Sports has numerous benefits: discipline, good health, healthy mind, endorphins, sportsmanship and much more. Participating in sports also poses risks to the health of players. Sports injury is of two types: acute and chronic. A sports injury that occurs suddenly is known as an acute injury. Symptoms of an acute sports injury include severe pain, swelling, limb weakness, bone dislocation, tenderness, inability to move a joint. Chronic injuries are occurred due to overuse of muscles or joints. Signs of a chronic sports injury include intense pain while performing activities, swelling and little pain when at rest.
First Aid for Sports Injuries
- Keep the injured area at rest
- Apply ice to the affected area
- Keep it elevated
Here are some common sports injuries to be mindful of while participating in sports:
Concussion
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury caused by a fall or hit. In some cases, the person loses consciousness if the hit is so severe. Some common concussion symptoms include headache, confusion, dizziness, nausea, slurred speed, sensitivity to light and delayed response to questions. If a person is diagnosed with a concussion, he/she needs to have complete rest for a specific time period as suggested by his/her physician.
Shoulder Dislocation
The shoulder is one of the weakest joints of the body. Many shoulder injuries are caused due to lack of flexibility or strength. Symptoms of shoulder dislocation include intense pain, swelling in the joints, and not being able to move the area.
Stress Fractures
Sometimes, a sports injury occurs due to repetitive movement over an extended period of time. Stress fractures occur in the bones of the foot. This type of injury causes extreme pain to a person when he does any physical activity. The best way to heal this type of injury is to take a long break from the sport.
ACL or MCL Tear
ACL stands for Anterior Cruciate Ligament and MCL stands for Medial Collateral Ligament. Both hold the knee cap in place. Either ACL or MCL tear is extremely painful. And they both cause swelling, tenderness and immobility. ACL tear needs surgery, but an MCL tear may heal through conservative treatment i.e. wearing a compression sleeve or keeping the knee elevated.
Tennis Elbow
Also known as lateral epicondylitis, this condition causes tears and inflammation in the tendons around the elbows. Due to this, the athlete feels extreme pain on the outer part of the elbow along with stiffness and tenderness. Icing the elbow and wearing an arm brace may heal this sports injury.
Sprained or Fractured Toe
If your toe is sprained, the ligaments around the toe bones are injured. If the toe is fractured, a bone is broken. Both the injury cause intense pain in the toe. An athlete feels throbbing, tenderness, swelling and burning sensation in the toe. Sprained toes can be treated on your own. But, a broken toe needs medical assistance to recover.
Treatment depends on the type of injury. It is advisable to see a doctor whenever you feel pain, swelling or numbness after a sports injury.
If you have suffered a sports injury due to someone’s negligence, contact a leading personal injury law firm. They will help you receive the maximum possible compensation for your injury.