Common Sports Injuries
It’s common knowledge that sports can be taxing on the body. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons that professional athletes are paid so much and then many athletes find themselves in less than perfect condition as they retire and later into their lives. Some sports are more dangerous than others- take Muhammad Ali, for instance. He is suffering from Parkinson’s disease, which has been linked to all the damaging blows he took to his head during his career. Another sad story is one of a star high school football player who lost his leg due to a compound fracture he received while playing. But not all sports related injuries are as life changing as these. There are a number of common injuries that everyone from the amateur to the professional receives, and this list sheds some light on a few of them.
Shin Splints
Everyone from runners to basketball players can get shin splints. The name covers any numbers of painful feelings felt along the shin, and are usually received from excessive running on hard surfaces. Training too hard without taking breaks have also been known to cause shin splints, so remember that rest is just as important as working out.
Concussion
Many football leagues, both high school and professional, are now requiring players to wear concussion helmets due to the high frequency of injuries leading to concussions. A concussion is caused by the brain moving too rapidly inside the skull, causing all the brain cells to fire at once. A concussion will usually knock someone out, but not all the time. If you received a pretty bad blow to the head and are experiencing dizziness, memory loss, confusion, or nausea, you may have a concussion.
Torn ACL
Another common injury that you may have heard of, a torn anterior cruciate ligament can be received when twisting suddenly (feet facing one way and knees facing another) or when landing a jump the wrong way. Because of this, torn ACLs are common in football and basketball. A torn ACL will remove a player from practice and competition for a while, as the only way to heal is through rest, relaxation, and plenty of ice.
Sprained Ankle
A sprained ankle is more than just a sports injury. Sprained ankles can be received fairly easily, as all that it takes to get one is to apply pressure to the foot when it is not straight. Sprained ankles can be painful, but they are mostly just an inconvenience. Just like with an ACL, rest and ice are crucial for getting over the injury in the shortest amount of time.
So there you have it, the 4 very common sports injuries. As is true with any sport, whether it’s rowing or rugby, great care should be taken, as the human body is fragile and can injured seriously. If you do ever receive an injury, make sure and wait to resume playing until your body is fully healed, so you can avoid making your injury worse.
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