7 Most Common Sport Traumas

Very often even easy physical exercises may cause traumas of muscles and joints. The most frequently doctors deal with the following sports traumas:

• Ankle dislocation
• Inguinal muscles strain
• Hamstring strain
• Shin-splints
• Knee ligament rupture
• Patellofemoral joint injury
• Tennis elbow

Ankle Dislocation

What is it: Athletes often suffer from ankle dislocation, when an ankle swings inside. As result tendons are sprained or torn.

What can be done: It is very important to make exercises for strengthening and flexibility of the weak place, it will prevent repeated dislocation. You should consult a physical therapist on the necessary exercises.

Inguinal Muscles Strain

What is it: The main reason of this trauma is an abrupt repelling movement. Hockey, cricket, football, baseball are the most common kinds of sports that lead to inguinal muscle strain.

What can be done: Tight bandage, ice, and rest. Fast return to previous training load can worsen strain and make it a long-lasting problem.

Hamstring strain

What is it: Three muscles of the back part of a thigh form a hamstring. The strain of it happens while jumping over a barrier, for instance, – high leg lifting during running. Downhill is one more frequent cause of hamstrings strains.

What can be done: Such strains are healing very slowly because strings feel constant tension during walking. Full recovery comes only after 6-12 months, and repeated strains are very common, while many people cannot stay passive for so long.

Shin-Splints

What is it: Pain in muscles of the anterior crural region. Most frequently a knee is damaged during running, especially if the load is serious.

What can be done: rest, ice, pain relievers. If the pain doesn’t pass even after constant rest, you must consult a doctor. Such traumas may need a longer period of treatment (around a month or even more) and rehabilitation.

Knee Ligament Rupture

What is it: With the help of interior cruciate ligament the leg bone is connected with a knee. An abrupt stop or sidestroke can damage or tear the ligament. Complete rupture may be accompanied by a flat sound.

What can be done: Immediately visit a doctor if you have any suspicion of this ligament rupture. It is the most dangerous sports trauma: to restore the normal active functioning of a knee after complete cruciate ligament rupture only surgical methods are used.

Patellofemoral Joint Injury

What is it: Meniscus rupture is a trauma which is caused by repeated movements of rotula in the direction down and from the thigh bone. As a result, muscular tissue under the rotula is damaged. Race, volleyball, basketball – these kinds of sports cause the injury the most frequently.

What can be done: First of all, have patience: the pain may last for 6 weeks and more. It is important NOT to stop training still the load on the knee must be lighter.

Tennis Elbow (Epicondylitis)

What is it: Constant elbow work, for instance, during golf or tennis games, can cause irritation or even slight ligament tear. Epicondylitis is more frequent for adults between the age of 30 and 60.

What can be done: Give up training until the pain is over.

Situations When You Should Immediately Visit a Physical Therapist

• Deformation of a joint or bone (looks like “twisted”), or when it moves incorrectly
• Impossible to lift the weight
• Swelling
• Change of skin color at the place of injury
• Initial treatment doesn’t help