Sports keep you healthy. You not only maintain your weight but also boost your leadership skills through team building. However, contact sports such as football, rugby, and basketball are risky. There is always the possibility of being injured. Abrupt and accidental contact with another person causes loss of balance leading to injuries. However, that should not scare you off. You still need to maintain that active lifestyle as you take care of your body. The first step in preventing injury is knowing the common injuries and ways to avoid them. Here are the top four injuries to expect in contact sports and tips on preventing them.
Sprains
Ligaments are connecting tissues that join bones. If they stretch, pull, or turn in the wrong direction, they can cause a tear. Injuries are excruciating and require immobilisation to heal. They result from shock due to a fall or sudden contact. The shock knocks the ligaments out of position or tears the supporting ligaments. Ankles, knees, and wrist are vulnerable to sprains. How can you prevent them? You need to do warm-up exercises such as stretching before a sport. Sprains weaken your ligaments, making you prone to future injury. You should support the vulnerable joints with braces for a faster recovery.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries or patellofemoral pain syndrome is a common and debilitating injury. It occurs when the kneecap moves over the leg joints. With the repeated movements, the knee suffers from wear and tear, causing damage to the kneecap tissues. Knee injuries are common in all contact sports, and the damage takes almost six weeks to heal.
In some cases, you may require surgery. While knee problems are the norm in most sports, keeping your leg muscles healthy reduces the chances of injury. You should also work out regularly and warm-up before a game. Wearing comfortable shoes goes a long way in reducing the impact of the shock.
Teeth Injury
Contact sports expose players to dental and orofacial injuries. Luckily, the injuries are manageable and can heal fully with proper care. Abrupt blows to a player can lead to tooth fractures. Depending on its severity, it could lead to tooth extraction. Sometimes the injuries go beyond the crown of the tooth and affect the root. Teeth injuries can cause a long-term dental problem, and it is best to use a mouthguard. Players who wear a mouthguard are less likely to get teeth fractures or intrusions. If you know you’re active within a contact sport, you may really consider getting yourself some protecting for your teeth. There are several renowned dental clinics here in Australia – Pure Dentistry being one of those – who can hook you up with a custom mouth guard.
Concussions
A sudden and forceful blow to the head causes a concussion. Some bumps can cause unconsciousness, but most of them result in loss of balance. The common symptoms are nausea, disorientation, memory loss, and headaches. While concussions heal within a short time, multiple blows can result in severe brain damage. You can subdue the symptoms of concussion with over-the-counter drugs.
Contact sports are fun. However, they can be intense, and the damage to your body can be irreparable. Therefore, taking precautions to prevent injury should be a priority.