Summer is perfect for outdoor activities and sports. The warm, bright weather keep people motivated to engage in sports and other activities in parks, fields, summer camps or summer leagues.
Unfortunately, summer is also prime time for several sports injuries. After the prolonged winter doldrums in Canada, most people suddenly start running, swimming and playing contact sports. As a result, they often invite summertime injuries.
Are you one of them who love to exercise outdoors or dive into their favourite sports in summer? In that case, you should remember that summer is also the time to be cognitive about your body’s limitations.
After all, no one wants to miss the summertime fun sitting on the sidelines!
Let’s have a look at five common summer injuries. Also, we’ll let you know about the preventions and treatments of these injuries with effective sports therapy.
1. Sprains and Strains
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Problems:
Most of us have experienced muscle sprains and strains at some point. It may be a pulled hamstring, sprained ankle or sore shoulder that can lead to pain and discomfort.
To be more specific, a sprain triggers the stretching or tearing of your ligaments, while a strain refers to stretching or tearing of your muscles or tendons.
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Solutions:
Before any physical activity, sport or exercise, it is highly recommended to practice proper stretching. This helps the muscles, tendons and ligaments loose and flexible and prevents injuries.
For severe sprain or strain cases, your doctor may recommend you to wear a brace and consult a sports therapist from any certified physiotherapy clinic.
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IN A NUTSHELL
Sprains and strains are common issues in sports. A little stretching exercise before activity or sport can be effective prevention.
2. Overuse Injuries
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Problems:
Lower back or overall back pain is one of the most common sports injuries in soccer, or gymnastics due to overuse. This happens when a player trains beyond the recovery ability of his or her body.
Apart from lower back pain, players often face the problem of knee pain due to overuse.
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Solutions:
Performing proper warm-up and cool-down exercises under the guidance of a sports therapist can be helpful to prevent such injuries.
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IN A NUTSHELL
Overuse injuries are common in both adults and kids. Crafting a training program with warm-up and cool-down exercises is essential to avoid these sports injuries.
3. Knee Injuries
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Problems:
Our knees take a beating in most outdoor activities and while taking part in sports. Hence, knees are more prone to injuries than other parts of our body.
Knee dislocations, ligament injuries and tendon tears are some of the common sports injuries.
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Solutions:
To prevent knee injuries, you can wear supportive sports shoes, practise warm-ups before starting exercises or sports and avoid overtraining.
While some knee injuries heal in their own way within a short span, severe injuries such as ACL injuries may take months.
If you face such severe conditions, it is in your best interest to consult a sports injury therapist or visit a Calgary physiotherapy clinic for effective therapy.
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IN A NUTSHELL
Proper warm-up routine before any activity is the best way to prevent knee injuries in sports. However, effective physiotherapy by professional is helpful for severe knee injury cases.
4. Concussion
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Problems:
Another common sports injury is a concussion that occurs due to a blow to the head. Studies showed that about 22% of all injuries in soccer are concussion-related.
Disorientation, dizziness and imbalance are the most common symptoms of concussion.
The overwhelming majority of sportspersons who suffer concussions also experience neck pain.
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Solutions:
Since a concussion is common in all contact sports, it is highly recommended to avoid them during recovery time.
However, complete bed rest is no longer advisable. Active rehab programs offered by concussion management clinics in Calgary are proven to treat this sports injury and severe neck pain.
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IN A NUTSHELL
Concussion brings significant impact to the head, face, neck, or body of any athlete. Concussion management with effective physiotherapy is the best way to treat this common sports injury.
5. Tennis Elbow
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Problems:
Around 7% of sports injuries are involved in our elbows. Tennis elbows lead to painful conditions when tendons in your elbow are overloaded due to repetitive motions of the wrist and arm.
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Solutions:
For mild cases, icing the elbow to reduce pain and swelling is an effective step.
You can use an elbow strap to protect your tennis elbow from further strain.
For severe cases, you may treat this injury with RICE or physiotherapy by professionals.
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IN A NUTSHELL
During summer, tennis elbow occurs a lot due to the popularity of sports like golf and tennis. Icing, elbow strengthening exercises and physiotherapy are effective measurements for the treatment of this sports injury.
Key Takeaways
Summer seasons welcome new possibilities for sports and activities. However, it’s important to remember your health and safety in mind.
We don’t want you to stay away from summer sports due to any injuries. If this does happen, don’t hesitate to contact a reliable physiotherapy clinic in Calgary for effective sports injury treatment.
At Prompt Physiotherapy, our certified professionals follow several therapies to treat injuries quickly and restore original mobility.
