There are a lot of ways you can hurt yourself exercising, ranging from a small blister to a surgery appointment. Read on to find out where the line is on each of them and how to handle your sports injury.
1. Concussion
The most common sports injury, to the point that there are movies about it, is a concussion. Concussions are caused by a blow to the head, either by a helmet, ball, rogue elbow, environment, etc. It is considered a traumatic brain injury and affects cognitive function. Repeated concussions can cause long-term problems such as memory loss and executive function.
You might not always experience a loss of consciousness if you have a concussion. Other symptoms include confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, double or blurred vision, headache, nausea, noise or light sensitivity and a slowed reaction to stimuli. Someone having a concussion may be irritable, have balance issues, unequal pupil size and even seizures.
A one-off concussion can be treated with painkillers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen and plenty of rest, but if you have bleeding or swelling in the brain, surgery may be required.
2. Sprains
A lot of the injuries in this guide can be caused by not properly stretching before a workout, as is the case with most sprains. Overstretching or tearing the ligaments of you calves, ankles, knees, can cause a lot of pain, but also swelling, bruising, tenderness, and the inability to put weight on the affected limb.
You can treat a sprained ankle at home by keeping it supported and rested. Consider wrapping it in elastic bandages, wearing a brace, or using crutches if needed. Elevating your ankle will reduce the swelling, as will applying ice. Apply ice three to four times a day for 20-30 minutes and take ibuprofen or acetaminophen to deal with the pain.
Severe ankle sprains might have to be surgically worked on in either an arthroscopy to look for loose fragments of bone or cartilage or a reconstruction surgery to stitch your ligaments back together.
Knee sprains are a little more complicated and require a doctor to look at it as soon as possible. If you heard a pop, that’s obviously not good. It can indicate your knee is forced out of its natural position. A doctor may recommend pain killers like acetaminophen or prescribe something stronger. Rest, ice, and compression as with the ankle will all help at home, but there are also exercises you can do to strengthen your knee. Try some leg lifts, thigh strengthening exercises, raising up on your toes and thigh and calf stretches as well as weight training with hamstring curl and leg press equipment.
3. Shin splints
Also known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, shin splints are a pain in the front of your lower leg caused by excessive force on the shin bone and tissue around it. You will feel inflammation from the muscles around the bone swelling and possibly dull ache in your shin or the sides of it, pain that increases during exercise, swelling in the leg, or numbness in the feet.
Shin splints can be dealt with at home with two weeks rest, compression, ice, and painkillers, but see a doctor if you shin feels hot or is visibly swollen or painful even while resting. You can use foam rollers to massage the shins and avoid further injuries by wearing more supportive shoes and warming up well before a workout.
4. Dehydration
If you feel headaches or muscle cramps while you work out, you could be suffering from dehydration. You body may not be receiving enough water to replace what you’re sweating out, leading to dizziness, and in severe cases heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
Dehydration can also leave you feeling tired, which is just counterproductive while exercising. Keep a bottle on you and stay hydrated by drinking every 15 minutes, even if you’re not thirsty to avoid things like cramps and lightheadedness.
Have a look at this article on dehydration for more information on how to keep hydrated while you’re working out.
5. Rotator cuff injury
One of the four muscles and tendons keeping your shoulder in good shape, rotator cuffs are injured by strains, tendinitis, and bursitis. It is most common in tennis and basketball players.
Overuse of the rotator cuff causes it to become inflamed, leading to tendinitis. Bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs between the rotator cuff and the underlying bone: the bursa. Strains and tears overstretch and partially or completely tear the tendons around your rotator cuff.
Common symptoms include difficulty moving the shoulder, difficulty sleeping on the shoulder, weakness in the shoulder or pain when reaching.
You can treat a rotator cuff injury with hot or cold packs to reduce the swelling, resting the arm in a sling, taking an Epsom salt bath, massage, and painkillers. Your doctor may also recommend an injection of cortisone to reduce inflammation and you can exercise the shoulder at home with stretches.
6. Muscle stiffness
If you feel tight and stiff after a workout, it will go away with rest, but there are things you can do to move that timeline along.
You can take an anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen to lessen pain and discomfort and massage or stretch the affected limbs to help loosen them. You can also apply a hot or cold compress. Use hot packs for muscle tightness and cold for inflammation or swelling. There are also options like taking an Epsom salt bath or drinking or applying apple cider vinegar to the affected area. Massage chamomile essential oil onto your muscles to relieve spasms or by eating blueberries filled with antioxidants or add some cayenne pepper to your food.
Prevent post-run pain with the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory-filled cherry juice and make sure to get plenty of Vitamin D.
Call a doctor if your muscle stiffness doesn’t go away or you have symptoms like fever (especially if your neck is stiff), extreme muscle weakness, redness, pain and swelling and pain that develops after taking a new medication.
