Common Injuries in Athletics
Sports players in athletics are most prone to muscle and tendon injuries. Both of these can be very traumatic. Common examples are hamstring pulls while sprinting, or a direct blow to a muscle, or overuse such as in Achilles tendinitis.
Tendon Injuries
Tendons are the structures that anchor the end of muscles to the bones. Unlike muscles, they are not elastic in nature and have a poor blood supply compared to the muscle belly itself. It is possible to rupture a tendon. Any rupture, whether partial or complete, needs either surgery and/or immobilisation for a lengthy period, followed by specialist rehabilitation.
The most common form of tendon injury is overuse, which creates tendinitis. This is an inflammation of the tendon. If it is not treated it will, in the acute phase, quickly become chronic and very difficult to treat.
Achilles Tendinitis
Causes
Rubbing of ill-fitting trainers or boots, Running on hard ground, Increased running/sprinting, Tight calf muscles.
Symptoms
Pain and stiffness in the morning, pain on calf stretching and tenderness to touch, especially if the tendon is squeezed and the pain tends to be localised.
Treatment
Ample rest, icing and heel raises to alter the tension on the tendon is advised. Gentle massage of the painful area can also help. Athletes need to check their trainers and/or boots in case these are possibly the cause of the initial aggravation. As the symptoms settle, calf stretching with a mixture of bent and straight knee exercises is important. Then there can be a gradual increase in the resumption of a training programme but the tendon must not be overloaded.
Patella Tendinitis
Causes
Increased jumping activities, Squatting, Running.
Symptoms
Pain is felt on a resisted straightening of the knee from a bent position. Squatting also causes pain, which can be felt when pressure is applied to the bottom of the knee cap.
Treatment
Rest is the best treatment before a gradual return to activity. Benefit will be gained by stretching the hip flexor and quadriceps muscles.
Muscle Injuries
The most difficult part of dealing with muscle injuries is to assess the severity of the injury. Muscles can also be injured by a direct blow and this type of injury can run from superficial, where no actual muscle fibres are damaged, to deep bruising bleeding into the calf muscle itself, which affects the mechanics of muscle contraction.
Hamstring Strains
Causes
Damage to the small blood vessels that supply the muscle, causing a leak of blood to the surrounding area; Mechanical tear in the muscle fibres; Back pain.
Symptoms
Symptoms vary from a cramp in the muscle and spasm where the muscle fibres are not directly injured, to a searing pain because of a serious tear of the muscle where some of the muscle fibres are actually torn and separated from each other.
Treatment
Rest, then massaging and stretching exercises is the treatment method. Many hamstring injuries can be attributed to a back problem. It is, therefore, important not to sit for too long before a match, so a long journey should be followed by a warm-up and back stretch. If, when stretching the hamstring, there is tingling or pain in the lower part of the leg from behind the knee or into the foot, a good manual therapist should be consulted to carry out treatment.
Calf Strains
Causes and Symptoms
Strain on the calf muscle due to damage to blood vessels of a mechanical tear in the calf muscle.
Treatment
Rest, then massaging and stretching exercises is the treatment method. In the early stages the player may need to keep weight off the foot. Using crutches or a heel raise inside the shoe, will take the tension off the calf. As healing takes place, gradual reduction of the heel raise will bring about a natural, controlled stretch. It is important to stretch the calf in two ways, one with a straight knee and the second with a bent knee.
Source: Sports Injury Bulletin