Sports-related injuries can happen in contact sports, such as football, or recreational sports like mountain biking or snowboarding. People can even strain a muscle doing yoga. At Go To Ortho, we understand that a sports-related injury doesn’t just interrupt the game, it interrupts your life.
Sports-related injuries can happen in contact sports, such as football, or recreational sports like mountain biking or snowboarding. People can even strain a muscle doing yoga. At Go To Ortho, we understand that a sports-related injury doesn’t just interrupt the game, it interrupts your life.
What Causes a Sports-Related Injury?
Sports-related injuries often occur due to accidents, poor training practices, or improper gear. Sometimes such injuries occur because people are not in shape or don’t warm up or stretch enough before exercising or playing sports.
Other causes of exercise injuries include repeating the same motion over and over again, not having proper form for your exercise, not resting in between workouts, pushing your body too hard or too quickly, and doing an exercise that is too strenuous for your level of fitness.
What Are The Most Common Sports Injuries?
The most common sports injuries include:
- Sprained ankle
- Broken ankle
- Sprained wrist
- Broken wrist
- Finger sprain
- Broken finger
- Fractured & broken knees
- Torn ACL
- Torn meniscus
- Injured shoulder
- Dislocated shoulder
- Rotator cuff tear
- Injury to the head
- Face injury
- Injured neck
- Concussion
What Are Typical Symptoms of Sports Injuries?
Typically, with sports-related injuries symptoms include sharp pain, swelling, bruising and tenderness, particularly as a result of a fall, collision or repetitive strain (overuse injury).
What Can You Do?
Listen to your body:
- If you are tired all the time, this may be a sign that you are overdoing it.
- If you are feeling pain while playing sports or exercising, you should stop right away.
- If you sustain an injury, stop playing the sport or exercising, as this will just make the injury worse.
Play it smart. Give your body time to heal. Once you are ready to start up again, do it slowly and gradually–modify your training or exercise program–decrease the number of days or length of time you exercise, as well as how hard you work out.
How Do You Treat a Sports-Related Injury?
Initial treatment often begins with the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and speed healing.
Depending on the type and severity of the injury you have sustained, your doctor may recommend other treatments such as pain relievers, immobilizing the injured area (if possible), rehabilitation, and sometimes surgery.
How Can You Prevent Sports-Related Injuries?
While playing sports and exercising can be fun, it can also be dangerous if you are not careful. Here are some tips you can follow to help prevent any future sports-related injuries
- Get a physical to make sure you are healthy enough before you start playing your sport or begin a new exercise program.
- Wear the right shoes, gear, and equipment.
- Drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
- Warm up and stretch before and after your activity.
- Gets your blood flowing
- Warms up your muscles
- Increases flexibility
- Strengthen muscles with conditioning exercises.
- Mix up your routine with cross-training.
- Use the proper technique as instructed.
- Play safe and follow the rules.
- Pace yourself.
- Gradually increase your activity level.
- Take breaks.
- Do not play through pain.
If you already have an injury, don’t start back up with your activity until you are completely healed. To protect yourself from reinjuries, wear padding, a brace, or special equipment, and start-up slowly.
At Go To Ortho, we collectively have over 50 years of experience dealing with trauma injuries in the Portland area. Let Go To Ortho be your go-to place for quick-care orthopedic injury treatment.
During your visit, our team of specialists will provide you with an immediate diagnosis of the injury, corrective treatment, and medication if needed. They’ll also discuss with you any long-term options for recovery.
If you have a sports-related injury, come see us. Walk-in appointments are welcome. View our hours.
