Sports injuries are injuries that occur in athletic activities. They can be divided into two categories: Acute injuries, which are the result of a specific impact or a traumatic event, or Chronic/Overuse injuries which result from wear and tear (Overuse) on the body and occur over an extended period of time.
Acute injuries include bone fractures, muscle and tendon strains, ligament sprains and bruising. These injuries are very common among players of contact sports like rugby, football or boxing.
Chronic injuries include Tendionopathy (Refers to a disease of a tendon i.e. Tendonitis) Bursitis (Inflammation of a Bursa) and stress fractures. These are more common among long distance runners and players of sports which involve repetitive movement such as tennis or gymnastics.
Anatomy of a Sports Injury
Muscles – These are the tissues that contract to produce force and create movement. The Skeletal muscles which attach to the skeleton are often prone to being strained or “pulled” which involves the tearing of muscle fibres. This is often referred to as a muscle tear depending on the severity.
Tendons – These are fibrous connective tissues that attach muscle to bone, mostly made up of collagen (A protein). Tendons help to create movement by enabling the muscles to exert force on the bones. These can be strained or ruptured and tendinopathy is pain caused by overuse or repetitive movement.
Bones – The skeleton serves six major functions; support, movement, protection, production of blood cells, storage of minerals and endocrine regulation. It is connected together via ligaments. Bone fractures and breaks can occur when a force is applied to the bone which is greater than it is structurally able to withstand.
Joints – These are capsules made up of cartilage, ligaments, tendons and bursae which hold together two or more bones to facilitate movement. Partial or full dislocation can occur at these joints (Specifically more mobile joints such as the shoulder) and this can result in severe damage to the supporting structures.
Ligaments – These are fibrous connective tissue that attach bone to bone, mostly made up from collagen (A protein). Ligaments provide stability to joints by limiting movement. An overstretched or torn ligament is known as a Sprain (Muscles and tendons = Strain)
Cartilage – This is a fibrous connective tissue that forms the smooth surfaces over the ends of the bones where they form the joint. It allows smooth movement and absorbs impact and friction. Cartilage can become worn or torn from overuse or a trauma.
Bursae – These are small fluid filled sacs which reduce friction in some areas of the joints. They are usually located where muscles and tendons slide across bones. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae due to overuse or infection.
Most Common Causes of Injury
Failure to warm up properly – Resulting in your muscles being less responsive and prone to strain.
A good warm up should involve:
Raise – Body temperature and heart rate
Activate – Key muscle groups.
Mobilise – Joints – Done dynamically with movements specific to the activity.
Potentiate – Prime the body for the maximal intensities it will be required to produce.
Overtraining – Will increase the risk of chronic injury by putting continuous stress on the body without allowing time to rest.
Excessive Loading on the Body – If excessive loads are placed on the body the tissues will eventually give way resulting in injury.
Poor Exercise Technique – Resulting in overloading of the wrong muscle groups which can result in acute/traumatic injuries or chronic/overuse injuries if the movement is carried out repeatedly.
Genetic Factors – These are intrinsic (Belonging to you) and influence the shape and structure of your body, Some idividuals may suffer from joint laxity or other conditions that can make them more susceptible to injury.
Muscle Weakness or Imbalance – This lack of strength can make a person more prone to injury and asymmetry and imbalance can result in chronic injuries as a result of poor posture and movement pattern.
Lack of Flexibility – This will limit your range of movement around a joint or a series of joints and therefore reduce your body’s capability to perform certain tasks, resulting in an increased risk of injury.
Recurring Injury – This can weaken your body and make it more susceptible to other injuries (Secondary injuries – Injuries as a result of a prior injury)
Accidents – Often the result of an impact or collision during a sporting activity, or dropping of kit and equipment in a gym environment resulting in acute/traumatic injuries.
Inappropriate Equipment – Resulting in your body not being correctly supported or protected.