Sports Injuries: The Healing Hardships
Imagine . . . after spending several grueling months, training every day, for the first game of the season; you have given every ounce of hard work to prepare for this game and at the first tackle you feel and hear your knee crunch under you. This is every athlete’s worst fear, a serious injury. After an injury, there are many questions an athlete might ask. “What happened? How long is the rehabilitation? What do I have to do to recover? Will I ever play again? How will it affect my life?” Despite advancements in science and medicine and the pressure to make a speedy recovery, the healing process is still difficult and long with physical and emotional effects occuring.
Many people think that a sports injury is caused by a freak accident, but Hal Marcovitz, in his article, “What Causes Sports Injuries?” states, “Most sports injuries are caused not by collisions with linebackers or outfield walls, but by players who lack conditioning and push themselves too hard” (1). Chad Spugnardi, a teacher who got a severe knee injury playing a friendly game of basketball, was not even sure how he injured his knee. This knee injury ended up leading to a surgery, then to physical therapy, and lots of rest.
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There are many misconceptions, however, research reveals. Many arguments go against the idea that injuries cause psychological, emotional and physical pain. It causes limitation which leads to frustration. Many athletes want to get better right away and be able to play like they used to. However, recovery can take an extensive amount of rehabilitation. Also, as Lauer reports, some feel that medical improvements in surgery have made healing from sports injuries easier. Many people get the general idea that healing will be fast due to the many advancements. Just because there have been improvements in medicine, doesn't mean that healing will be a short
Kids just want to have fun. In a bygone era, parents wanted kids to play sports for fun and camaraderie. However, a new attitude is developing among coaches and parents, which is mopping-up fun from youth sports. Now it's all about the team and the game. The team must win the game at any cost.
At the snap of the ball a whole players world could come crashing down. The game of football holds a whooping 47% of all concussions reported in the world, while ice hockey and soccer trail behind. Football is America’s sport and its athletes become the world’s pride and joy, but what happens when an athlete is injured and is struggling to mentally get better. This topic hits close to home for me because it was the one sport my family praised and adored. My older brother who is now twenty five, played highschool football for the Laconia Sachems. Just the name Sachems is enough to make me get the chills. In 2007 the Laconia Sachems the only undefeated team to go on to win the New Hampshire state championship saw success, but my brother went
There are many people that play key roles in athlete’s injuries and the way they take care of themselves. Some may be caring than others, but the input of all roles matter as to whether or not an athlete is capable of playing in the game. The first role is always the parent’s of the at...
Sports performance is carrying out of specific physical routines or procedures by one who is trained or skilled in physical activity. Performance is usually influenced by a combination of physiological and also psychological. Performance of an athlete usually measured by the goals they set and how hard they are willing to train for the sport they take part in. When thinking of performing a duty to a team most people don’t think about the mental obstacles one might have to overcome to accomplish a goal. When dealing with any athlete there is more to it than just throwing them in a game and expecting them to play well.
Amanda was in her sophomore year of soccer season when she heard the pop of her knee that cut her season short. The next thing she knew she was at the doctor’s who told her she had an ACL tear, and wasn’t sure if she could play again. From there it was boiled down to two options. One to re-strengthen her knee through rehabilitation, physical therapy and bracing, or to undergo an ACL reconstruction surgery. Although it is costly and some may consider it frivolous, those who have encountered ACL tears should receive the reconstruction surgery instead of attending rehabilitation for the damage to their knee, because it dramatically lessens the chances of meniscal injuries and osteoarthritis occurring later and allows the patient to return back to their sport or physical activity with better knee mobility and less pain in a timely manner.
There are many injuries in general, but sports injuries? Sprains and Strains are the most common injuries in sports. “Sprains are injuries to ligaments, the tough bands connecting in a joint. Suddenly stretching ligaments past their limits deforms or tears them” (Hoffman 1). Ligaments are like springs in a sense that when you stretch a spring, it will return to it’s normal state unless they are
The number of girls and women participating in all levels of sports has risen greatly in recent years, and the way they play has changed too. Women's sports used to be played by a slow defensive style. Today, the sports are played with speed, precision, and power. With these changes have come increased injuries, and female athletes have higher injury rates than men in many sports. Knee injuries have been rising in female sports. Anterior crutiate ligament (ACL) injuries have become the most common injury in the knee to female athletes. Females are four times more susceptible to injury then men.
The problems and injuries that come with playing football have been obvious since the beginning, and to this day are still being discovered and researched in hopes of finding solutions so that the sport is not so dangerous. Malcolm Gla...
When an athlete catches the sound of their knee crack and pop, they better prepare themselves for a long journey. The Center for Injury and Policy (CIRP), from Science Daily, reports that, “Knees are the most accident prone part of the body in high school athletes.” Knee injuries are very common; in fact, they are responsible for 45% of the injuries that occur in high school athletics across America. Knee injuries are well known to not just those in the medical field, but also to athletes. Injuries to the knee are caused by many factors, and what happens after the injury has taken place is what’s most concerning (Science Daily).
These types of injuries could take upwards to eighteen months to return to playing condition, and in this time an athlete will often fall behind in the sport that they love. This often causes the athlete to quit the sport they once loved because they can no longer truly compete amongst their peers. I know that there has to be a way to accelerate this process of recovery and get those athletes back on the field. This is where my passion for orthopaedics
Young athletes account for about 4 million injuries a year in the U.S. according to an article published in the Los Angeles Times (2010). US Today reported that approximately 1.35 million student athletes’ injuries were severe enough to send them to the hospital emergency department. Athletic injuries range from the simple ankle strains and sprains to more serious injuries such as: fractures, contusions, abrasions, and even concussions. The unexpected injuries can cause great physical and emotional challenges for these student athletes. Besides having to deal with the physical and emotional stresses they must also have to deal with the financial turmoil the injuries triggered. Recovering from sport injuries require more than undergoing rigorous physical rehabilitation. Physical healing which can take months is quite different from the mental and emotional healing which can take years to recover from.
Athletes who have a NTL injury, despite being able to play, also are susceptible to an increase in stress levels. One of the main stressors NTL injured athletes face is an increase in fear of (re)injury (Anaesth,2001). A fear of injury or re-injury can significantly affect an athlete’s performance and can cause them to overcompensate, which can result in further injury. In addition, a fear of re-injury can cause major setbacks in rehabilitation as well as performance. According to Crossman (1997), an athlete’s negative outlook towards an injury can subsequently affect the athlete’s attitude regarding recovery and rehabilitation. Not only can an athlete’s mental and emotional state affect rehabilitation, but it also can increase an athlete’s chances for further injury.
Several people sign up for the military and other related events every day and they know they might get seriously injured and even killed. According to “Army Mil” “FY21 on-duty ground soldier fatality rate was 1.3 fatalities per 100,000 soldiers.” Professional sports can be an example as well. Football is a physically demanding sport, and the NFL carries a high risk of injury. Players are exposed to potential concussions, joint injuries, and other long-term health concerns.
Recovering from an injury can indeed be a difficult process and athletes must wait for however long in able to play the sport again. During that duration of time, the idea of waiting and not performing can sometimes cause an athlete to feel angry, to be in denial, and
Football is one of the most popular and most viewed sports in the nation; people of every race and ethnicity love to watch the game of football, but when playing this sport, participants must always account for injuries that occur such as ligament tears and brain, neck, and spinal injuries, all of which can produce short and long term effects on a player’s life.