What are sports injuries?
Sports injuries are injuries that occur during the practice of a professional or amateur sports activity. Some of these injuries occur by chance, others are due to incorrect practices or positions during training or competition, or incorrect use of equipment.
Sports injuries usually consist of muscle trauma and trauma to joints and ligaments:
- Contusions
- Dislocations
- Muscle injuries (tears, strains, cramps)
- Sprained ankles or knees
- Bone fractures
- Tendon injuries
- Tibial injuries
- Contractures
Prognosis
The prognosis of sports injuries depends on the cause of the injury.
Imaging tools (ultrasound, MRI, etc.) are essential both for the exclusion of structural lesions and for the evaluation of the degree of injury.
Furthermore, according to the results obtained, recovery times and return to sporting activity can be estimated, naturally assessing the risk of recurrence of the same injury.
These injuries occur during sports practice.
Symptoms of sports injuries
The main symptoms of sports injuries are related to the size and extent of the trauma and are mainly represented by:
- Immediate onset of pain
- Muscle heaviness and stiffness
- Swelling
- Appearance of hematomas
- Sensitivity to touch
- Warmth
- Loss of normal range of motion
Diagnosis of sports injuries
The diagnosis of sports injuries, especially muscle injuries, is usually based on history and clinical examination.
The following diagnostic tests are used to locate the injury and determine its severity:
- X-ray
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Ultrasound
- Bone scintigraphy
- Bone densitometry
What are the causes of sports injuries?
The risk factors for major soccer injuries are:
- Lack of training
- Muscle fatigue
- Imbalance between agonist and antagonist muscles
- Age
- Climatic conditions (cold, humidity)
- Environmental conditions (unsuitable playing field)
- Fast reaction times and increased speed
- Quickness in the execution of an athletic gesture
- Different training modalities
- Collisions with other players
- Incorrect rhythms or inadequate warm-up practice
- Inadequate training programs
- Incorrect athletic gestures
- Incorrect nutrition
- Inadequate rest
Can they be prevented?
The main preventive measures to be taken for greater safety during sporting activity are:
- Adequate warm-up
- Correct nutrition
- Hydration
- Use of appropriate equipment
- Proper clothing and footwear
Treatments for sports injuries
The treatments to be followed vary according to the severity of the injuries. In general, they are resolved with physiotherapy, surgery, use of ice, intake of analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, and rest.
Which specialist should be consulted?
The specialist in charge of diagnosing sports injuries is the Sports Physician who will proceed to perform all the tests aimed at confirming or not the pathology and prescribe the best possible treatment.