People imagine that athletes are unstoppable juggernauts on the field and off. These men and women can run faster, lift heavier, and play harder than the average Joe. At the same time, athletes are far more likely to sustain an injury than other people.
It’s not always possible to avoid injuries while on the field, court, or track. However, knowing the most common types of sports injuries can help you take proactive steps to prevent them and know what to do when they do occur.
Repetitive Stress Injuries
When you’re making the same motions day in and day out—whether you’re jumping, swinging your arm, or spinning your body—it takes its toll after a while. When this happens, you end up with repetitive stress injuries, which involve damage and pain caused by repetitive motion. Some of the most common sports injuries of this type include:
- Jumper’s knee
- Tennis elbow
- Trigger finger
- Tendinitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
Fortunately, repetitive stress injuries are not severe. Treatment tends to involve resting and taking anti-inflammatory medications until the area feels better. CBD is also known to reduce chronic pain and inflammation and may be effective in managing this type of injury.
Sprains
It isn’t only the muscles that take a beating during high-impact sports. Every time you jump up, flick your wrist, or turn mid-stride, you put your joints under immense pressure. At times, this can cause the ligaments between bones to stretched or tear, leading to a sprain.
The best practice for taking care of strains is RICE therapy, which stands for:
- Rest
- Ice the injury
- Compression
- Elevate the injury
You’ll be off your feet for about two weeks. During that time, you should apply an ice pack to the area periodically and use compression bandages. Keeping the injury elevated on a pillow will also speed healing.
Note on Strains
Because we use the same strategies to treat sprains and strains, people often confuse them for the same thing. While a sprain involves tearing a ligament, a strain focuses on the muscle or the tissue connecting the muscle to bones.
Concussions
Some people think of them as a bad headache after you hit your head, but concussions are actually brain injuries. Treating them as such is essential to making sure you recover from them well. Signs you have a concussion might include:
- Headache
- Blurry vision
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Ringing ears
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Memory issues
If you think you have a concussion, do not go back into a game, and don’t rush back into regular activity. Rest and avoid doing mentally taxing activities or looking at screens for at least a week after. Also, avoid taking ibuprofen or aspirin, as these may worsen bleeding in the brain.
