We are used to our favorite players getting injured and being out for several weeks or months. But we are shocked when we sprain our ankle and can’t walk for a whole month straight.
Professional athletes train constantly and are therefore less prone to serious sports injuries, which is not the case with amateur athletes.
Head injury: Suffering a concussion
The most vulnerable part of the human body is the head. Athletes such as boxers, rugby players, or water polo players often suffer concussion from repeated blows to the head. Of course, a sprint runner can also fall head over heels and injure hisor her head.
A concussion is basically a rapid and sudden movement of the brain within the skull due to a severe blow to the head. The result of this trauma is injury and, in more severe cases, inflammation.
The most common consequences of a concussion are loss of consciousness, confusion, and severe headaches. The affected person should be taken to a nearby medical facility immediately and you should not let them fall asleep.
Painful pulling of a muscle
Tearing muscle fibers causes a lot of pain for amateur athletes. The injury is particularly painful when it happens when you are not warmed-up enough. That is why every training session should start with a warm-up at least 10 minutes long.
In most cases, muscles of the lower part of the body get pulled because they are exposed to greater strain. A pulled hamstring or a pulled calf are common sports injuries even among professionals.
The key to avoiding this type of injury is to start slow and gradually warm up your muscles before you are ready to push your body to the limit.
Hurting your shoulder
One of the most common injuries suffered by quarterbacks is shoulder injuries. In fact, any sport that requires quick shoulder movements, such as throwing a ball, has a high percentage of shoulder injuries.
From a simple shoulder sprain to a rotator cuff tear and inflamed tendons, there are numerous things that can go wrong in the shoulder joint. Alignment of the shoulder muscles is tricky, so you need to pay attention to the direction and intensity of your movements.
You can always strengthen the muscles of the upper body through shoulder exercises.
A lot can go wrong with your ankle
When talking about the frequency, a sprained ankle is by far the most common of all sports injuries. Essentially, every time your foot rolls sideways, the Achilles tendon takes a hit and a sharp pain brings you down.
Applying an ice pack after the injury will help reduce the pain but you will need sports podiatry to fully recover. A podiatric treatment involves a biomechanical assessment, 3D foot scanning, and even orthotics.
The most common issue with the knee
Suffering from a runner’s knee is common in amateur joggers. When repeated, the misaligned movement of the kneecap causes the cartilage to rub against the bone, wearing it off in the process.
What would normally take decades to deteriorate, occurs over the span of several years, so runners feel as if they had the knees of an eighty-year-old.
Apart from a painful sensation inside the knee, the joint can swell. The best treatments are cold treatments and rest.
The latter is the best remedy for all podiatric injuries, as muscle tissues are renewed only when it’s not strained. Runner’s knee prevention involves supportive footwear that helps stabilize the knee.
Tennis elbow
As the name suggests, tennis elbow is a condition that affects tennis players because of the particular movements they make with the arm that holds the racket. The injury causes pain in the areas just outside the elbow.
Although the greatest risk occurs when playing tennis, tennis elbow occurs after any strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm. The injury causes pain in the areas just outside the elbow and you can try PRP for tennis elbow as a therapy.
Nasty groin strain
If you like football, then you’re not alone, as a quarter of a billion people play football regularly. However, every time you run onto the pitch, you risk a groin strain. An injury common in footballers, a groin pull occurs when sudden and forceful movement affects the hip’s flexor muscles.
In severe cases, athletes can no longer walk normally, as they experience muscle spasm and swelling. Apart from rest, ice, and compression, groin strain is best cured by physical and massage therapy.
Are you experiencing back pain?
Although back pain is usually associated with old age, it can also be the result of intensive physical activity. The pain occurs when a crack appears in the rear portion of the spine.
When strain is excessive and repetitive, lower back pain intensifies, crippling your efforts to walk straight, let alone play a sport. Like with a groin strain, physical therapy is the best treatment, consisting of flexibility and strength exercises.
Amateur athletes are especially at risk of serious injury because their bodies aren’t as “fine-tuned” as professional athletes’ bodies are. That’s why a proper warm-up protects against the most common types of sports injuries, from a sprained ankle to a groin strain.
