Common Sports Injuries Treatment and Prevention

Sports is a popular hobby for people all over the world. It is estimated that almost 30 million children and teens participate in sports in the U.S. However, participating in sports comes with the risk of sports injuries, which is extremely common. It is estimated that 3.5 million injuries occur as a result of sports annually. It is important to note that the term “sports injuries” refers to injuries that commonly occur during sports and exercise, but these injuries are not limited to athletes.

Sports Injuries in Singapore

Similarly, the popularity of sports in Singapore is rather high. In 2017, it was reported that 32.1% of Singaporeans had participated in sports or exercise at least once to twice a week, while 35.9% of Singaporeans had participated in sports or exercise at least thrice a week. While sports and exercise are key in leading a healthy lifestyle, sports injuries can sometimes be severe and have lasting effects on your body. It is important to understand the ways in which you can lower the risks of sustaining a sport injury in order to keep your body healthy.

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What are Sports Injuries?

Sports injuries can occur to anyone as long as they are physically active, even if they do not participate in sports. Sports injuries affect the musculoskeletal system, a network consisting of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and other tissues. This system allows us to move about physically and provides our body with the support it needs.
Sports injuries can be divided into two categories, acute and chronic injuries.
Acute injuries refer to those that happen suddenly, due to incidents such as:

A fall
A blow to the body
Twisting of a joint

Chronic injuries refer to those that develop over a longer period of time, usually due to the overuse of an area of the body.

Common Sports Injuries

There are many different types of sports injuries, typically caused by accidents, poor training practices, or improper gear. Sports injuries tend to happen at our joints, due to the demands placed on them when we participate in physical activities. The most common types of sports injuries include:

Rotator Cuff Injuries

The rotator cuff refers to a group of four muscles and tendons that stabilises the shoulder joint. Inflammation can occur at the rotator cuff due to overuse or injury. Rotator cuff injuries are common in people who carry out overhead motions repeatedly.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, occurs when small tears in the tendons in the elbows cause inflammation and pain. This is common among tennis or other racket sport players, as well as people with occupations that require repetitive use of their forearms.

Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, causes pain to the inner elbows that can spread to your forearms and wrists. This is typically caused by repetitive usage of the wrists and clenching of the fingers. This is common among golfers, thus the name.

Runner’s Knee

Runner’s Knee, or patellofemoral pain syndrome, causes pain near or under the knee caps. This condition is most common among runners but can also affect those who hike or cycle regularly.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear

ACL tears are extremely common in athletes. They typically occur as a result of sudden changes in direction, sudden stops or incorrect landings after a jump. ACL tears are most common in soccer and basketball players, but can also happen due to falls, slips and traffic accidents.

Meniscal Tear

The meniscus refers to a C-shaped cartilage between our shinbones and thighbones that protects our joints by absorbing shock and impact from our everyday activities such as walking and running. A meniscus tear is typically caused by activities that involve twisting and rotating of the knee, especially if there is weight placed on it.

Shin Splint

Shin splints, or medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS), cause pain in the shin. It is generally caused by overexertion of the muscles, tendons and bone tissues. It is a common sports injury among runners and joggers.

Ankle Sprain

Rolling, twisting, or turning your ankle in an awkward way can cause an ankle sprain to occur. The ligaments in your ankle are stretched and torn as a result. This is a common occurrence in sports that require a lot of pivoting, such as basketball and volleyball. Ankle sprains can happen as a result of daily activities. For example, walking on uneven surfaces can cause ankle sprains if you trip and fall.

Achilles Tendinitis

Achilles tendonitis is an injury to the Achilles tendon, typically the result of overuse. It is most commonly seen in runners who have suddenly increased the intensity or duration of their run, putting sudden extra strain on the Achilles tendon. It is also common amongst people who participate in sports on an irregular basis.

Common Symptoms of Sports Injuries

It is important for you to be able to spot the common signs of sports injuries, even if you are not an athlete. Sports injuries can cause pain and can be aggravated if you do not halt activity in time. Common symptoms of sports injuries include:

Severe pain
Swelling or bulging
Inability to move your joint normally
Weakness in limb
Bone or joint that looks out of place
Pain that worsens with physical activity
Swelling and aching when you rest

It is important that you stop all physical activity when you experience signs of a sports injury in order to protect your body. Appropriate and timely treatment with sufficient rest can help you avoid complications and speed up your recovery process.

Risk Factors of Sports Injuries

While anybody can get a sports injury, certain factors may increase your risk of sustaining a sports injury. These include:

Improper exercise technique
Overexertion
Sudden increase of training intensity
Insufficient rest
Running or jumping on hard surfaces such as concrete
Improper or poor fitting footwear
Prior injuries
Age

Preventing Sports Injuries

Sports injuries can be difficult and sometimes impossible to avoid. However, there are steps that you can take in order to lower your risk of sustaining a sports injury. These include:

Give your body sufficient rest. This can be done by exercising different muscle groups every day or exercising every other day.
Sufficient hydration. Keeping your body hydrated during physical activity can help you avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Conduct proper warmups before exercising. Proper warm-up sessions can help to prevent sports injuries.
Conduct proper cool-down sessions after exercising. Proper cool-down sessions can help to prevent sports injuries. Ideally, they should take about two times as long as your warm-ups.
Ensure that you use proper techniques during sports. Improper techniques can increase the amount of strain and stress on your muscles and tendons, increasing your risk of injury.
Progressive training. When increasing the intensity of your exercise or training, ensure that it is done progressively so that your muscles and tendons have sufficient time to adapt to the increasing strain placed on them.

Treatment and Rehabilitation for Sports Injuries

RICE Method for injuries – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation

Rest

Rest is the first step to treating any type of sports injury, besides medical emergencies such as a fracture. Immediately stopping any forms of physical activity will prevent further aggravation of your injury.

Ice

Applying an ice pack to the affected area can help to relieve pain and swelling. This can be done for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, every two to three hours.

Compression

Using bandages to compress the injured area can provide support, reduce blood flow and swelling.

Elevation

Elevating the injured area above your heart can help with controlling swelling and bruising, alleviating pain and discomfort.

Pain Relief Medication

The pain caused by a sports injury can sometimes be unbearable and cause discomfort. A doctor may prescribe pain relief medication to help treat symptoms of pain and swelling. This can include medications such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the form of tablets or creams.

Surgery

For severe sports injuries such as a fracture or a ligament tear, surgery may be required.

Immobilisation

Immobilising your injured limbs can be helpful in preventing further injuries by limiting movement. Slings, splints and casts can be used while your limbs heal from your injury. This will also help with alleviating pain, swelling and muscle spasms.

Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Sports injuries that do not go away on their own after a period of time may require physiotherapy and rehabilitation. Physiotherapy aims to help patients heal from their injuries and recover their quality of life. Through physiotherapy, your physical condition can also be improved, preventing future injuries.
Your physiotherapist will assess your physical condition and teach you exercises that aim to strengthen the muscles associated with your injury and improve the flexibility of these muscles. This will help you to manage your pain better as well as recover your lost range of motion. In addition, your physiotherapist may also advise you on how you can correct your technique and posture to prevent future sports injuries. For athletes, your physiotherapist will assist you in ensuring that your body is physically ready to return to competition in peak form at the end of your rehabilitation process, possibly even improving your performance.
Your physiotherapist may also suggest a range of physiotherapy services that are suitable for treating sports injuries by improving your pain symptoms and recovery process, such as dry needling, sports massage or deep tissue massage. These treatments can be used in conjuncture with your physiotherapy treatment for optimal results.

Deep Tissue Massage

A deep tissue massage targets the deeper layers of your muscles to relieve and treat muscle and tendon pain, stiffness, and injuries. Deep tissue massages can involve a substantial amount of deep, slow, long pressure to reach the deeper layers of your muscles. This can cause slight physical discomfort, making it an unconventional massage therapy that is best suited for treating sports injuries.

Manual Therapy and Exercises

Soft Tissue Mobilisation: Soft tissue mobilisation techniques, such as massage, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy, are used to reduce muscle tension, break down scar tissue, and improve circulation in the injured tissues.
Joint Mobilisation: Gentle joint mobilisation techniques may be applied to improve joint mobility, reduce stiffness, and restore normal joint mechanics in the affected area.
Range of Motion Exercises: Passive and active range of motion exercises help restore flexibility and mobility in the injured joint or muscle.
Strengthening Exercises: Progressive strengthening exercises target the muscles surrounding the injured area to improve strength, stability, and function. Resistance bands, weights, and functional exercises may be incorporated to progressively challenge the muscles.
Proprioception and Balance Training: Proprioceptive exercises, such as balance and stability exercises, help improve proprioception (awareness of body position) and neuromuscular control to reduce the risk of re-injury.
Core Strengthening: Strengthening exercises for the core muscles (abdominals, lower back, hips) help improve stability and biomechanics, which can alleviate strain on the injured area and promote optimal movement patterns.

TENS Therapy

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation uses a device to deliver low-voltage electrical impulses through electrodes on the skin. It helps modulate pain signals and release natural pain-relieving chemicals.

Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound Therapy uses high-frequency sound waves to generate heat deep within tissues. It Promotes tissue healing, increases blood flow, and reduces pain and inflammation. It is often used for soft tissue injuries like muscle strains, ligament sprains, and tendonitis.

TCM for Sports Injuries

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments for sports injuries focus on reducing pain, inflammation, and promoting healing while restoring balance to the body's energy. Common TCM treatments for sports injuries include acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping therapy, and gua sha.

TCM Acupuncture

Acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate energy flow and alleviate pain. It can help reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation, and promote tissue healing in sports injuries.

TCM Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine in TCM utilizes a combination of herbs tailored to the individual's specific injury and constitution. These herbs may have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and tissue-regenerating properties to aid in the healing process.

TCM Cupping Therapy

Cupping therapy involves placing cups on the skin to create suction, which helps increase blood flow, reduce muscle tension, and promote healing. It can be effective in treating muscle strains, sprains, and other soft tissue injuries common in sports.

TCM Gua Sha

Gua sha is a technique that involves scraping the skin with a massage tool to promote blood circulation and alleviate pain. It can help reduce inflammation, release muscle tension, and improve range of motion in injured areas.

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