Sports are one of America’s favorite pastimes, but some of those sports come with a higher risk of physical injury than others. Viewers may enjoy watching a game of football, baseball, or basketball, and players might enjoy participating in those sports, but it’s an undeniable fact that such sports aren’t too kind on players’ bodies.
Football
While football is one of America’s most popular sports, it’s also one of the most dangerous. Some of the most common football injuries include knee injuries, leg injuries, shoulder injuries, ankle injuries, and head injuries.
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) connects the bones of the lower and upper knee. Injuries to this particular ligament can range from mild to severe. A high impact to the hip bone can result in a hip pointer injury as well as bruising, pain, and bleeding. A fall or hit taken to the shoulder can easily dislocate the shoulder by forcing it out of the socket. Since football players often take hits to the skull, it’s no surprise that they often suffer from concussions, which can cause memory loss, confusion, and headaches.
Baseball
While baseball players don’t usually slam into each other the same way that football players do, the sport can still be considered a high impact one. Something else to think about with baseball is that it’s played with strained muscles and quick moves, which means that sooner or later a player will tear a tendon or ligament or pull a muscle. Some of the most common baseball injuries include rotator cuff tear, tennis elbow, and knee injuries.
Being able to pitch a ball more than 100 mph is an impressive feat, but what’s not so impressive is how much wear and tear flinging a ball at that speed can do to a pitcher’s rotator cuff. What causes injury to the rotator cuff is repetitive stress on the tendons that connect the muscles of the rotator cuff together. Contrary to the name, it’s entirely possible for baseball players to experience tennis elbow. The reason for this is the motion that baseball players use to lob the ball across the field is much like the motion that tennis players use to hit a tennis ball over a net.
Basketball
Injuries associated with the high impact sport of basketball can be separated into either traumatic injuries or overuse injuries. Repetitive stress to an area of the body can lead to injury, such as when a basketball player gets what’s known as “jumper’s knee” just below the kneecap. Just like baseball players, basketball players can also suffer from torn rotator cuffs due to taking repetitive shots at the basket. Basketball players can also injure or tear their Achilles tendon. Players can also suffer from traumatic injuries whenever they jam their fingers or pull or tear a muscle in their leg. Playing basketball can also lead to ankle sprains from players landing on another player’s foot or rolling their ankle too far outward.
In order to prevent injury while playing high impact sports, players should be sure to wear the proper protective gear, stretch, and consult a professional sports doctor about additional steps they can take to prevent future injuries.