Joint and bone health can make or break an athlete's career. In this week's column, we discuss how does an athlete decide if they need an orthopaedic surgeon’s help in case of an injury or if it can be managed with rest at home.
Signs of sports injuries
Inflammation or joint locking
Failure to walk, move
Aches/pains that do not go away but worsen gradually
Numbness and tingling
Common conditions/injuries
Post-traumatic osteoarthritis: Athletes have an increased risk of this condition. Here, inflammation occurs in the joints immediately after a trauma (bone fracture or dislocation). Moving beyond the normal range of motion (hypermobility) leads to degenerative cartilage and arthritis
Strains and sprains: A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon gets stretched too much. It heals in a few weeks, but there's a risk of reinjury. In sprains, ligaments stretch and tear. This takes 4-6 weeks or longer to heal
Shoulder injuries
Rotator cuff injury: Caused by overhead motions, this is common among tennis players and swimmers
Instability: The round-end of the upper arm bone is forced out of its shallow socket
Knee injuries
Runner's knee: There is tenderness in the kneecap and is common in runners, hikers and cyclers
Fracture: It’s a result of a bad fall or blow to the knee
Dislocation: A large impact causes the kneecap to slip from its grove
Torn ligament: A sudden change in direction/land from a jump
Meniscal tear: An awkward twist or pivot causes this
Tendon tear: More common in middle-aged people due to forceful landing/ awkward jump
Ankle injuries
Ankle sprain: Caused by forceful jumping/landing or walking on an uneven surface. Common among volleyball/basketball players
Achilles' tendinitis: A stretch, tear or irritation in the tendon connecting the calf muscle to the back of the heel
Elbow injuries
Golfer's and tennis elbow: The inner part of the elbow gets affected by playing racket sports or repetitive forearm movement Leg injuries
Groin pulls: The inner thighs get strained by side-to-side motions. Hockey, soccer and football players are most prone
Hamstring strain: Caused by excessive running, jumping and sudden starts/stops, this is common among basketball, football and soccer players
Plantar fasciitis/shin splints: Inflammation of the muscles, tendons and bone tissue, which is seen in runners
Bursitis: Fluid-filled sacs between a bone and tendons/muscle get inflamed. This affects the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees. It is caused by prolonged pressure on the body part
Treatment
Nonsurgical
Immobilisation
Physiotherapy
Anti-inflammatory medicines
Surgical
How to avoid injuries?
Do weight-bearing, strength-training exercises after a good warm-up
Take Vitamin D, calcium, minerals
Wear the right equipment
Avoid steroids
(Dr. Dasaradha Rama Reddy Tetali, senior consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda. Email: www.drtdrreddy.com)