Generally, participation in sporting activities is associated with a relatively low frequency of injury.
However, the more sports activities you engaged in, the
greater the chances you have for accidental injury. The type of sports
activities you are involved in determine to a large extends your injury risk.
In
this post, you should be able to explain what a sports injury is and know the 7 top causes of sports injuries.
What is Sports Injury?
Sports
injury is an injury that occurs during sporting activities or exercises. This
includes injuries affecting participation in sports and exercise and affecting
athletes of all ages and all levels of performance. Most sports injuries are
specific to the sports and the level of participation.
For
example, soccer players have a high risk of ankle or knee injuries resulting
from tackle, while runners will be lower limb injuries usually resulting from
overuse. Sports injuries have rendered many athletes unfit to participate in
future sports activities.
Sports
injuries simply mean any damage done to any body part while engaging in sports
activities. This damage could be minor or major. Major injuries such as
dislocations or fractures, and could render an athlete temporary or permanently
unfit for future sports competitions. Minor injuries like abrasions or minor
cuts should be taken care of on the spot and the casualty goes back to the
field of play.
7 Top Causes of Sports Injuries
Injuries
are more likely to occur where competitions are keenly contested and if the
sport is rough. However, sports injuries could occur as a result of any of the
following factors:
1.
Human error
2. Imbalanced Training Sessions
3. Overtraining
4.
Faulty equipment and facilities
5. Ignorance
6. Act of God
7. Improper Rehabilitation
1. Human Error: It
could be a result of a lack of perfection in a skill before participating in
that particular sport. It could also result from a lack of attention while the
game is being played.
2. Imbalanced Training Sessions: Have you ever been to a gym and see a person that has a chiseled upper physique, however, when looking upon their lower extremities you think “whoa what happened?” That person consistently skips leg day.
Similarly,
athletes can get carried away with focusing too much on a particular muscle
group and neglect the corresponding antagonistic muscle groups which can lead
to a deformity in the long run.
For
example, only working the pectoralis muscle group while neglecting the back and
muscles of posture will lead to a kyphosis or hunched over back deformity.
Furthermore,
for athletes like volleyball or baseball players, the accessory muscle groups
are crucial to their everyday performance.
So
in addition to working their lattisimuss dorsi or biceps, they cannot neglect
their rhomboids, teres minor, major, nor trapzezius. Review with your coach
exercises and stretches one can do for a balanced regimen.
3. Overtraining: Overtraining is the most frequent cause of injuries associated with physical or fitness activities and it affects a lot of athletes. Enthusiastic but fat or obese beginners often injure themselves by doing too much and too soon exercises.
Experienced
athletes also develop overtraining syndrome by engaging in systematic and
progressive increases in training without getting enough rest and recovery
time. This will definitely affect performance and training sessions will become
increasingly difficult.
It
is pertinent to note that adequate rest, good food and rehydration are very
important to sustain or improve fitness levels. It is good to always pay
attention to your body’s warning signs.
To
avoid injury to a particular muscle group or body part, varying your fitness
activities will give muscles and joints the needed rest. Setting realistic but
challenging fitness goals can help you stay motivated without overdoing it.
Overtraining
injuries occur most often in repetitive activities like running, bicycling and
step aerobics. It is advisable that common sense should be applied for you to
remain injury-free.
4. Faulty Equipment and Facilities: These include using unsafe materials for any sport such as faulty vaulting boxes, beams, sticks and bars. Poor facilities include undulating (uneven) playfields, slippery or wet surfaces or rough grounds.
5. Ignorance: To
think that a common sports injury sustained while practicing during a high
impact activity will simply go away on its own is both foolish and dangerous.
The mantra of “walking off” an injury is blasphemous in the medical literature
and can even produce further damage and injury. See
your local podiatrist to
determine the grade of your injury, and they can come up with a plan of
relative rest or safe alternating exercise activities while you recover.
6. An act of God:
This may include any accident that occurs irrespective of all the precautionary
measures taken by the coach and athletes to prevent injuries.
7. Improper Rehabilitation: When
common sports injuries are sustained and patients are in the rehab phase, it is
important that the therapists bear in mind that the athlete has to overcome two
challenges. The first is complete healing of the damaged structure and tissue,
and second is reconditioning of the musculotendinous complex. So early on,
modalities should include: stretching, range of motion, gait training,
iontophoresis, electrical stimulation, shockwave therapy, PRP, Amnio therapy
for example. Afterwards, their regimen should focus on sport specific muscle
strengthening exercises.
Also read: 5 Key Principles of First Aid
Conclusion on the 7 top causes of sports injuries?
In general, popular recreational sports activities such as walking, jogging, and tennis, swimming and bicycling have a much lower injury rate than do intercollegiate sports such as gymnastics and football or intramural sports such as basketball, volleyball and soccer.
In choosing your sports activities
and developing a workout schedule, a lifetime of injuries-free, enjoyable
sports activity should be foremost in your mind.
Having
gone through this article you have learnt what sports injuries is, you have
also learnt the causes of sports injuries such as:
1. Human error
2. Imbalanced Training Sessions
3. Overtraining
4.
Faulty equipment and facilities
5. Ignorance
6. Act of God
7. Improper Rehabilitation
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