10 Most Common Sports Injuries: Common Causes & Signs You Should Go to the ER
It is no secret that more and more people are looking to improve their fitness and therefore their quality of life and overall health and as such we are seeing more and more people take up a sport to keep fit, mostly during the weekends or after work. When you add these folks to those who are already doing sports professionally as well as those that are playing sports while at school, be it in high school or college, you will find that the number of people doing sports and taking part in any sporting activity has never been higher. While this is a good thing, as it promotes good health, one of the biggest drawbacks that has come with it is a corresponding increase in the number of people suffering from sports related injuries and needing to visit an ER for the same, such as the excellent frontlineer.com. Here, it is worth noting that whether you are a professional athlete or one who is doing sports part-time, mostly during the weekends, getting injured pretty much comes with the territory. While there are lots of sports injuries one can suffer, there are those that seem to occur more commonly than others. This article will look to highlight the top 10 most common ones, their causes and signs that one needs to go to the ER as far as they are concerned.
ACL Strains and Tears
The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL in short, is one of the main ligaments in the knee that helps stabilize it. Given that it is in the knee, it is safe to say that it bears a lot of stress as far as sports is concerned and as such ACL strains and tears are one of the most common sports injuries out there. It is most commonly caused by slowing down then trying to pivot, change directions or accelerate again suddenly. A complete ACL tear is one of the most devastating sports injury out there as it requires surgery then months of gruesome physical therapy for one to recover fully. Signs that one needs to go to the ER here include obvious weakness and deformity in the knee, severe swelling and tenderness, inability to put weight on the injured knee, a popping sound among others.
Concussion
This is yet another very common sports injury and it is a traumatic brain injury caused by a knock to the head leading to the jarring and shaking of the brain. The cause as far as concussions go is head trauma and as such it is common in contact sports such as football, soccer, hockey among others. Severe concussion should always lead to a visit to the ER. Signs of a severe concussion are if one losses consciousness after the knock to the head even if it is only momentary. Other signs include severe headache, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech, confusion, issues with memory among others.
Ankle Injuries
Ankle injuries are also quite common as far as sports go, especially in sports that involve a lot of movement such as football, basketball, tennis among others. Common ankle injuries include ankle sprains and ankle fractures. The common cause of most ankle injuries is twisting or rolling the ankle due to abrupt turning or awkward landing while playing sports. Signs to go to the ER here, as per the gurus over at frontlineer.com, include if there is clear deformity in the injured ankle, severe pain, an inability to move the toes on the foot of the injured ankle, numbness in the injured ankle, the foot is turning blue or is cold to the touch, there is an open wound on the ankle, signs of infection as well as an inability to put weight on the injured ankle.
Neck Injuries
Neck injuries are also quite common in sports, especially in contact sports. The most common cause of neck injuries is when one lands awkwardly during a fall while in action. They are a common injury when it comes to cheerleaders. Neck injuries should always be taken seriously and some of the signs one needs to go to the ER after a neck injury include an inability to swallow, numbness, tingling sensation, arm weakness, paralysis among others.
A Hit to the Chest
This is yet another common sports injury, with the common cause being collisions or hits while in action, especially in contact sports. Signs to go to the ER is if one is experiencing severe chest pain, if they are having shortness of breath and difficulties breathing. Most hits to the chest lead to broken ribs.
Abdominal injuries
Abdominal injuries are also quite common, with their main cause being hits and knocks while playing contact sports. The most common, and most dangerous abdominal injury is a ruptured spleen which can be life-threatening and needs immediate medical attention in the ER, with frontlineer.com being one of the best around. Signs that one needs to go to the ER are severe pain, especially in the left-upper side of the abdomen, which may radiate to the shoulder. This is indicative of a ruptured spleen and should be taken very seriously.
Muscle Strains
These are also quite common in sports given the strain muscles take when one is in action. Main cause of muscle strains is sudden use of a particular muscle when in action, such as sudden acceleration, turning and such movements. Muscles that are commonly strained include hamstring muscles, abdominal muscles, triceps, calf muscles, neck muscles among others. Signs to go to the ER for a muscle strain include if one hears a popping sound during the injury, an inability to walk, severe tenderness and swelling, open wounds, severe pain and fever among others.
Eye Injuries
Eye injuries are also quite common especially with sports that involve throwing of balls, or pucks in hokey. Common cause is getting hit by a bat, a ball such as baseball or a hockey puck. Accidental hits, and also those that are not so accidental, especially by players who play dirty, to the eye by flailing arms and elbows can also lead to eye injuries. Signs that one needs to go to the ER as far as eye injuries go is if one suffers deep cuts on the eyelid, a punctured eyeball, acute hyphema, orbital fractures among others.
Fractures
This is yet another very common injury in sports and are commonly caused by awkward landings especially as heavy hits especially during tackles in contact sports such as soccer, football among others. Here, as is covered in detail over at frontlineer.com, signs that one needs to go to the ER include if bone is protruding from the skin, there is severe bleeding, the injured part is turning blue or is cold to the touch, numbness among others.
Dislocations
Dislocations are also quite common in sports and mostly involve the shoulder, elbow, knee cap as well as fingers. A dislocation is basically an injury where the bone is pushed or pulled out of position in a joint and can be very painful. Common causes for dislocations include falls and blows while in action. Signs that one needs to go to the ER include severe pain in the injured joint, clear deformity, an inability to move the joint, numbness and a tingling sensation, open wounds among others.
Hopefully, this article will help you know when to go to the ER for some of the most common sports injuries out there, with frontlineer.com being one of the best places to visit out there for such services.
