An active lifestyle comes with its own set of risks. If you are active, which is the case with people who play sports, injuries are bound to happen. These injuries are classified as sports injuries and can be due to several reasons, such as lack of rest and hydration, poor biomechanics, overuse, and not warming up and cooling down. Accidents can also occur during sports play, falls, sudden and forceful turns, and collisions with objects or other players.
Fortunately, there are orthopedic surgeons that specialize in diagnosing and treating injuries from sports and exercise, called sports medicine doctors. Let’s talk about the types of injuries sports medicine doctors treat.
Sprains and Strains
A sprain is an injury to a ligament, while a strain is an injury to a muscle or tendon. Ankle sprains are a very common sports injury and result from a twisting of the foot. Strains, on the other hand, usually affect the lower back, calves, groin, and hamstring muscles, and are a result of overstretching of muscles and usually occur in athletes after off-seasons.
Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries are damage to soft tissues due to repetitive stress that causes them to become overstretched and develop tears. These are often caused by a lack of training and conditioning and poor technique. Conversely, fatigue and overtraining can also lead to overuse injuries. The common areas affected by overuse injuries are the elbow, arm, shoulder, foot, and ankle. In almost every sport, the upper and lower extremities are called upon to perform, thereby making them susceptible to overuse injuries. Examples of overuse injuries affecting the upper and lower extremities are tennis elbow, rotator cuff injuries, plantar fasciitis, and Achilles tendon injuries.
Fractures and Dislocations
As hard as bones are, they too can break when the pressure is greater than what they can take. Fractured bones and dislocations are common in sports. The hands, wrists, feet, and ankles are prone to fractures, while the shoulder is the most commonly dislocated joint. The sudden impact from a blow, trauma, or a bad fall can lead to fractures and dislocations.
Knee Injuries
Sudden twisting and turning motions are usually the cause of knee ligament injuries. The anterior cruciate ligament or ACL is the most commonly injured ligament of the knee. It is most common in athletes who play soccer, basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, and skiing.
Sports Medicine Doctors in Hartford County, CT & Springfield, MA
It can be frightening to have an injury, especially if you have not yet chosen a specialist for your care. You want to be able to play your sport for a very long time, so don’t leave your treatment in the hands of an inexperienced doctor.
For expert treatment of sports injuries, choose Advanced Orthopedics New England. We treat the full range of sports injuries using non-surgical or minimally invasive treatments, as well as other highly advanced methods. To schedule an appointment with one of our sports medicine doctors, call our clinic today at (860) 728-6740.