How to Prevent Sports Injuries?

When talking about dangerous occupations, most people will immediately think about something like construction, or mining, but, what if we told you that roughly 40% of athletes get injured every year?

Sure, not all of these injuries are severe (which is why the figure is often disputed), but the statistic is still alarming.

Now, before we start discussing how to prevent sports injuries, let’s first address why this happens.

When you think about it, you have an unusually large group of driven people who are pushing their bodies to the limit on a daily basis. They are conditioned to ignore pain and fatigue, which is the complete opposite of what any doctor would advise you to do.

They facilitate their recovery (which is not the same as a conventional recovery), take supplements and performance enhancers (that allow them to push their bodies further than it was meant to go), and they do it continuously for years and decades.

With all of this in mind, that 40% figure might start seeming quite low.

Well, this is because the majority of these athletes (and their coaches) also know how to prevent sports injuries (for the most part). Here are some methods they use!

1.   What kind of sports injuries are there?

Sports injuries is a pretty common term, which is why it might be a good idea to split the answer into two categories:

• Most common

• Most severe

Here’s what you should know about it.

Most common sports injuries

Some injuries happen so often that it’s really hard to find a person who is physically active and hasn’t experienced them several times over their lifetime.

• Sprains: These are ligament stretching or tearing, and they most often happen in the ankle or wrist.

• Strains: This is a tearing of a muscle or tendon, usually affecting the hamstring or lower back.

• ACL Tear: This is a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee, a common but serious sports injury.

• Fractures: Bones in your arms and legs (as well as your collarbone) are more fragile than you think, and sports activities are more intensive and cause more pressure than you would expect.

• Dislocations: When bone is forced out of its normal position in a joint, that’s called a dislocation. This usually occurs in shoulder or finger joints and is most common in (although not exclusive to) contact sports. Believe it or not, various leg and knee dislocations are common baseball injuries.

• Shin splint: Running and athletes with high-impact routines often experience pain along the shin bone due to overuse.

• Concussion: This is a traumatic brain injury that results from a blow to the head. It is common in hockey and football, but in boxing, it’s prevalent.

• Tennis elbow: An injury common in racket sports where the overuse affects the tendons on the outside of the elbow.
  
  

The type of injury that you’re most exposed to is usually matched to the sport or activity you practice the most. A concussion is not as likely in running as it is in boxing or hockey.

Worst injuries in sports

Not all injuries are as bad, and while a shin splint can be severe, it’s probably not as bad as a spinal cord injury, a severe concussion, a broken neck, or an Achilles tendon rupture. With that in mind, here are some of the worst sports injuries that you can encounter.

• Spinal cord injuries: This is a sports injury that can result in permanent neurological damage or paralysis, and it often happens in high-impact sports like football (or even non-contact high-impact sports like gymnastics).

• Compound/open fractures: A severe fracture where the bone breaks through the skin is something that will likely require surgery and take an unusually long recovery period.

• Severe concussions: A severe traumatic brain injury could lead to long-term neurological issues or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

• ACL tears: What’s so unique about this injury is that it’s severe and common, making it earn a special place (on both of these lists). It also happens during some of the most popular sports (like football, basketball, and skiing), meaning most people are exposed to the risk.

• Broken neck: This is an injury that’s just as dangerous as it sounds. It’s, in fact, so serious that it could easily result in paralysis or death.

Keep in mind that the reason these severe injuries are less common is mostly because there are rules and equipment designed to prevent them. Unfortunately, no method of protection is 100% reliable.

2.   How to prevent sports injuries

Preventing sports injuries is complex, and there is no way to stay 100% safe. The most important thing you need to do is follow the rules, warm up before playing, and try to be as physically fit as possible. Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments will be more resilient to injuries.

Most efficient injury prevention tips

The most important way to prevent sports injuries is to engage in dynamic stretches so that you can improve blood flow to your muscles. This will prepare them for activity. The proper way to do it is to start light and gradually increase the intensity of your warm-up.

Strength training will help you strengthen areas that are prone to injuries, as well as surrounding areas. Walking lunges, for instance, are more than just a great exercise for a leg day. It’s one of the best ways to improve your ACL injury prevention.

“Though we believe that cause of ACL injuries is multifactorial, focus on proper strengthening, dynamic warmups, and jumping mechanics is likely the best proactive way to minimize ACL injury risk in our young athletes,” says Dr. William Sayde, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at The Orthopedic Institute of New Jersey, who has experience treating professional NFL athletes in his fellowship training.

Proper technique is about more than just better performance. A proper technique will minimize the risk of injury. This is why, on your quest to learn how to prevent sports injuries, you might need a bit of professional guidance.

Proper nutrition, hydration, and recovery are vital to your body’s overall resilience. The main reason why they’re often underestimated is because they don’t seem related to the event of the injury. In other words, you have no way of proving that you wouldn’t end up injured if you had a full night’s sleep.

Lastly, you need to learn how to listen to your body

What’s the best way to prevent impact injuries?

One of the things you need to understand about impact injuries is that they’re slightly different from muscle tears. 

It’s a special category of sports injuries and it needs a special approach.

For instance, you want to use protective gear and practice it in a safe environment. There’s a reason why there’s a canvas underneath a boxing ring and why regulatory bodies insist on a specific thickness of gloves (that are checked by a referee before the bout starts).

Helmets, pads, and other protective equipment that are specific to the sport aren’t chosen arbitrarily. Someone out there did elaborate research and determined that it would end up saving lives.

There is increasing evidence in the orthopedic research community that optimizing landing mechanics may prevent ACL injuries for jumping sports.  One method of examining your landing mechanics is to watch yourself jump in the mirror.  The most important things to watch are that your shoulders are over your hips and knees in a line and that your knees do not collapse toward each other (what is called “valgus”).  Becoming more aware of proper landing technique may prevent the knee position that is associated with ACL injuries in sports.

Wrap up

How to prevent sports injuries?

You have to be fit, focused, and use proper technique. You need to live a life that’s worthy of someone who pushes your body to the limits, which means taking enough food and water and getting as much rest as you need.

On top of this, you need to understand that there’s a factor of chance involved. So, even if you do get injured, don’t get disheartened. Start looking into treatment options and plan your comeback.

Stay proactive and keep your athletic journey injury-free with expert tips and resources from The Orthopedic Institute of NJ!

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Though we believe that cause of ACL injuries is multifactorial, focus on proper strengthening, dynamic warmups, and jumping mechanics is likely the best proactive way to minimize ACL injury risk in our young athletes

William Sayde, MD, Orthopedic Sports Medicine Surgeon