How can the Teen Athletes Avoid Injuries? Six Tricks to Try

 There is nothing more exciting for a teen athlete than hearing the fellow students cheering while he or she kills the basket or score a winning touchdown.

Athletes need to challenge their minds and body every day, and it is only natural to get hurt once or twice while doing so. While home remedies, OTC medications, and surgeries are available to cure sports injuries, this write-up describes ways to prevent them from occurring. Please check it out right now.

Nutrition

Adhering to a nutritious diet is perhaps the best way of keeping strains, concussions, fractures, etc. at bay. Just like a car needs fuel to operate efficiently, a body needs food. Your meal must contain 40% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, and 30% fats. Drink at least three to four litres of water.

Stretch, Warm-Up, and Cool Down

A top orthopedic sports doctor said athletes must stretch and warm-up before an activity and cool down properly after to enhance the performance and avoid injury. Warming up makes the muscles flexible while cooling down allow the sore joints to recover within a short period.

Rules

The athletes get injured because they are not aware of the rules of sports and plan on not abiding by them. Knowing the rules will keep you as well as your team members safe. If you play football, make sure to form tackle correctly and do not spear the opponents.

Conditioning

The athletes are prone to injuries when their body is not conditioned properly. In other words, they indulge in a physical pursuit without practicing for the necessary hours. You must hit the gym or perform a definite workout regimen at home that will increase your strength to a great extent.

Equipment

Protective gears are a must. You cannot enter a field without wearing a helmet, gloves, goggles, knee pads, shoes, mouthpieces, etc. These must fit properly and last for a prolonged period with little or no maintenance. Do not bargain too much because, in the end, you get what you paid for.

Rest

The biggest challenge for a teen athlete is to sit at home and rest while the others are playing. Yes, he or she tries to perform through injuries, which paves the way for irreversible complications. Listen to your body and act accordingly. If your legs are aching abnormally, stop running, and call it a day. There is nothing wrong in taking breaks now and then.

If an athlete sprains the ankle or dislocates the shoulder even after following the ways stated above, he or she must visit an orthopedic sports doctor. Taking rest when injured is mandatory, but, keep the blood flowing by walking short distances, or else getting back in the game will be quite difficult.

Six Habits of Pro Athletes to Keep Injuries at Bay

It does not matter if you play sports to pass your time, or are a professional athlete, you must be acquainted with almost all kinds of injuries. While seeking medical assistance when you get hurt seems viable, in the following write-up, I have chalked down a few habits, which, when cultivated, can let you perform better and keep you as safe as possible. Please check them out right now.

1.    Begin with a Warm-up

Before participating in any physical pursuit, you must warm-up and prepare your muscles. A renowned sports medicine physician said by doing arm circles, jumping jacks, pushups, squats, and lunges, you are preparing your body for what is coming next. Warm-ups are known for keeping injuries at bay.

2.    Know that Recovery and Rest are Necessary

Recovery and rest are extremely necessary, especially if you have suffered from an injury. You need to restrict movement and lie on your bed for the major portion of the day and maintain a balanced diet. This will repair the sore muscles, and restore your strength in absolutely no time.

3.    Fine Tune the Coordination

It may seem exciting to change your workout regimen, but you must do it gradually. Performing a series of intricate exercises all of a sudden means putting undue pressure on your body parts. Understand this with an example. If you run four miles every day, you cannot just jump to ten miles directly. Fine-tune the coordination levels by moving from 4 to 6 and then to 8 and finally to 10 over a period of month or two.

4.    Listen to the Body

If your body is exhausted and cannot take the intense training, it will start sending signals. You will have an excruciating backache or feel utterly tired instead of rejuvenated after a practice. Listen to your body and do not push it beyond limits. Give your body a break so that it can get back on the track.

5.    Stay Hydrated
An athlete must drink at least 80 ounces of water every day. Staying hydrated is highly essential because it lubricates the joints so that they do not break easily, and keeps the body temperature at normal. If you do not drink enough water, you will feel dizzy and have muscle cramps.

6.    Strengthen the Core

 A strong core allows you to be successful in practically any athletic endeavour. Do an ab-workout for ten minutes and crunches. If you are not sure about the techniques, please get in touch with a proficient trainer.

Besides the habits stated above, a top sports medicine physician said taking a break is important even though it can be hard to resist the temptation of training nonstop. If you have opted for a rigorous session, please take at least ten minutes to focus on your body. Sit and closely observe if all your body parts are functioning properly. You never know what you will find out, maybe a tightness in the right shoulder, or a slight muscle pull.

What Must You Know About Tennis Elbow? Causes, Symptoms, and More

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, could be defined as the swelling of the elbow joint caused due to repetitive stress. The pain originates on the outer portion of the elbow but can radiate down the arm. You are most likely to experience discomfort when you straighten your hands. Well, to know more about this sports injury, please check out the given discussion right now.

Causes

Forearm tendons join the forearm muscles to the external bone of the elbow. Tennis elbow occurs when a certain muscle strand (extensor carpi radialis brevis or ECRB) present in the forearm is damaged. The ECRM is responsible for the wrist movement.

Constant stress weakens ECRB muscle by developing tiny tears throughout it. These tears cause excruciating inflammation. Besides tennis and other types of racquet sports, swimming, golf, abrupt turn of the key, and frequent usage of hammer or screwdriver also lead to tennis elbow.

Symptoms

According to a highly competent musculoskeletal doctor, mild elbow pain that gradually worsens is the main symptom of tennis elbow. Others include:

·         Weak grip.

·         Pain outside the elbow and in the wrist and the forearm.

·         Discomfort when lifting weights, opening jars, shaking hands, squeezing objects, or using tools.

Diagnosis

Tennis elbow is diagnosed during a comprehensive physical examination. If you are experiencing pain in the elbow, your doctor will try to detect what it is by asking about your job, what kind of sports you play, your workout regimen, etc. To confirm, he or she will carry out an MRI scan or X-ray.

Treatment

·         The foremost step is to limit movement as much as possible. Do not move the affected hand for several weeks and take rest. A doctor gives braces for immobilising the muscles.

·         Ice packs are placed on the elbow to decrease swelling and soothe the pain. Do not hold the ice for a prolonged period or else you will end up suffering from frostbites.

·         Physical therapy involves a series of exercises for reinforcing the muscles of the forearm and promoting healing. It includes massages and muscle stimulating techniques.

·         In ultrasound therapy, a probe is placed on the injured elbow. It emits sound waves at a high frequency to repair the tissues. This treatment speeds up the recovery to a great extent.

·         Injecting corticosteroid medication directly into the tendons attached to the bone of the elbow or the muscle largely cuts down inflammation.

Surgery becomes mandatory when the symptoms do not alleviate even after a year. Arthroscopy is used for removing the dead tissues from inside the elbow and reattaching healthy muscles to the bone.

According to a renowned sports physician, wearing the right type of equipment and adhering to the rules of activity prevents tennis elbow to a great extent. Other safety measures include performing exercises to maintain the flexibility as well as the strength of arms, and resting the elbow or applying ice cubes to it. Also, take breaks. Otherwise, you pave the way for unnecessary complications.

5 Common Sports Injury Myths You Should Never Believe

Dealing with sports injuries is not that easy as it sounds, especially when you do not seek help from highly professional doctors. Whether it is about treating mild or severe injuries, sports medicine physicians have the ability to help patients in the best possible ways. 

In the below section, some of the common myths and factors regarding sports injuries are discussed. Please keep on reading now.

1. ACL Tear Will End Your Career
ACL tear is a serious injury that needs special care and treatment. But the good thing is, it is treatable, and it is not career-ending. As long as you see a highly qualified sports injury doctor and take proper care of yourself, it will not affect your career.

Surgeries, medications, and exercise work excellently when it comes to treating this injury. As per studies, a large share of international and national athletes has come back stronger from this injury and joins sports again.

2. Rest Is the Only Option

Athletes, who have minor strains or sprains, do not need to take complete rest. Activity modification instead of complete rest is usually recommended to patients who have mild injuries. Athletes who have major injuries often become able to reduce or eliminate symptoms by doing some exercise.

3. Heat Therapy Is the Best Option for Treating Acute Injuries
Acute injuries usually cause inflammation and pain. Athletes usually go for cold therapy in order to reduce swelling. Heat therapy also helps relieve pain sometimes, but this will increase swelling. This is why heat therapy cannot always be considered as the best option.

4. No Pain No Gain
A large number of athletes believe that they need to endure pain in order to get stronger. But, this is not true in all cases. Exercise should be challenging and stimulating, but it does not mean that you should do something which is beyond your ability. Make sure you consult a doctor of sports medicine if you feel pain during training or exercise.

5. No Need to See a Sports Doctor
Not all injuries can be treated through home remedies. In order to treat mild injuries, athletes may use RICE treatment and other natural ways. But, when it comes to treating severe injuries, it is better to seek help from highly qualified and trained sports medicine physicians. They know the best ways of how to deal with unbearable pain and other sports injury symptoms.

When choosing a doctor, do not forget to check his or her track records and experience. By doing so, you will be able to make the correct choice. Researching can also help you find the right sports injury doctor. Although it may take some time to find the right one, it is better to invest some time rather than making the wrong choice.

Common Musculoskeletal Injuries Athletes May Have

Almost all professional athletes suffer from injuries at some point in their life.  None can claim that they played sports for years and never got hurt. Preventing injuries is a difficult endeavor, especially for those who hit the field on a daily basis. Still, by not committing mistakes such as purchasing poor quality equipment, training incorrectly, not warming up enough, etc. can help to a great extent. One may finally bid goodbye to musculoskeletal injuries.

To know about the common musculoskeletal injuries and also about their treatments, please check out the following write up now.

Ligament Sprain 

A ligament sprain is considered one of the most common sports injuries that happen when one stretches their ligaments abnormally. The tear can either be complete or partial, and the severity usually depends on the number of ligaments affected.

Ligament sprain often affects the following body parts of patients- wrists, ankles and knees. Football, volleyball and tennis players and cyclists are more prone to have the symptoms of a ligament sprain.  Some of the common symptoms include, swelling, pain and bruising. Overlooking the symptoms is not the right way to choose. Rather, the patients should treat this injury with the help of a musculoskeletal doctor as soon as possible.

Tendonitis

Tendinitis or Tendonitis could be defined as a sports injury that affects more than one body part, including Achilles tendon, knee, shoulder, hip, and the base of the elbow and thumb, at the same time. If you experience tendonitis, you will have symptoms like pain, swelling, and a general sense of irritation.

Golf players, runners and tennis players are at high risk of this injury. Athletes who experience tendonitis feel severe pain in the affected area and the surrounding parts. In order to get rid of unbearable pain, the patients should consult highly experienced doctors who specialise in treating musculoskeletal injuries.

Tendon or Muscle Strain 

A tendon or muscle strain is an injury which is caused by stretching, overuse and force. Boxers, wrestlers and football, hockey and soccer players are at high risk of this injury. Some of the common symptoms of tendon or muscle strain include, bruising, redness, inflammation, weakness in the affected areas, pain, and so on.

One of the best ways to eliminate or alleviate the symptoms is by scheduling an appointment with a proficient, experienced, and reliable musculoskeletal doctor. He or she is trained enough to treat almost all kinds of injuries within a short period. Now isn’t that great?

When choosing a sports medicine or musculoskeletal specialist, it is necessary to check his or her track records and experience. By doing so, you will be able to make the right choice. It is also important to do some research. All these steps will help you select highly professional and experienced doctors with excellent track records.