Sports are a great way to get active and keep fit. While athletic activities are suitable for your general wellness, they may sometimes come at a cost. You can obtain an injury while playing due to direct impact or overuse. The two main categories of sports injuries include acute and chronic. Acute injuries develop suddenly, for example, when you slip and sprain your ankles.
On the other hand, chronic injuries are usually due to repeated use of your joints or muscles. Regardless of your type of injury, you can benefit from Houston sports medicine and embark on your favorite sport. Examples of sports injuries include:
Ankle sprain
Ligaments are strong bands that hold your ankle bones together and prevent excessive movement by stabilizing the joints. Awkward and sudden movements can strain your ligaments, causing them to stretch beyond their usual range of motion. The ligaments can overstretch when your twist or turn your ankles suddenly. While home remedies and over-the-counter medication may help reduce the pain, a medical evaluation is essential to determine the severity of the sprain. You can reduce your risk of spraining your ankles by warming up before playing any sport.
ACL injury
An ACL injury affects the ligament that connects your thigh bone to the shinbone. The ligament may tear or sprain when playing sports such as soccer and basketball, which involve jumping, sudden stops, and changes in direction. Your knee may produce a popping sound when an ACL injury occurs. Most of the time, you cannot resume the activity because of the severe pain it produces. The affected knee may also swell and feel unstable.
Like most injuries, the treatment your specialist recommends depends on the severity of the damage. It is, therefore, necessary to seek medical attention to get an accurate diagnosis. If your injury is mild, rest and rehabilitation exercises may all you need to get better. However, if the tear is severe, you may need surgery to replace the damaged ligament.
Rotator cuff injury
A group of muscles and tendons surrounds your shoulder joint called the rotator cuff. Injury to the rotator cuff may result in a dull shoulder ache that worsens when using the affected arm. Older adults are more susceptible to rotator cuff injuries, but this may sometimes occur earlier in people whose jobs require regular shoulder use. For example, painters overuse their shoulders, resulting in a rotator cuff injury. People with this injury experience pain when reaching their back and sometimes muscle weakness.
Tennis elbow
Overuse or repetitive motion of your wrist and arms strains your tendons and may lead to this painful condition. To its name, the injury is common among tennis players, but athletes are not the only ones who may develop this injury. People whose jobs require repetitive wrist and arm motion can develop tennis elbow. Examples include carpenters, painters, butchers, and plumbers. The pain usually radiates from the outer part of your elbow towards your arm. Activities such as gripping objects, turning a doorknob, and holding a mug of coffee may become challenging.
It is always essential to get a medical diagnosis whenever you obtain an injury. If you have an injury, schedule an appointment with your doctor at J. Michael Bennett, MD, PA, for treatment to improve your physical function.
