Sports Injuries – A Complete Overview on its Types

Injuries related to sports are categorised as acute or chronic – the range of medical conditions that happen because of sports or exercise-related injuries is wide in nature. In a research study, it was found that almost 90% of all the sports injuries are either strains or contusions.

Athletes playing contact sports like hockey and soccer are more prone to face contusions. On the contrary, sports, like jumping and sprinting, are usually associated with muscle strains. Muscular imbalance, the architecture of the muscle, chronic overload, fatigue and improper warm-up are some of the predisposing factors that cause strains.

Let’s have a brief outlook on the types of injuries that athletes usually face.

• Concussion

Also known as mild traumatic brain injury, concussion usually happens either because of a direct blow to the head, or it could be the transmission of an impulsive force to the head. The symptoms of this injury are categorized into three different groups – somatic, cognitive and affective. Combination of cognitive and somatic symptoms is the most common occurrence, and it is always best to seek help from professional sports medicine physician.

• Cerebral Aneurysm

It is an assimilated focal abnormal opening of the wall of an artery inside the brain. In most of the cases, this injury is induced hemodynamically; the trauma could contribute to the formation.

In addition, the impact of strain and effort can trigger through hemodynamic effects. And the common outcome is that athletes suffer from the headache of variable character that was never experienced before.

• Eye Trauma

As per the database or United State Eye Injury Registry (UNEIR), more than 13% of ocular injuries happen because of sports as well as recreational activities. Contact sports that do not make use of protective gears and involve stuff like high-speed balls are remarkably hazardous in this context.

The most common sports include cricket, squash, baseball, hockey, etc. The level of injuries can vary from minor abrasions through retrobulbar hematoma to open injuries in the globe.

• Orbital Fractures

One of the biggest causes of traumatic injuries is sports and exercise activities. The blunt trauma to the globe can result in the orbital floor and even medial wall fractures. In some cases, it is also accompanied by the fractures of posterior. In children, the bone of the orbit is more elastic, and it can cause fracture commonly known as “trapdoor”.

• Joint Dislocation

It is a situation in which there is a complete parting of two different enunciating bony surfaces. It usually happens because of the exertion of high-speed energy. Some common examples of dislocations include elbow, shoulder, patella, hip, finger and knee.

Delay in the right treatment from professional sports medicine physician or medical consultant can cause irreparable damage to the joint surface with lifelong consequences and even post-traumatic arthritis.

Apart from the ones discussed above, athletes incur many other sports injuries that cause severe health conditions. In case of any further query, please feel free to share with us below in the comment section.