Common and Preventable Sports Injuries

Fall sports season is gearing up. Whether you’re a professional athlete or your high school’s starting quarterback, one injury can ruin your entire season. Luckily, there are a variety of ways athletes can prepare themselves all year long, and it begins with proper preparation.

Here are some of the most common sports injuries, and how you can do your best to prevent one from occurring:

Ankle Sprain
A sprained ankle often occurs when the foot turns inward and is usually due to weakness in the ligaments. Want to know the best way to prevent a sprain? Strength training. Routine exercises can allow for better flexibility and strength. Another step you can take is to see a sports medicine doctor. Not only can they help you heal and cope with an injury, but they also can teach you proper form and provide exercises to do for better mobility.

Hamstring Strain
Three muscles located in the back of your thigh form your hamstrings. Sharp movement of the leg while moving or overstretching can often cause injury. Because of the location, healing can take a while, and reinjury is common due to the location of the damage. Your best form of prevention is through proper warmups before any activities.

Knee Injury: ACL Tear
Your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is what holds your leg bone to your knee. A strain occurs from sudden stops or a hit from the side. If a tear occurs, it’s often accompanied by a “pop” sound. The best prevention to a complete tear is by seeing an orthopedic doctor as soon as you suspect an ACL injury. Once a tear occurs, surgery will be necessary to live an active life.

If a minor injury does occur, remember RICE:

• Rest and stop an activity
• Ice the area
• Compress the injury with a bandage to reduce swelling
• Elevate whenever possible

Seek medical attention if you have excessive swelling, can’t bear weight or use your limb, or have visible deformities of the joint or bone.

If an injury is harming your quality of life, Wyoming Orthopedics & Spine (WYOS) is here to help in Gillette. We can evaluate your orthopedic options so you can rest assured that you get the best possible outcome and are back to a happy and active life in no time.

Call WYOS at 307.686.1413 or visit www.cchwyo.org/WYOS to learn more.