Sporting Injuries & Treatment

What causes sports injuries

The benefits of sports and exercise far outweigh the risks, but occasionally injuries do happen

Sports injuries can be caused by:

• an accident – such as heavy blow
  
• not warming up properly before exercising
  
• using inappropriate equipment or poor technique
  
• pushing yourself too hard
  

Almost any part of the body can be injured, including the muscles, bones, joints, tendons and ligaments. The ankles and knees are particularly prone to injury.

What to do if you have an injury

If you've injured yourself, you may have immediate pain, tenderness, swelling, bruising, and restricted movement or stiffness in the affected area. Sometimes, these symptoms may only be noticeable several hours after exercising or playing sports.

Stop exercising if you feel pain, regardless of whether your injury happened suddenly or you’ve had the pain for a while. Continuing to exercise while injured may cause further damage and slow your recovery.

If you have a severe injury, such as a broken bone, dislocation or severe head injury, go to your nearest A & E as soon as possible.

Treating a sports injury

You can usually treat common minor injuries yourself by:

• resting the affected part of the body for the first 48-72 hours to prevent further damage
  
• regularly applying an ice pack to the affected area during the first 48-72 hours to reduce swelling
  
• using over-the-counter painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to relieve pain
  

If your symptoms are severe or don't improve within a few days or weeks seek out specialist support, such as physiotherapy or osteopathy.

Serious injuries will occasionally require surgery to align misplaced bones, fix broken bones, or repair torn ligaments.

Depending on the type of injury, it can take a few weeks or months to make a full recovery. While recovering, it's important not to do too much too soon – aim to increase your level of activity gradually over time.

Preventing sports injuries

You can reduce your risk of getting injured by:

• warming up properly before exercise‍
  
• not pushing your body beyond your current fitness level
  
• using the right equipment – for example, wearing running shoes for running
  
• receiving coaching to learn correct techniques