Back Pain, Chiropractor, Massage Therapy, Muscle Pain, Sports Injury, Children, Pregnancy - Chiropractic - Australia
Sports Injuries
There are a number of conditions that can result from playing sports. A variety
of muscles, joints and ligaments are used when involved in active play, all of
which can be affected by strain from overuse, trauma, or not being properly
warmed and cooled down.
Sports injuries are generally in the form of soft tissue injuries, which refers
to any damage to the soft tissues of the body, such as ligaments, muscles,
tendons, nerves, joints and connective tissue.
There are a number of ways in which a soft tissue injury can occur:
- Muscle strain – when the muscle or tendon is pulled too far in one direction.
- Contusions - resulting from a direct blow to the muscle/tissue.
- Tendonitis – when the tendon becomes overstressed and inflamed, often due to
inappropriate equipment, faulty technique and lack of flexibility.
- Ligament Sprains – when the ligament is stretched beyond its normal range.
One of the most common muscles injuries that can occur during sport is a
hamstring strain. The hamstring is a large group of powerful muscles running along the
back of the thigh from the back of the shin bone to the pelvis. This muscle
serves to flex the knee joint and extend the hip joint. It is primarily used in
sports that involve sudden accelerations, such as sprinting, soccer, football
and basketball.
Hamstring injuries can result from a tear of the hamstring muscle fibres,
referred to as a pulled hamstring, or from trauma to the muscle, such as a kick
to the thigh.
Another area commonly affected for athletes is the shoulder. The shoulder can be
injured through repetitive action, as in tennis and swimming, or from forceful
contact, as in football.
Ankle injuries are common, as the ankle is less stable than many other joints,
and is used in almost all forms of activity. Even stepping on an uneven surface
can cause an ankle sprain. This occurs when the ligaments on the outside of the
ankle are stretched too far. These types of injuries are common in hiking,
netball, gymnastics and running.