Sustaining an injury can be detrimental to a career. Part of this is the length of time an athlete will be on the sidelines. This is especially true in team sports. Being on the sidelines can mean another player coming in and putting on spectacular performances on a consistent basis. With this happening, the injured player might become old news and soon be forgotten about. Despite this, the importance of recovery is important. There will be other opportunities that you can explore.
Former U.S. Open champion, Emma Raducanu, is recovering well from having gone through multiple surgeries on both wrists and on an ankle. She said, "I had a cast on one hand, a splint on the other and my ankle was pretty much immobilised. I was just scooting around on one knee. As someone who’s so active, it was very difficult to just shut your body down. It’s very easy for me to lose sight of where I was exactly a year ago, to this day, to this month. You just get so caught up in your own world, you want more, more, more.”(as per the WTA).
She has recovered to the point where she isn't worried an inch in regard to hitting balls. She's currently preparing for Wimbledon - which begins on 1 July. Since winning the U.S. Open as an unseeded qualifier three years ago, Raducanu rose to a career-high ranking of no. 10 in the world in 2022 but has also struggled with form and fitness.
Returning from athletic injury can be a lengthy and difficult process. The injured athlete commonly receives care from several providers during rehabilitation. As their condition improves, injured athletes resume strength and conditioning programs and sport-specific activities in preparation for return to play. Until full medical clearance is provided to return to sport and the athlete is psychologically ready to return to play, the injured athlete remains a patient regardless of who is developing and supervising each component of the recovery process. An understanding of and commitment to the plan of care for each athlete, as well as communication among health care providers, strength and conditioning specialists, coaches, and the athletes, are essential to the safest and most efficient recovery from injury (Kraemer, Denegar & Flanagan, 2009).
It's important to define what a sports injury is. It can be defined as involvement of damage to a part of your body due to sports, exercise or athletic activities. A sports injury can be acute (sudden) or chronic (develop over time) (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
Injury is more than physical, i.e., the athlete must be psychologically ready for the demands of his/her sport. Many individuals assist athletes through the recovery process and can foster psychological readiness but they can also identify those who are physically recovered but require more time or intervention to be fully prepared to return to competition. Thus, rehabilitation and recovery are not purely physical but also psychological (Kraemer, Denegar & Flanagan, 2009)..
It's important to know that these type of injuries always occur in the same location/s. These common locations include: Achilles tendon; Ankle; Elbow; Head; Knee & Shoulder. Along with these, specific injuries can occur. These include:
Broken bone: A broken bone (bone fracture) can happen when sudden force is applied to a bone.
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.
Concussion: A concussion is a brain injury caused by a bump or blow to your head.
Dislocation: Dislocation occurs when the end of a bone moves out of its normal position in a joint.
Tendinitis: Tendinitis occurs when your tissues that connect muscles to bones (tendons) become swollen and inflamed. It’s caused by repetitive movements over time. An example is 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 (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
With these injuries, there will always be symptoms and causes. The symptoms include: aches, pain or tenderness; bruising; deformity, such as a bone or joint looking out of place.; decreased range of motion; grinding, cracking, clicking or popping noise; inability to bear weight on your hip, leg or foot; skin that’s warm to the touch; stiffness or weakness; swelling & trouble moving a body part normally (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
Diagnosing an injury can be easy. Your doctor will perform a physical exam. They’ll ask questions about what happened and what symptoms you’ve had. They’ll also look at the injured area, possibly testing how it moves (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
Depending on the type of injury you have and how severe it is, your doctor may also recommend imaging tests. An X-ray, CT scan or MRI can create pictures of the structures inside your body. The images will help your doctor understand, diagnose and treat your specific injury (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
When an athlete does indeed suffer an injury, there are ways to manage it. These include: immobilisation with a cast, splint, sling, walking boot or other medical device; injections to reduce swelling and pain; prescription anti-inflammatory medications; surgery to correct fractures or repair ligament, tendon or cartilage tears and physical therapy (also called rehabilitation or rehab) to heal and strengthen injured body parts (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
There are ways to prevent injuries from happening. An athlete can choose sports and activities that are less dangerous (for example, avoid sports that involve collisions and tackles); don’t play the same sport or do the same activity year-round. This is especially important for children; mix up your routine. Your body needs a combination of cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise, strength training with weights or resistance and flexibility; drink plenty of water before, during and after any exercise; learn proper technique and use it all the time; listen to your body and don’t push too far; rest when you’re tired; stop any activity that doesn’t feel right; start slowly and build gradually; stretch before and after every workout. Warm up before and cool down afterward & wear proper shoes and safety equipment, and make sure they’re always in good condition (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
Whether we like it or not, we are not immune from getting injured. We are all bound to get injured in some form now and again. The importance to learn how to treat it and prevent long term damage. Prevention can be an excellent tool to have. Whilst sustaining an injury can be inevitable, access to the required treatment almost immediately can be extremely helpful towards a speedy recovery.
Reference List
Cleveland Clinic. (2021). Sports Injuries. [online]. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22093-sports-injuries (Accessed: 11 June 2024).
Denegar, C., Flanagan, S. & Kraemer, W. (2009). Recovery from injury in sport: considerations in the transition from medical care to performance care. Sports health [online], 1(5), 392–395. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738109343156 (Accessed: 11 June 2024).