Top 4 Most Common Sports Injuries

For a large majority of professional athletes, being down from an injury is quite common. Typically, professional athletes are acquainted with a physical therapist early on in their careers, often working in therapy programs for weeks.  Because sports injuries are common, physical therapy assistant schools often train students in the most common sports injuries and their corresponding therapies. The following is a list of the most common sports injuries that athletes of all categories experience.

physical therapy

Muscle Strain

This injury can occur to almost any muscle on the body. Because athletes know of the risk of severe muscle strain they start every training session with a warm up and stretch and end each session with a cool down. However, even after doing these, the athlete still risks experiencing muscle pulls.  People who try too hard, or move too fast in their exercise or sports routine can often experience these.  Athletes who take a fall, experience fatigue or get hit overly hard can also experience these injuries. Physical therapy assistant programs teach students to apply ice to the muscle to relieve the spasms. Ice is applied for 20 minutes and then taken off for another 20, after which it is replaced. This icing process should be continued for the first few days after the injury.

Muscle Spasms

This injury is identified by the pronounced and painful involuntary muscle contraction. Physical therapy assistant schools teach that the signs of a muscle cramp or spasm in the muscle usually cause a great deal of pain and a sense of being very tender to the touch. In most cases the person affected can’t use the muscle until it heals.  The muscle cramp can decrease when the muscle is stretched and flexibility improves.  Adding fruits, vegetables and water to a diet may help prevent this type of injury.

Neck Strain

Many athletes suffer from pulled muscles in the neck area. It occurs from suddenly looking up or making a swift head movement. In some sufferers it causes neck movement to be almost impossible. Physical therapy assistant programs teach students to treat this type of injury with 20 minutes of applied ice then removing the ice for another 20 minutes and reapplying it.

Lower Back Pain

Almost all athletic people experience some type of lower back pain. It usually comes from a sharp and unexpected movement or back twist. Although it can also occur when a person lifts a heavy weight, or participates in an activity where he or she doesn’t have a lot of practice. Weightlifters, martial artists and tennis players are prone to back injuries because of the movements they need to make. Physical therapy schools teach physical therapist assistants simple exercises that can strengthen the lower back and abdominal muscles. By strengthening these sets of muscles a person can prevent back pain from occurring again.

There are many other sports related injuries that can occur. Some are related to a particular sport while others are more generalized. There are many different treatments and exercises that a good physical therapy assistant program will teach students throughout the learning sessions.

Dorothy Synder has written about physical therapy assistant schools and training as well as other college degree focused programs.

The Stick Review, Self Massage At Its Best

Running puts a lot of pressure on the legs. The calves and shins, especially, receive great trauma from the activity. Running, at its most basic level, involves the collision and grinding of over fifty bones in the legs. For people that want to continue “hitting the road,” they need something that can soothe their muscles and keep their legs strong.For them, there is The Stick.

The Stick Review

The Stick

The Stick, is a self massage tool that can be use to work cramped, sore, and tight muscles, especially in the legs. It is a basic rolling device fixed with several hard, bead-like rings that spin freely around The Stick itself. It is a very simple and highly effective device—one of our favorites for treating a variety of aches and pains.  Unlike bands, straps or creams, self massage actually addresses the problem, instead of just masking it. This makes self-massage devices, such as The Stick, foam rollers, and foot rollers, a long-term investment for any serious runner.

To use the The Stick, simply  grip it on each side and roll it like a rolling pin. When rolled over a muscle or bone, the rings act as hands, pressing and smoothing out sore spots. The user can apply the stick to any part of their body. The stick helps to break-up the strong connective tissues that can become hard and knotted through exercise. It releases the trigger points that send sharp pain through the legs and it opens up blood flow, delivering muscle-building oxygen and nutrients. The Stick works exceptionally well on quadriceps, calves, the IT band, and hamstrings. My personal preference is to use it on my calves, where I often don’t feel that the foam roller digs in enough. However, I still foam roll my IT band, and prefer the foam roller for that area over The Stick. I really recommend that runners own both The Stick and a foam roller.

The Stick is strong, durable, and easy to use. It also comes in a few different versions and sizes. The regular version is 17 inches long and is my favorite for travel. The long version is 24 inches, which can cover more area, such as the chest or back, but is also my preference for home use on the legs. The sprinter stick is similar in weight and size but provides a more rigid body with tougher rings. That version is often preferred by professional athletes who need the most comprehensive recovery treatment.

Overall, The stick is one of the most important tools a runner can have. It is powerful, portable, and inexpensive, and it provides some of the best self-massage that you can get.

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