Sports injuries are common and can occur anywhere on your body including bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other structures.

Who are prone to sports injuries?

Sports injuries can happen to anyone, particularly people who:

• Are out of shape.
• Don’t wear proper protective equipment.
• Exercise without warming up and cooling down.
• Participate in contact sports that may involve tackling or collisions.
• Take part in activities that involve jumping, running, and pivoting or changing direction quickly.

What are the most common orthopedic sports injuries in kids?

There are many types of sports injuries. Some of the most common are:

• Broken bone (bone fracture) 
• Cartilage tear: Cartilage is a tough but flexible shock absorber that covers and protects the ends of some bones. Cartilage injuries can occur in joints such as your knee and shoulder.
• Dislocation: Dislocation occurs when the end of a bone moves out of its normal position in a joint. For example, if your kneecap pops out, it’s dislocated. (As shown in the image above)
• Tendinitis: Tendinitis occurs when the tissues that connect muscles to bones (tendons) become swollen and inflamed. It’s caused by repetitive movements over time. An example is a jumper’s knee (patellar tendonitis).
• Sprains: A sprain happens when a ligament stretches too much or tears. Ligaments connect bones and stabilize joints. These injuries can be mild or severe, and they’re common in your ankle, knee, and wrist.
• Strains: A strain occurs when you overextend a muscle and it stretches or tears. Examples include hamstring strain, back strain and abdominal strain.

How is a sports injury diagnosed?

To diagnose a sports injury, your healthcare provider performs a physical exam.

Depending on the type of injury you have and how severe it is the doctor may recommend an X-ray, CT scan or MRI.

How is a sports injury treated?

You can treat many minor injuries at home Most minor sports injuries get better in a few days with the RICE method (video on website):

Rest: Rest the injured area

Ice: Put ice or cold packs on the injured area to reduce pain and swelling (10 minutes six hourly).

Compression: Wrap the injured area in an elastic bandage to provide support and reduce swelling. Make sure it’s snug, but not so tight that it hurts or cuts off blood circulation.

Elevation: Prop up your injured body part using a pillow, if possible above the level of your heart, to rest it and reduce swelling.

You also might consider taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.

But some injuries require medical treatment, such as plaster immobilization, physical therapy, and surgery.

Do consult your doctor for any injury if the pain, swelling, bruising persists or aggravates after 24 hours.