Conditions

General trauma and sport-related injuries/fractures

What are the most prevalent sports injuries?

A majority of sports-related injuries occur as a result of trauma, stress and general wear and tear of your joints and muscles. Minor injuries occur when there’s slight damage to your ligaments, muscles, tendons or bones. These minor sports injuries include:

  • Bruises: A bruise or contusion occurs as a result of damage to your soft tissues. Bruises form when you sustain blunt force trauma. Inflammation, pain and discolouration are signs of contusion.
  • Sprains and strains: Most of the time, sprains and strains are confused with one another. A sprain develops once you stretch or tear your ligaments. A strain occurs once you overexert or tear your muscle or tendon.
  • Sports-related fractures: Fractures may either be simple or compound. Fractures may occur as a result of a fall. A simple hairline fracture is classified as a “thin fracture” that doesn’t travel through the whole bone. But a compound fracture is more severe, where a portion of bone juts from the skin. Stress fractures develop from slight cracks in your bone.
  • Dislocations: A dislocation occurs when there's pressure on your ligaments. When this happens, the edges of the attached bones separate. Dislocations are painful and lead to swelling and immobility.

How are sports injuries treated?

Rehabilitation depends on the type and severity of your sports injury. An active rehabilitation program assists in your recovery. Any rehabilitation program aims to assist in your recovery, fulfil your sense of independence and enhance your quality of life. Your rehabilitation team comprises of your orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Botha, your physical therapist, psychiatrist, a sports medicine expert and trainer. They will help you achieve your rehabilitation goals.

For standard or mild sports injuries, the doctor recommends rest, ice, compression and elevation, otherwise known as RICE treatment. RICE reduces inflammation and treats pain after a sports injury. RICE works best within at least 36 hours after your injury.

1What are stress fractures?
Stress fractures are superficial cracks in the bone that occur due to force as a result of overuse. This occurs when we repetitively engage in the same sport, such as running and jumping.
2How do you treat a fracture?
Treating a fracture depends on the type and its severity. Usually, the first stage of treating a fracture is to reduce bleeding from the injury. Then, immobilising the site of the injury remains a priority. Afterwards, applying ice helps treat pain and reduce swelling. You then get treated for shock. Finally, treatment aims to realign the bones through the use of plates, screws and metal rods, external fixators and a cast.
3How do you diagnose a sprain?
First, Dr Botha will check for swelling around the area. The severity of the injury depends on its location and level of pain. Either an injury or fracture could be the cause of the pain. Next, an x-ray, sonar or MRI will diagnose the cause of tenderness and pain in the affected limb.
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Healing is movement. Disease is inertia.
If you put the body in motion, you will change.

Gabrielle Roth