Classifying Sporting Injuries
An injury that occurs as a direct result of an impact or the application of an excessive force is known as an acute injury. An injury that comes on over time and is caused by overusing the same muscle group or joints is known as a chronic injury. There are hundreds of different types of sports injuries. Some of the more common ones are:
For example, muscles are injured frequently but heal easily as they have a rich blood supply, while tendons and ligaments often take months to heal. Also, specific areas of the body are prone to certain injury patterns. For instance, the construction of the shoulder includes tendons which not only function as tendons but also do the work of ligaments in stabilising the joint. This structure allows the shoulder joint great freedom of movement, but leaves the tendons susceptible to injury. The back of the thigh, in comparison, is a highly muscular area and the most likely injury is a tear to the hamstring muscles. In contrast to both of these, when an ankle is injured, the structures that are most commonly injured are the ligaments. |
There are underlying principles that govern effective assessment and treatment of injuries. These important concepts are based on facts about the normal functioning of the body’s tissues and what happens to these tissues when they are injured.
