One of the risks which exists when playing any kind of sport is an injury, something which can leave you sidelined and unable to play the sport you love. There are two aspects which you should consider when it comes to injuries, first is looking to avoid them; secondly it is about treating them properly when they occur. There are no guarantees that you will never get injured, but if you do, making sure that you let it fully recover is imperative.
These are some of the most common sports injuries and how to treat them.
Ankle Sprain
Our feet are very much at risk in the majority of sports as they are sensitive and heavily used in almost all sporting events. This is why an ankle sprain is seen as the most common injury which can happen when you are playing. A sprain occurs when the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, which are relatively weak, become overstretched and they tear. Physical therapists like the team at ModPod Podiatry will help you to regain the strength in the ligaments and offer a program of both rest and slow exercises to allow the ligaments to heal well.
Groin Pull
Straining the inner thigh muscles by the groin is also a very common injury. We use this part of our body to push off in various directions when playing sports and these muscles can easily become stretched. Thankfully a slight tear or stretch can be recovered from relatively quickly. Treatment for this issue will entail compression, ice and a good period of rest to allow the muscle fibers to recover.
Hamstring Pull
At the back of the thigh we have three large muscles which make up the hamstring, we use these muscles to extend our legs when running and jumping. The most common cause of a hamstring pull is a failure to properly warm the muscles up. Unfortunately this is an issue which can take some time to recover from, and that is because we use the muscles heavily when we are walking around. Total recovery of a hamstring pull can take anywhere between 6 and 12 months. Owing to this length of recovery time, re-injuries are common. The best treatment is rest wherever possible.
Shin Splints
The pressure which is placed on the shins when running can often result in tiny fractures to the shin bone which result in great pain when active. This injury is usually brought about from running on hard surfaces or in those people who take on a heavy schedule of running and exercise. The best treatment is rest and cold compression with an ice pack. Over the counter medicine can also be used to manage pain here. If you feel any tweak or pain in this area then it is best to stop exercising quickly and rest, in order for the injury to recover in a shorter period of time. The more you run when it hurts, the longer the recovery time will be.
Always ensure that you are taking the right precautions to avoid injury and to allow your body to rest after exercise.
