This for the weekend warriors who chooses to participate in sporting activity, or for those who are athletic and sports is their chosen career. Bodies begin to hurt. Injuries happen and are common, where certain areas of the body, muscles, ligaments, and bones can take a beating.
Every time that we do anything physical, what we risk is some type of injury. This the consequence we pay for exercising, where the intention is to get healthier, but too much strain in certain areas can have a detrimental effect.
So every time that you step out on the field, the golf course or track, you expose yourself to injuring certain parts of your body. However, that doesn’t usually stop us from putting our bodies out there.
What we do is put ourselves through continuous repetitive and usually strenuous motion which places too much stress on certain muscles, bones, and joints. This can then lead to muscle tears, sprains, and other hurts of the human body, this when pushed to its limits.
Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis occurs once the plantar fascia is aggravated, which is the connective tissue on the sole of the feet at the bottom of the heel, which becomes painfully inflamed from the constant pounding.
You’ll know immediately, this once you begin to experience sharp shooting pain directly on the bottom of the foot, this when you take a step after a period of inactivity.
Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles tendonitis will occur once the tendon that’s located at the back of the ankle begins to suffer repetitive stress, thus becoming strained.
This is a common injury for those just beginning to run, usually with the improper shoes, or any type of jumping sports. The result is the tendon becoming so painfully inflamed that walking and at times even supporting yourself up on the affected leg, can become impossible.
Runner’s Knee
This injury is one of the biggest reasons why orthopedic surgeons are kept busy, as it comprises close to 50% percent of their medical activity, which are bad knees.
Runner’s knee will occur once there’s a tear, this because of extended wear and tear or improper training, which deteriorates the tendon that’s located right below the kneecap.
This is the most common type of knee injury which affects any activity that involves the knee to move, such as running, soccer, basketball, football, cyclists, tennis, and volleyball players.
ACL Injuries
Anterior Cruciate Ligament or ACL injuries are more serious, another injury which results from sport activities which involves sudden running starts and stops, as well as quick or twisting directional changes.
The ACL is one of 4 ligaments which are set deep within the knee. A complete or even a partial tear can occur whenever the feet isn’t set properly to absorb the shock of a hard landing, or being hit hard in that area.
Hamstring Injuries
Hamstring injuries affect those who places too much strain on the back upper thighs, this once they run or perform high impact moves which are directly absorbed by the hamstring muscles.
These are the long cord-like muscle which runs down the back of the leg. Normally, they’re usually a tight and rigid muscle, but from repeated physical activity, they’re prone to tears, pulls, strains, and at times serious muscle ruptures.
Strained Groin Pulls
A strained groin pull usually results once the muscles of the abductors, which are fan shaped, located near the upper thigh are stretched too far.
What this results in is the area becoming bruised and swollen. This is a critical area as what the abductor muscles do is they draw the legs together.
From too much activity or hit hard in that area, what’s risked is a groin pull, this especially from activities which involves sudden starts and stops, or quick directional changes. Sports of this nature includes hockey, soccer, basketball, and tennis.
Tennis Or Golf Elbow
Elbow injuries will commonly occur from those sports which overuses or overextends the arm joint, such as golf or tennis, hence the name of the injury.
This injury occurs, beginning with the gradual degeneration of the epicondyle tendon located near the elbow, this from constant repeated moves such as backhand strokes playing tennis or erratic golf swings.
What results is chronic inflammatory pain on both sides of the elbow, usually on the inside for golfers and the outside of the elbow for tennis players.
Torn Rotator Cuff
Sounds painful enough. What a tear in the rotator cuff does is it affects the tendons of one or at times multiple rotator cuff muscles located in the shoulder area.
There are four rotator cuff muscles in total, all which can be vulnerable to damage, resulting in chronic pain, tingling, numbness, or rapid shooting pains. Once the arm is forced up or lifted over the head, is when the pain is felt.
Head Concussions
A concussion is a result from serious head trauma, and isn’t isolated to sporting activity, as any serious blunt force knock to the head area can result in a concussion.
A severe concussion can occur when the force is so strong that the brain actually rattles and bangs around in the skull, which fires off brain cells which can simulate a seizure.
A concussion will most often occur from a severe and sudden unexpected blow to the head during contact sports, such as hockey or football, but can also occur from car accidents or banging the head without support.
What concussions can cause is disorientation, dizziness, headaches, vision problems, loss of memory, slurred speech, and nausea.
It’s thought that an athlete can effectively manage one or two concussions without sustaining any permanent damage, but repeated occurrences of concussions can cause permanent brain damage.