects the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle. Tendinitis can be caused by a sudden injury, but it usually results from carrying out the same motion over and over. People such as carpenters, gardeners, musicians, and certain types of athletes, such as golfers and tennis players, have a higher risk of tendinitis. Tendons become less flexible as you age, so you are more likely to get tendinitis as you get older.
Bursitis.
Bursitis is inflammation of the bursae (plural of “bursa”), small, fluid-filled sacs that act as cushions between a bone and other moving parts, such as muscles, tendons, or skin. Bursitis can be caused by a one-time event like a blow or fall. It can also result from repeating the same motion many times, like throwing a ball, or from prolonged pressure, such as from kneeling on a hard surface or leaning on the elbows. It usually affects the shoulders, elbows, hips, or knees.
Common Sports Injuries
Most sports injuries involve one or more of the types of musculoskeletal injuries described above. The joints are particularly susceptible because a person’s body places significant demands on them. Joints must provide both stability and flexibility, and they are complex structures that include several interconnected parts.
Some of the common injuries experienced by athletes and people who have jobs or hobbies that involve doing a repetitive motion include: