Sport brings not only the health benefit; sometimes it can seriously hurt him. Sports injuries - a common problem like the professionals and the amateurs. The main causes of injuries are: lack of warming up before exercise, overestimation of their own capabilities and ignoring safety standards.

Types of sports injuries and symptoms

Stretching tendons and ligaments - a common sports injury, which sometimes leads to serious injuries or lacerations. Most often, these injuries affect the joints of the feet and hands of a caste.

Symptoms of stretching are:

• Pain;
• Swelling and redness of the skin;
• Restricting the mobility of joints in tension.

Crick - another common problem, which is often called "pull a muscle." Most susceptible to stretching quadriceps, calf muscles, and the muscles in the lumbar region. Symptoms of this sports injuries are muscle spasms, pain, and loss of muscle strength.

Minor head injuries often occur in sports. They can cause symptoms such as dizziness, mild headache Headache: Causes and Complications , Bruises and slight dizziness Dizziness - if the ground is slipping from under his feet . In most cases, these injuries do not require assistance. But sometimes, even a slight blow to the head resulting in a concussion. Its symptoms are:

• Temporary loss of consciousness;
• Memory impairment;
• Various visual impairment, such as "star" before the eyes;
• Confusion.

When symptoms of concussion should be as soon as possible to seek medical help.

Heel pain is common among those who engage in running; it may be a sign of plantar fasciitis Plantar fasciitis - correct gait . As a rule, minor pain at first, but over time it increases, making it difficult to deal with, not only in sports but also many daily activities.

"Tennis elbow" - a condition characterized by pain on the outside of the shoulder. It is caused by a regular strain muscles and joints in the elbow - this is especially true for tennis players (which is obvious from the name), and for people involved in cricket and swimming.

The symptoms are usually pain and swelling of the elbow.

"Golfer's elbow" - a problem similar to "tennis elbow," but because of the specific movements that are performed in the game of golf, pain and swelling usually appear on the inner side of the elbow.

Tendonitis, or inflammation of the tendons that develops as a result of over-voltage joints. Tendonitis symptoms are:

• Swelling, redness and pain in the area of ​​the damaged tendon;
• Restricted mobility of the affected joint;
• In some cases - the deformation of the joint.

Particularly susceptible to tendonitis older people who engage in sports after a long break.

Pain in the lower leg - type of sports injury caused by inflammation and small cracks in the bones of the lower leg. This problem is often experienced athletes who have to run a lot. In addition, pain in the lower leg can be caused by over-frequent workouts, and run by a very hard surface and / or shoes that do not support sufficiently the shin.

Stress fractures - cracks are formed in the bone at regular intensity. Small cracks may not cause symptoms, but if they continue to increase, there will be pain and swelling, and need treatment.

Damaged cartilage can occur at various sports. Its symptoms include pain and stiffness in the joints, swelling, decreased range of joint mobility. Most often it is damaged cartilage of the knee joint.

Fractures are more serious sports injuries. As a rule, they cause severe pain and diskoloratsiyu skin in the fracture; for fractures should be as soon as possible to seek professional help.

Severe head injuries can be accompanied by symptoms such as loss of creation, including in the long period of time, severe drowsiness, involuntary movements, slurred speech, vision problems such as ghosting visible objects, difficulty understanding speech. If the victim observed symptoms, call an ambulance.

Treatment

Sports injuries are very diverse, as well as types of treatment. For minor injuries usually recommended rest and use cold compresses; sometimes require immobilization of the affected joint.

With strong and persistent inflammation can be assigned to corticosteroid injections. They not only reduce inflammation but also prevents damage to the ligaments, which can develop in the long term. In most patients, such injections significantly reduce the pain or completely eliminate it. If the pain persists, the injection can be done on a regular basis, every few weeks.

Massage - a widely used treatment for sports injuries. It is used by itself or in combination with other methods. It stimulates blood flow to the damaged tissue, accelerating their healing and increases the elasticity of the tissues. However, massage is not recommended if there is serious damage to the soft tissues, such as tendons or ligaments break - in such cases, strong pressure can worsen the patient's condition.

In the most serious sports injuries require surgery. Potentially dangerous for anyone, this kind of treatment can have serious consequences for the professional athletes.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is an important step in the treatment of sports injuries, as often it depends on it, whether people return to the sport and return to the previous form. In most cases, within the framework of rehabilitation is recommended as soon as possible to begin to develop the damaged part of the body to accelerate the healing process of tissues and as little as possible to lose shape. It is important to carefully follow all instructions of your doctor and do not take the time to return to the sport - it is under these conditions, there is a strong likelihood that this return will take place at all, and - that it will be successful.

Fracture of the spine is a very common injury. According to statistics, a fracture of the spine in 45% of cases occur as a result of road accidents, 15% - during exercise, even 15% - because of the violence. 80% of patients with fractures of the spine are in the age group of 18-25 years. Men get this injury are four times more often than women.

Symptoms

Symptoms of spinal fractures vary depending on which area is broken. Signs of fracture can be a pain in the back Back pain: Do not start the process   or neck, numbness, tingling, muscle spasms, weakness, changes in intestinal motility, and paralysis - loss of mobility of the hands and / or feet. Usually paralysis indicates spinal cord injury - fracture of the spine is not always. Severe spinal cord injury as a result of a fracture of the spine is very rare.

Diagnostics

A person who has broken the spine (or suspected fracture of the spine) should immediately call an ambulance. Those who are close to the victims, we should not move it unless absolutely necessary. After first aid diagnose using the following methods:

• X-ray study allows you to see the cracks and displacement of the vertebrae;
• Computed tomography (CT) is particularly useful for detecting changes in the structure of the bone;
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows you to get a clear image of both soft tissue and bone.

Treatment

Treatment begins with a vertebral fracture pain relief and stabilization of the patient to prevent further damage. Further, depending on the extent of damage will be used conservative and / or surgical treatments.

By conservative methods of treatment include the use of special surgical braces that hold the spine in a certain position, immobilizing it to the treatment, as well as help control the pain. At the turn without moving can be quite conservative treatment. Typically, corsets worn for eight to twelve weeks.

For fractures of the spine offset is usually required surgery, during which straighten the spine. Recovery after this surgery may take several months.

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty - a minimally-invasive procedure used to treat compression fractures of the spine, which are often caused by osteoporosis Osteoporosis - he threatens you?   or tumors of the spine. During vertebroplasty in broken vertebrae introduce special cementing substance. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, usually, it takes less than an hour. After vertebroplasty, patients need to stay in bed some day, then it can gradually restore the level of activity. During kyphoplasty in the space between the vertebrae compressed first introduced balloon which is then inflated to create a place for cementing substance.

The success of the treatment of vertebral fracture depends on many factors, first of all, how much was damaged spine. In most cases, treatment is successful and the patient after some time returned to his usual way of life. Sometimes the fracture of the spine leads to a permanent restriction or disability.

Causes and types of vertebral fractures

Vertebral fractures are serious injuries. They can occur in the fall from a height on the legs, buttocks, the head (indirect trauma) or direct blow to the back (direct trauma).

Fractures can be single or multiple, with or without damage to the spinal cord, spinal nerves and intervertebral discs. There are also a broken body, arches and spines. Fracture of the vertebral body can be compression (by squeezing) and comminuted (granulated). What matters as the division of spine fractures in the stable (the entire spine does not move) and unstable (occur at the same time damage to the anterior and posterior parts of the vertebrae).

How does spinal fracture

Manifested fracture of the spine in different ways. In some cases, any complaints by the victim's missing, in others have expressed manifestations. Severe spinal fractures manifested by severe pain, violation of motor activity of the intestine, various neurological disorders that depend on what kind of bell struck, dysfunction of the pelvic organs in fractures with spinal cord or spinal nerves.

For fractures of the cervical vertebrae head takes a forced situation with tension of the neck muscles, appear sharp pain when moving the head. Fractures of the first cervical vertebra can cause instant death.

Fractures of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae often occur in the lower thoracic and verhnepoyasnichnom departments - where less mobile spine becomes more mobile. They often come in compression, with a decrease in the height of the vertebral body in the anterior. Significantly pronounced compression fractures can be combined with damage to the intervertebral disc. Immediately after the injury occurs girdle pain, shortness of breath (thoracic vertebrae fracture), pain radiating into the stomach (fracture of the lumbar vertebrae), local pain with pressure on the spinous processes (processes, protruding on the back) vertebrae.

Fractures of the sacral region often result from a direct blow, at least - in the fall on the buttocks or squeezing the victim in the anteroposterior direction. In the area of ​​the fracture appears swelling, bruising and tenderness on pressure, the patient can not stand. But sometimes these fractures occur not too painful, and even patients themselves come to the clinic.

In addition to the characteristic manifestations in fractures of the spine are important radiological diagnostic methods that allow you to specify the location and the nature of the fracture. For more accurate diagnosis of the most complex fractures of the spine performed computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

First aid

When providing first aid to the victim with a suspected fracture of the spine it is necessary to lay on hard stretchers (or placed under a wooden shield). At the turn of the thoracic or lumbar regions of the victim can be put on the stomach. Transporting such a patient to a hospital in the sitting position is unacceptable.

At the turn of the cervical spine fixation of the spine carry special hard collar or bus, in the form of a curved neck. For this purpose, it is also possible to lay on the sides of the neck sandbags (patient thus has to lie on the rigid stretcher).

When treating such patients in specialized departments of hospitals adhere to the principles of the early elimination of displacement of the vertebrae Offset vertebrae: to early detection , Secure the spinal column and the earliest possible rehabilitation therapy, which includes physiotherapy and massage, promote the creation of a muscular "corset" that can keep the spine in an upright position.

Remember that for any injuries of the spine it is necessary to see a doctor.

  Galina Romanenko