There’s always a risk you could be hurt, whether you’re a professional athlete or casual gym-goer. Sports injuries are inevitable. When an injury does happen, it’s sometimes difficult to know what type of injury you suffered and how to treat it.
You should seek a medical professional’s opinion for any injury. If your injury was caused by someone else, then make sure to consult with a personal injury attorney about your options. But, here’s the most frequent sports injuries people suffer, including treatments and recovery.
ACL Tear or Strain
The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is one of the main knee stabilizing ligaments. When you strain or tear one of the knee ligaments, it can be quite painful and a severe injury.
How do you suffer ACL sports injuries? Usually, an athlete will suffer this type of injury when they slow down abruptly and attempt to change directions.
When you suffer an ACL tear or strain, you will notice difficulty walking or making turns. You might also see increased knee swelling. Rest and ice may heal a minor ACL injury without surgery. However, a full ACL rupture would need surgery as well as months of intensive physical therapy before fully recovering.
Concussion
A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head. A concussion is a severe injury and should not be ignored. If you have suffered a concussion, you should seek treatment from a medical physician immediately.
A concussion is caused when one’s brain is shaken or jolted violently. The most common concussion symptoms include headache, confusion, dizziness, vomiting and/or nausea, slurred speech and light sensitivity.
Treatments for a concussion include rest and reducing anything that requires mental or physical stress.
Sciatica
Back pain extends down the back of the leg or even to the foot and buttocks is known as sciatica. One suffering from sciatica might endure numbness and a burning or tingling sensation down the leg.
Sciatica is a symptom of a variety of diseases rather than a disease in and of itself. It may be caused by a disease called piriformis syndrome. The piriformis is a muscle that goes from the lower back to the thigh of a person. When the piriformis muscle is injured or overworked, it may put pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve travels from the base of the spine to the buttocks and back of the thigh.
Athletes like cyclists with a flexed forward posture or golfers who do a lot of trunk rotation in swing may develop sciatica sports injuries.
The pain can be quite excruciating as well. A bulging disc or a pinched nerve may cause back discomfort and radiating agony.
Ways to alleviate the pain is to rest, stretching the back and hamstrings, and lying on your stomach. However, if the pain lasts longer than two weeks, he or she should see a medical expert for assistance.
Strained Hamstring
Hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh are vulnerable to a strain, often known as a pulled muscle. A lack of stretching, a warm up and warm down can cause a hamstring injury. Therefore, it can be avoided by practicing stretching, warm up and warm down when exercising. Additionally visiting a Sydney sauna can help avoid injury as the increased circulation assists with muscle recovery after a hard training session When someone suffers this type of injury, it’s common to see bruising at the back of the leg or knee.
Early therapy for a pulled hamstring usually consists of rest and ice, followed by moderate stretching and strengthening to avoid further damage. However, if the discomfort lasts longer than two weeks, one should see physical therapy and professional help to recover.
Hip Flexor Strain
A hip flexor strain can make it painful to lift your legs, getting in and out of a vehicle or climbing stairs. Hip flexors are the muscles that go down the front of your thigh. They help you move your leg toward and away from the other leg.
The cause of a hip flexor strain can come from sitting a lot for work, causing weak hip flexors. Or, someone who has bad sitting posture that causes tight hip flexors. You can also strain the hip flexor during sports activities such as sprinting, running inclines, and sports where you make rapid turns and abrupt starts.
The best treatment for a hip flexor strain is rest and ice 15 to 20 minutes at a time for the first 48 to 72 hours. After the first three days of recovery, one should apply heat for 15 to 20 minutes, then lie down and do mild heel slides and hip flexor stretches.