Health blog Category: Sports Injuries
Common Sports Injuries
If you have ever played a sport, you have probably experienced some type of injury, whether it be a concussion or a broken foot. The most common sports injuries occur due to acute trauma or overuse of a joint. Acute trauma is an injury that occurs due to force from a fall or tackle. These types of injuries have immediate sharp pain and swelling, and usually lead to a trip to the emergency room.
What are the most common acute trauma injuries?
The ‘Bell Ringer’ Injuries
Concussions are a traumatic brain injury, that alters brain functions such as, concentration, memory, balance, and coordination. When you think of the word ‘concussion’ you probably immediately think of ‘football’ or ‘football tackle’. However it is important to remember that you can get concussions from other sports, and even car accidents.
According to a study in the Journal of Athletic Training, 50% of concussions go unreported, Why is this?
In this study, it was determined that concussion knowledge, had a correlation with why some athletes reported concussion injuries, or ‘bell ringer’ injuries, and why others did not.
Preventing Sports Injuries 101
Exercise and fitness are important for all ages, and create dramatic changes in your overall health and well being. However, it is important for all levels of athletes and non-athletes to have proper warm-ups, stretches, and conditioning, in order to prevent injury. Too often, sports-related injuries occur and injury could have been easily prevented had the athlete thoroughly prepared their body for practices and games.
So what is an appropriate warm-up?
The warm-up, which typically lasts between 10-15 minutes, feeds the body.
Recover Faster From Surgery
My doctor is recommending surgery.
- How long will it take to recover?
- Will I be able to work during my recovery?
- If I have surgery I may be restricted from being able to walk, do laundry, take a shower, and cook along with many other everyday necessary tasks.
At some point during most of our lives, we will have to undergo some type of orthopedic surgery. It may be a joint replacement, ligament or tendon repair or even a fixation of a broken bone.
Read full blogWhat causes that muscle cramp or “charlie horse”?
By: Jeremy Schain, DPT
Without a doubt, many of you throughout the course of your lives have suffered a“Charlie horse” or “pulled a hamstring” while running, playing a sport, performing activity or simply while going about your daily life. Have you ever wondered what causes this to occur? Furthermore, how can they be treated and how can they be prevented in the future?
The hamstring is actually a group of three muscles:
- The biceps femoris
- The semitendinosis
- The semimembranosis)
These muscles work together to bend the knee as well as extend the hip.
Read full blogWhy Stopping Activity Short Term Will Help Long Term
Overuse injuries are some of the most common injuries we see here at Loudoun Sports Therapy Center. Overuse injuries are most commonly thought of with sports, but they can occur from simple everyday activities. An overuse injury is simply caused by any repetitive motion or activity.
Common Overuse injuries
- Tennis/golfers elbow
- Rotator cuff/biceps tendonitis
- Knee/hip pain
- Peroneal tendonitis
The most common cause of these overuse injuries is performing repetitive motions with decreased muscle strength.
Read full blogHow to Properly Start a Running Program
By: Angie Austin, LPTA
The start of the year often triggers people to start those New Year’s resolutions and improving physical fitness or exercising more are probably towards the top of most lists. A goal as specific as running can create dramatic changes to overall health and well being.
Benefits: Running is a great way for us to improve our cardiovascular health. As a form of aerobic exercise, running can reduce stress, improve heart health and alleviate symptoms of depression.
What happens when your muscles don’t have proper strength?
By: Mike Bills, MS PT
Typically there will be no immediate effect to not having the proper strength in a particular muscle in your body. The effects are usually more long term in the sense that “weakness” or lack of proper strength in an area results in excess friction on the bones in the joint, excessive wear and tear on tendons and cartilage around a joint, and more. This is why things like tendonitis get started.
Avoiding high impact activities because of joint discomfort
Knee injuries are one of the most common injuries that we see in physical therapy, whether it is sports related or just degenerative changes that occur as we age. Some of the most common injuries are sprains and strains, osteoarthritis, ligament injuries and meniscus injuries. All of these cause pain, weakness and a decrease in functional activities.
Ligament injuries more commonly occur with the more active patient population. Sports such as soccer and basketball that involve jumping, planting of the leg or a change in direction can cause ACL tears.
Read full blogWant to shake up a previous workout routine?
One of the most common complaints that runners have after committing to a running program is that their running plan becomes “stale”, “predictable” or “boring.” A primary reason for these feelings is a lack of progression. Running at the same pace for the same distances or for the same duration over and over again can wear you out quickly. As much as it may be tempting to just get out and run a little, taking time to plan can go a long way in terms of keeping your mind and body sharp as well as preventing injury. A running plan with controlled progression can completely change the way you approach your running.
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