At some point in any athlete’s career, he or she will more than likely face a sports injury. While it is possible to injure any part of the body when playing sports, the term “sports injuries” is commonly used to refer to injuries of the musculoskeletal system.

According to American Academy Pediatrics, the most frequent sports injuries are sprains, strains, and stress fractures caused when abnormal stress is placed on tendons, joints, bones and muscle. Sprains are injuries to ligaments, strains are injuries to muscles, and stress fractures are injuries to bone. In a growing child, point tenderness over a bone should be evaluated further by a medical provider even if there is minimal swelling or limitation in motion.

To avoid these injuries, it is important to wear protective gear such as helmets, protective pads, and other gear, warm up and cool down, know the rules of the game, watch out for others, and don’t play when you are injured according to Kids Health. Taking time off is very important because resting allows that injury to recover quickly. Many athletes feel the need to rush back to the sport too early.

Most athletes want to be back almost immediately after attaining his or her injury which can be very unhealthy for the given athlete’s body. Returning to a sport too early could worsen the condition of the previous injury or even cause permanent damage, not allowing an athlete to compete competitively compete in the sport again. I personally have experienced a few injuries that I have tried rushing back to the playing field. Unfortunately, every time I tried this I got the same result: even more time on the bench out with those injuries.

In terms of recovering from these injuries, Harvard Health Publications suggests ice as an excellent anti-inflammatory, reducing swelling and pain. For best results, apply an ice pack for 10 to 15 minutes as soon as possible after an injury. Repeat the ice treatment each hour for the first four hours, then four times a day for the next two to three days.
According to West Tennessee Bone and Joint’s website, recovery from an injury involves a series of logical steps from the time of the injury until the athlete is able to get back to their sport. When the injury first occurs, the focus should be on minimizing swelling. This involves the RICE formula: Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation, along with a limitation of activities. Depending on the type and severity of the injury, treatment also may involve surgery, bracing or even casting.

In the next phase of recovery, the athlete should work on regaining full motion and strength of the injured limb or joint. For most injuries, gentle protective range of motion exercises can be started almost immediately. Muscle tone can be maintained with the use of electrical stimulation or simple strengthening exercises. When strength returns to normal, functional drills can be started. The athlete is ready to return to play only when he or she is practicing hard without significant difficulty and the healing has progressed to the point where the likelihood of re-injury or harm is low. During these final phases of recovery, athletes should be closely monitored and have special attention given to adequate warm-up before and icing after activity.