5 Ways Athletes Can Deal with Sporting Injuries

5 Ways Athletes Can Deal with Sporting Injuries

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Your body is the most important tool of the trade as an athlete. Unfortunately, the rigorous and at times grueling exercises that your body is subjected to, to achieve top form, takes a toll on you and at times results in injuries.

The nature of an athlete's work dictates that you will not miss out on injuries here and there. When unavoidable injuries occur, you can rest assured that all is lost because there are several ways athletes can deal with sporting injuries.

Reasons for sporting injuries could be caused by; not training, overtraining, wearing wrong sporting gear and safety equipment

Athletes experience two major types of Sporting injuries

Chronic Injuries

These injuries are sometimes called overuse injuries. They are a result of repetitive activities and usually happen over a long period.

Running, serving tennis balls and all other sporting activities may appear harmless at first.

Your body is vulnerable to tendonitis and stress fractures when sporting activities are carried out over a long time without giving your body enough time to rest and recover.

If you neglect the chronic injuries, they may advance to acute injuries and spell doom to your sporting endeavors.

Acute Injuries

These are injuries that occur mainly on impact. They typically cause concussions, strains and sprains, cuts, and fractures.

Body Parts Vulnerable to Injuries and How to Treat Them

Though you can get injuries in any part of your body while sporting, certain body parts are more vulnerable to injuries than others.

Neck and Head Injuries

These injuries are very common to contact sports athletes like basketball players, rugby players, and footballers.

Horse riders and gymnasts are exposed to these injuries as they are highly vulnerable to falls and collisions.

Neck and Head Injuries include; burners, fractures, bruises, concussions, sprains, strains, and whiplash (neck injury caused by a sudden jerking of your head).

Treatment

Given time, most neck and head injuries heal on their own. However, you can fasten the healing process and ease the pain by use of a pain-relieving cream.

Ice your neck and take prescribed drugs from an authorized medical officer.

Wrists and Hand Injuries

You will experience these kinds of injuries when you fall. The impact of a fall forces the fingers to move backward which results in finger breakages, swelling of the palm, and breaking of the hand.

Treatment

In sports like boxing, the hand is a crucial body part, and protecting it from injuries cannot be overlooked.

Use pain-relieving creams and visit an authorized physician in cases of broken fingers.

Ankle and Feet Injuries

Sporting activities that involve a lot of movement make your ankles and feet high vulnerable to injuries.

Running, in particular, exposes your feet to tissue and tendon injuries, swelling, and pains caused by wearing wrong fitting shoes.

Your ankles are likely to be injured when you run on rocky or mountainous terrain.

Treatment

Massage the swollen parts of your feet and use pain-relieving creams. Hot water may also help if the pain-relieving cream is not available. In extreme cases visit your doctor for further assistance.

Ways of Dealing with Injuries

The first question after your injury is "when will I get back to action?" This can only be answered by looking at the extent of your injury and advice from your physical therapist or physician. Follow instructions given by your medical team and avoid any activities that could lead to another injury.

When you have fully recovered, you may need to invest in protective gear that will shield your body from future injuries. This may include extra padding to reduce impact and modified shoes that will make your running easier.

Make it a habit to warm up before participating in any sporting activities and when you finally get back to the field, take it slow to avoid another injury until you build back to where you once were.

Most importantly, know your body limits and always be armed with a medical kit to assist you in times of injuries. Also, look for a good pain spray to make your first aid comfortable.

Always know that the first way of dealing with sporting injuries is by preventing them.

In conclusion, the five ways that athletes can deal with sporting injuries include;

●Massaging injured parts

●Use of proper sporting and preventative gear to avoid further injuries

●Use of pain-relieving creams

●Therapy

●Minor surgeries for advanced injuries