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Common sports injuries
Competitive games demand as much knowledge about your body as they do muscle power

While sport, in one form or another, is usually a healthy thing to indulge in it can lead to aches and injuries. More often than not these injuries are minor and will cause severe discomfort for a few days before things return to normal. Depending on the nature of the sport you are indulging in, any part of your body might be susceptible to injuries. Though some sports indeed require more physical involvement than others you can mostly avoid injury by playing properly. And this can only be enhanced by the knowledge of prevention techniques and treatments for some of the common injuries in the world of sports.

1. Ankle Sprains
A sprained ankle is the most common of all ankle injuries. It occurs when there is a stretching and tearing of ligaments surrounding the ankle joint when the ankle is forced into an awkward position. The most common cause of an ankle sprain is applying weight to the foot when it is in an inverted or everted position. This happens most often while running or jumping on an uneven surface. Ankle sprains are classified into three grades depending on the degree of severity of the injury.

Treatment
For immediate relief, follow the RICE treatment plan – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. After applying the ice, wrap the ankle in an elastic bandage to keep it supported and compressed. An anti-inflammatory can be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation for the first seven to ten days after the injury.

A simple exercise where you draw the letters of the alphabet with your toes helps improve the situation further. Start putting weight on the injured ankle gradually, starting with only as much as you can tolerate. Trying to put too much weight might worsen things.

Any ankle injury that does not respond to treatment in one or two weeks may be more serious. Always consult a physician for a thorough evaluation and diagnosis.

2. Hamstring Pulls
Hamstring injuries are mostly common among players who indulge in sports that involve running. Hamstring muscles run down the back of the leg from the pelvis to the lower leg bones, and any injury can range from minor strains to total rupture of the muscle. The three muscles that make up the hamstrings are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. A hamstring injury can be recognised by a sudden, sharp pain in the back of the thigh that may stop you in the middle of your stride. After such an injury, the knee may not extend more than 30 to 40 degrees short of straight without intense pain.

Hamstring injuries are typically caused when muscle fibres and soft tissues are torn from excessive stretching. Muscle fatigue, poor muscle strength and lack of or inadequate warm up before starting one’s workout can also lead to such an injury.

Treatment
Treatment of hamstring injuries usually depends on the severity of the muscle pull, with a third degree strain requiring the services of a doctor. For less severe injuries one can use the RICE treatment. An anti-inflammatory usually helps in pain reduction while a stretching programme can be started as soon as possible to reduce the injury and nurse the muscles back to their normal state. This should be supplemented with exercises that will strengthen the muscles. Usually a thigh wrap is applied to provide support to the injured muscle to prevent further injury.

Prevention
Hamstring injuries can be prevented by warming up thoroughly before launching yourself into any sport that requires a high level of physical activity. It is equally important to warm down after the workout or a game with stretching exercises. It is also important to remember to do a little at a time and not to increase the intensity dramatically since this does not allow the body to get used to the sudden increase in physical strain.

3. Tennis Elbow
In medical terms tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. It is also one of the commonest forms of elbow injuries. It is caused by the accumulation of small tears of tendons in the arm. Intense gripping of rackets in sports like badminton, tennis, squash and table tennis can lead to it. Factors like lack of strength, poor technique and improper equipment also contribute towards it. Such injuries can also occur from a direct impact causing partial tears in the muscle.

Tennis elbow is typically accompanied by pain on the outside of the elbow, usually during or after intense use. In some cases, lifting or grasping objects may become difficult, while some people experience pain that radiates down the arm.

Treatment
Rest is the best treatment since overuse of wrist extensor muscles that pull the hand up is the primary cause of the injury. Discontinue all activities that cause the pain or aggravate it and supplement it with the RICE treatment. Wrapping the forearm near the elbow to provide support to the healing muscle is recommended.

A physiotherapist may use ultrasound or other modalities to help heal the damage of an injury. Additionally, he may prescribe exercises that enhance flexibility and strengthen muscles. In some cases, a wrist splint or brace may be recommended. Recurrence of tennis elbow is common and a return to activity should not occur too quickly. Exercises that stretch and strengthen the muscles should be done consistently.

4. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is fairly common among those who are just beginning an exercise program or resuming exercising after a long gap. The soreness is usually felt within 12 to 48 hours of starting the workout regimen, and may be accompanied by muscle stiffness, fatigue and weakness. Such soreness is more often than not the muscles' way of adapting to the new levels of activity and use, and over time such adaptation results in heightened muscle strength and endurance.

Causes
Delayed onset muscle soreness results from minute tears in muscle fibres. The amount of tearing and soreness depends on the activity, the intensity and the time of the activity. A rather intense form of soreness can afflict you if you engage in activities that result in eccentric contractions – where the contraction of the muscle occurs simultaneously with lengthening.

A typical example of such eccentric contraction is running down a staircase, lowering weights or running downhill. Apart from tears, swelling in muscles sometimes also leads to soreness.

Prevention
While muscle soreness is common, it is not a necessary part of any fitness schedule. Warm up thoroughly before activity and cool down completely after the activity with easy stretching.

Introduce new exercises to your regimen gradually instead of suddenly starting something you have not tried. If you are training with weights, start with a light one and a high number of repeats, increasing the weight gradually. Avoid making sudden changes to your routine and duration of exercise.

Treatment
In case you are already sore from that new exercise schedule or after a particularly intense game of football after a long time, you can use the RICE treatment plan that is usually effective in most pains caused by wear and tear to muscle fibre and tissue.
Gentle stretching and massaging of the affected areas also help reduce soreness, as does low-impact aerobic exercises that will increase blood flow to the affected regions. Allow the soreness to subside thoroughly before resuming heavy exercises to prevent even more damage to the muscles.