Sports and injuries are synonymous as there is no sport or sports person who has not sustained an injury during his sporting career. Sports injuries are feared as they have physical and psychological effects which shortens a sportspersons career and also because these injuries have huge financial impact.

How does injury occur

Every person engaged in a sport has certain Intrinsic or internal risk factors, that makes them predisposed to an injury. When, these predisposed sportspersons or athletes gets exposed to extrinsic or external risk factors, they becomes susceptible to an injury. Many Intrinsic or internal risk factors like age, gender, body composition, physical fitness, skill level and anatomical factors have been described which makes an athlete predisposed for an injury. However, injury does not occur in a predisposed athlete. Extrinsic or external risk factors like sports environment, protective equipment and other human factors makes a predisposed athlete susceptible to an injury. An inciting event is then needed for injury to occur in these susceptible athletes. The inciting event may be the match, a slippery surface, improper shoe or poor technique.  Although, all injuries may not be prevented, the risk of sustaining an injury can definitely be reduced. Intrinsic risk factors cannot be changed or modified whereas, extrinsic risk factors can be changed or modified at any point in time. By correcting these modifiable risk factors, injuries can be prevented to a large extent.

Types of injuries

Dr. Ajay Singh Thakur, Consultant Arthroscopy & Sports Medicine Surgeon, Star Hospitals said" There are two types of injuries namely, acute injuries and overuse injuries. Acute injuries are injuries which occur following a single traumatic event, whereas, overuse injuries happen over a period of time due to multiple small traumatic events. Injuries like colliding with fellow athlete or injury sustained on the face by a ball or injuries sustained due to a fall on the field, injuries like muscle strains and ligament sprains are examples of acute injuries. Example of overuse injuries are bursitis, tendinitis and stress fractures.

Injury prevention

There are two main categories of injury prevention. Primary prevention and secondary prevention. Primary prevention is inclusion of planned exercises in the training program to prevent certain injuries and secondary prevention is doing exercises following an injury and return to sports avoiding re-injury. There are different methods of injury prevention or risk reduction. Some methods are utilized before the sporting event or match, some are utilized during the sporting event and some, after the sporting event. All modifiable intrinsic Risk factors have to be identified during the pre-participation examination. These risk factors can then be corrected surgically or non-surgically to reduce the risk of an eventual injury. Muscle imbalances have to be identified and corrected similarly. It is important to undergo mandatory training before you are ready to take up any particular sport. A basic routine of warm-up and stretching during the training and practice is mandatory. Ensuring that you are well hydrated and your nutritional requirements are adequate before and during the activity or match is important. If you have history of any injury or have been advised to brace or tape a particular area during the activity, follow it by taking the help of healthcare experts. Always use the necessary protective gear as per the requirement of the sport. Make sure you have good quality, appropriate size and suitable equipment for the sport. Do not over train or overdo any activity to rush into completing the training or the actual sport. In-adequate recovery and fatigue have been shown to be very important risk factors for an injury. Various methods like ice bath, massage, proper hydration and good quality sleep will help in recovery. Consuming high-quality proteins like beta-alanine, L-glutamine, BCAA+ and whey isolate are known to aid faster recovery.

When should you visit a doctor

Timely visits to a healthcare expert can help heal the painful injuries and prolong the sporting career.  Here are some red-flags:

• Chronic pain not relieved with physiotherapy
• Pain which come with activity like run-up or bowling or throwing
• Sudden decrease in throwing or lifting power
• Swelling of joints
• Instability or buckling of joints

For further details contact- 040 4477 7777, 9100 911 911

Book Appointment: Dr. Ajay Singh Thakur, Consultant Arthroscopy & Sports Medicine Surgeon, Star Hospitals