Sports injuries can occur during recreational or competitive sport. Athletes usually injure their musculoskeletal system. A distinction is made between acute and chronic sports injuries. Sports injuries can be quite complicated. Incorrect treatment or resuming sporting activity too early can therefore cause great damage. This is why the treatment of sports injuries should be in the hands of a medical expert.
Find information and experienced doctors for sports injuries here.
The right amount of sport is very healthy, but always carries a risk of injury. To some extent, the responsibility for avoiding and preventing sports injuries lies with each athlete themselves. The risk of injury is greatest in team sports: Here, the safety of the athletes also depends on the behavior of the team members. This increases the risk of accidents.
The prerequisite for injury-free sport is appropriate training and targeted preparation.
Warm-up exercises stretch the muscles and ligaments in advance and loosen them up. This reduces the risk of overstretching.
The right sportswear and, if necessary, protective equipment also minimize the risk of injury. For example, a soccer boot offers greater protection against slipping and kicks on the toes than a normal shoe.
Many medical associations offer exercise programs for the targeted prevention of sports injuries. These include "StopX" for the prevention of anterior cruciate ligament rupture.
However, sports injuries cannot be completely prevented, especially when team members or animals such as a riding horse are involved.
Some sports injuries manifest themselves immediately, others only become noticeable after hours or days. The following are very painful and, depending on the part of the body affected, also directly visible
Those affected usually go to the doctor themselves.
Small strains and tears pose an equally high but often unrecognized risk: These are often well tolerated and are treated at home with cold spray instead of by a doctor. However, this means that the athlete forgoes a specialist diagnosis and professional treatment.
Recognizing injury symptoms is essential! Athletes should therefore look out for the following signs:
If you think you have injured yourself while playing sport, you should stop playing sport and consult a doctor. In the event of severe pain or open wounds, you should go to the hospital emergency room. However, minor injuries, strains or bruises can also be diagnosed by a sports doctor during the course of the sport.
In the early stages, the following can help until the appointment
Painkillers carry the risk that those affected tend to underestimate the injury when they take effect and continue to exercise. However, medication should always be prescribed by a doctor.
An appointment with your family doctor is sufficient for an initial examination. However, they should refer patients to appropriate specialists.
Sports physicians have more experience in the treatment of sports injuries. They can also give advice on when and how the athlete can resume their activity.
First of all, the doctor will make a diagnosis. This may require further examinations such as imaging procedures. X-ray imaging is usually sufficient. If injuries to
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is necessary. In exceptional cases, a computer tomography scan may also be used.
This is followed by treatment of the acute injury:
Sports physicians may prescribe painkillers, but these should not make the pain disappear completely. Mild, bearable pain serves as a reliable indicator for patients as to which movements they should avoid until healing is sufficiently advanced. It would be fatal to strain the body again too soon because the pain is gone.
A few weeks after the first appointment, further appointments follow for follow-up care. The doctor will then remove bandages, splints or casts and can provide information on the further course of the illness and healing.
As a rule, a sports injury remains under treatment and observation until it is pain-free and completely healed.
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