The life of an athlete is certainly rewarding yet demanding. The physical intensity can be tough on the body and the risk of injury is always there.
The term “sports injury” refers to the kinds of injuries that most commonly happen during physical activity, whether running down a soccer field or lifting weights. Your symptoms and treatment depend on whether you have suffered sprains, strains, fractures, or something else.
Sports injuries can be classified as acute or chronic. In other words, they happen suddenly or develop over time, usually as a result of overuse. Either way, you want to start treatment as quickly as possible to get back to playing the sport you love while at your optimal performance level.
When Is It Time to Act?
If you’re a college athlete, you have likely competed for years. Bruises, aches, and pains come with the territory, and many become almost desensitized to the pain, masking it with Advil or Tylenol.
However, it’s important to be in tune with your body and recognize when it’s time to seek medical help.
Symptoms of an acute injury include, but are not limited to:
- Sudden, severe pain
- Extreme swelling or bruising
- Unable to put weight on the injured area (such as knee or ankle)
- Unable to move a joint normally
- Extreme weakness in injured limb
- Symptoms of a chronic injury due to overuse include, but not limited to:
- Pain during a certain movement
- Swelling and a dull ache when at rest
Injury Can Result No Matter How Intense the Sport
It makes sense that sports with a higher incidence of contact and collision have the highest rates of acute injury. Collisions with the ground, other players, or even objects happen daily in sports such as soccer and football. These collisions deliver direct hits to limbs and joints. But serious injuries can result in less apparent situations as well.
Common acute sports injuries include:
- Bone fractures. Fractures can be acute, where a break in the bone is the result of a quick, one-time injury. Perhaps less noticeable is a growth plate fracture, which can happen in young adults who may still be growing.
- Dislocations. When two adjacent bones that form a joint become separated, the joint is dislocated. Dislocations are most common in shoulders, elbows, fingers, knees, and kneecaps.
- Sprain. Sprains are stretches or tears of ligaments. Ligaments are the bands of connective tissue that join bones together. Ligaments that are suddenly stretched past their limits may become deformed or torn. Sprains are most common in ankles, knees, and wrists.
- Acute injuries are quickly recognized and generally require an immediate visit to the doctor. The onset of a chronic injury may be less apparent, and unfortunately many wait to take action until the pain becomes unbearable.
- Strain. A strain is a twist, pull, or tear of a muscle or tendon. A tendon is a flexible cord of tissue that connects muscles to bones. Strains can happen during contact sports, but they can also happen from repeating the same motion again and again, such as golf.
- Tendinitis. Tendinitis is inflammation of a tendon. While a sudden injury can trigger tendinitis, it usually happens after repetitive motion, such as tennis. It often affects the shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, or ankle.
- Bursitis. Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa. The bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac that cushions bones, muscles, and tendons. Bursitis can be triggered by a trauma, but it can also result from repetitive motion, like throwing a ball. It usually affects the shoulders, elbows, hips, or knees.
Get Off the Bench with Proper Imagining and Faster Treatment
Doctors need to fully understand the type and extent of injury to treat it properly. If your healthcare provider suspects damage to your cartilage, ligaments, muscles, or tendons, then he or she will request detailed diagnostic imaging. This imaging will provide much more information than a traditional X-ray.
- MRI scans will help identify joint damage, sprains, or fractures as well as any tears to the meniscus, rotator cuff, or cartilage.
- CT scans will help analyze bones and soft tissues for trauma.
- An ultrasound will help identify tendinitis and other conditions related to tendons and joints.
- An anthrogram help doctors understand the cause of joint pain.
UMI Will Not Leave You Sidelined
While sport-specific athletic training can often help with injury prevention, college sports injuries do happen. Don’t delay sports medicine imaging for your own or your child’s injury. If you have a doctor’s order, make an appointment today. The type of imaging ordered by your doctor will obviously depend upon your specific injury. Rest assured that UMI has you covered.