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Home > Consumer Focus Archive > Sports Health and Safety
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Consumer Focus: Sports Health and Safety
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Sports Health and Safety
 Many sports are great for making and enjoying friends. Sports are also a good way to exercise and stay healthy and fit. To make sure you can enjoy sports for a long time, you need to take care of yourself – and that means you need to play it safe.
Posted: September 1, 2005
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 Sports Injuries
Sports activities can result in injuries – some minor, some serious, and still others result in lifelong medical problems. Some are from accidents; others can result from poor training practices, improper gear, lack of conditioning, or not warming up or stretching sufficiently. The following are some of the most common sports injuries.
Sprains and Strains
A sprain is a stretch or tear of a ligament and can be caused by a trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knock a joint out of position. Areas of the body most vulnerable to sprains are ankles, knees, and wrists. Signs of a sprain include:
- Varying degrees of tenderness or pain
- Bruising
- Inflammation
- Swelling
- Inability to move a limb or joint or
- Joint looseness, laxity, or instability
A strain is a twist, pull, or tear of a muscle or tendon. It is an acute, noncontact injury that results from overstretching or overcontraction. Symptoms of a strain include:
- Pain
- Muscle spasm
- Loss of strength
Knee Injuries
The knee is the most commonly injured joint. Some of the less severe knee problems are runner’s knee and tendonitis. More severe injuries include bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments. Knee injuries can result from a blow to or twist of the knee, from improper landing after a jump, or from running too hard, too much, or without proper warm-up.
Shin Splints
Shin splints are primarily seen in runners and refer to pain along the tibia or shin bone. Risk factors for shin splints include overuse or incorrect use of the lower leg; improper stretching, warm-up, or exercise technique; overtraining; running or jumping on hard surfaces; and running in shoes that don’t have enough support.
 Achilles Tendon Injuries
This injury refers to a stretch, tear, or irritation to the tendon connecting the calf muscle to the back of the heel. The most common cause of Achilles tendon tears is a problem called tendonitis (a degenerative condition caused by aging or overuse). When a tendon is weakened, trauma can cause it to rupture. These injuries are common in middle-aged “weekend warriors” who may not exercise regularly or take time to stretch properly before an activity, or in professional athletes involved in quick-acceleration , jumping sports like football and basketball.
Fractures
A fracture is a break in the bone that can occur from either a quick, one-time injury to the bone (acute fracture) or from repeated stress to the bone over time (stress fracture)
- Acute fractures: These fractures can be a simple (a clean break with little damage to the surrounding tissue) or compound (a break in which the bone pierces the skin). Most acute fractures are emergencies.
- Stress fractures: These occur largely in the feet and legs and are common in sports that require repetitive impact (running/jumping sports such as gymnastics or track and field). The most common symptom of a stress fracture is pain at the site that worsens with weight-bearing activity – tenderness and swelling often accompany the pain.
Dislocations
The injury occurs when the two bones that come together to form a joint become separated. The majority of dislocations occur in contact sports such as football and basketball, as well as high-impact sports and sports that can result in excessive stretching or falling. The joints most likely to be dislocated are the hand and shoulder. A dislocated joint is an emergency situation that requires medical treatment.
Note: Many sports injuries can be prevented if people take the proper precautions. You can wear protective gear, use equipment properly, warm up your muscles, follow the rules of the game, and more.
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 Acute vs. Chronic Injuries
Acute Injuries
Acute injuries such as a sprained ankle, strained back, or fractured hand, occur suddenly during activity. Signs of an acute injury include the following:
- Sudden, severe pain
- Swelling
- Extreme limb weakness
- Inability to place weight on a lower limb
- Extreme tenderness in an upper limb
- Inability to move a joint through its full range of motion
- A bone or a joint that is visibly out of place
Chronic Injuries
Chronic injuries are those that happen over a period of time and are usually the result of repetitive training, such as running, or overhand throwing. If left untreated, a chronic injury will probably get worse over time. Signs of a chronic injury:
- Pain when you play
- A dull ache when at rest
- Swelling
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 Treatments for Sports Injuries
Never try to "work-through" the pain of an injury. When you have pain from a particular movement or activity, STOP! Playing or exercising more only causes more harm. Prompt treatment can often prevent a minor injury from becoming worse or causing permanent damage.
Seeking Medical Treatment
Some injuries require immediate medical attention. You should call a health professional if:
- The injury causes severe pain, swelling, or numbness.
- You can’t tolerate any weight on the area.
- The pain or dull ache of an old injury is accompanied by increased swelling or joint abnormality or instability.
R.I.C.E.
In some instances, injuries can be self-treated. If you don’t have any of the above symptoms, it may be safe to treat the injury at home – at least at first if pain or other symptoms worsen, you should call your health care provider. Use the R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and speed healing. Follow these four steps immediately after the injury occurs and continue for at least 48 hours:
- Rest – Reduce regular exercise or activities as needed.
- Ice – Apply an ice pack to the injured area for 20 minutes, four to eight times a day. Take the ice off after 20 minutes to avoid cold injury. Do not use heat immediately after an injury as this tends to increase internal bleeding or swelling. Heat can be used later on to relieve muscle tension and promote relaxation.
- Compression - Compression of the injured area may help reduce swelling. You can use an elastic wrap, special boot, air cast, or splint.
- Elevation – Put the injured area on a pillow at a level above your heart to help decrease swelling.
The R.I.C.E. technique can be helpful for any sports injury, but is often just a starting point. Here are some other things your doctor may do to treat your sports injury.
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)
Inflammation causes tissues to become swollen, tender, and painful. To reduce inflammation and pain, your health care provider may suggest that you take an over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, Nuprin), ketoprofen (Actron, Orudis K), or naproxen sodium (Aleve). Another common drug is acetaminophen. It may relieve pain, but it will not reduce swelling. For more severe pain and inflammation, a prescription strength NSAID may be prescribed.
Immobilization
This involves reducing movement in the area to prevent further damage. Immobilization may reduce pain, swelling, and muscle spasm and can help the healing process begin. Some devises used for immobilization include:
- Slings – Used for arms and shoulders.
- Splints and casts – Support and protect injured bones and soft tissues. Splints generally offer less support and protection than a cast, and therefore may not always be a treatment option.
- Leg immobilizers – Keep the knee from bending after injury or surgery.
Rest
Although it is good to get moving as soon as possible, you must also take time to rest following an injury. All injuries need time to heal; proper rest will help the process.
Note: Most sports injuries can be treated effectively, and most people who suffer injuries can return to a satisfying level of physical activity after appropriate treatment and healing.
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Who is at Greatest Risk?
Anyone who plays sports can be injured. Three groups – children and adolescents, middle-aged athletes, and women – are particularly vulnerable.
 Children and Adolescents
The bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments of children and adolescents are still growing and that makes them more susceptible to injury. Also, growth plates – the areas of developing cartilage where bone growth occurs in growing children – are weaker than the nearby ligaments and tendons. As a result, what is often a bruise or sprain in an adult can be a potentially serious growth-plate injury in a child.
Because young athletes of the same age can differ greatly in size and physical maturity, some may try to perform at levels beyond their ability in order to keep up with their peers. Parents and athletic coaches should try to group youngsters according to skill level and size, not chronological age, particularly during contact sports. If this is not practical, they should modify the sport to accommodate the needs of children with varying skills.
Adult Athletes
Today, more adults than ever are participating in sports. Many factors contribute to sports injuries as the body grows older. The main one is that adults may not be as agile and resilient as they were in their younger days. It is also possible that some injuries occur when a person tries to move from an inactive to a more active lifestyle too quickly.
Women
Today, the action in many sports is faster and more aggressive and powerful than in the past. As a result, women are sustaining many more injuries, and these tend to be sport specific. Female athletes have higher injury rates than men in many sports, particularly basketball, soccer, alpine skiing, volleyball, and gymnastics.
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 Tips for Preventing Sports Injuries
The following tips can help prevent an injury/reinjury from occurring:
- Know your limits.
- Avoid playing/exercising when very tired or in pain.
- Do warm-up exercises before you play any sport.
- Always stretch before you play or exercise. When you stretch the Achilles tendon, hamstring, and quadriceps areas, hold the positions – don’t bounce.
- Don’t twist your knees when you stretch. Keep your feet as flat as you can.
- Wear shoes that fit properly and, provide shock absorption and stability.
- Use the softest exercise surface available – avoid running on hard surfaces like asphalt and concrete.
- Run on flat surfaces. Running uphill may increase the stress on the Achilles tendon and the leg itself.
- When jumping, land with your knees bent.
- Avoid bending knees past 90 degrees when doing half knee bends.
- Use protective gear.
- Follow the rules of the sport.
- Cool down after playing or exercising.
- Don’t overdo!
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