|
What Everyone Should Know
Sports Injury Warning Signs!
Do You Have Any?
by Dr. Erin White
If
you play sports or lead an active lifestyle, there
are some common warning signs that you may have a
sports injury. Some injuries are sudden, some creep
up. If you don’t pay attention to both types of
injuries, they will get worse, cause more pain and
“cost” you more!
Six sports injury warning signs to look out for
include:
(1)
Joint Pain
– particularly at the knee, ankle, elbow, wrist
should never be ignored.
(2) Tenderness
at a Specific Point. If you press your finger into
a specific point on a muscle, bone or joint you may
have a significant injury, if it is very tender.
(3) Swelling
– obvious or mild swelling is always a sign of a
sports injury and should never be ignored no matter
how mild.
(4) Reduced
Range of Motion – a joint that moves less than
normal, that may click or pop and is swollen needs
attention.
(5) Comparative
Weakness. Comparing one side to the other for
weakness is often hard to determine but can be a
good clue.
(6) Numbness
and Tingling. Never ignore these signs.
If
you recognize any of the above warning signs and
obviously suffered an incident that may have injured
something (i.e. twisted your ankle, popped your
shoulder), see a health care professional ASAP that
is familiar with sports injuries. The sooner you
get your injury assessed and properly treated, the
sooner you can get back to playing or being active!
|
