As fans, Americans have long been lovers of sports of all sorts. However, with the growing attention on reducing obesity and its consequences and improving systemic health, more and more Americans are becoming participants in sports, not just idle fans.
The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association released a sport-by-sport comparison on the growth of various sports. Running saw an almost 60% participation increase over the last decade. Yoga participation increased over 20% between last year and 2008. Amazingly, lacrosse participation increased by over 200% in the last decade.
While it's great news that more people are being active and improving their overall health through participating in sports, this participation is often accompanied by overuse and traumatic injuries. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursa, cartilage, and other soft tissues are much easier to injure than one might imagine. Simply doing too much, too fast in your chosen sport can place a stress on these structures that they simply weren’t designed to withstand. Of course, not adhering to the rules of the sport, not having the proper equipment, and not wearing the appropriate safety gear will substantially increase the risk of suffering a sport-related injury.
Sinew Therapeutics offers a great breakdown of the most common injuries for various sports like football, basketball, baseball, running, lacrosse, hiking, walking, weightlifting, wrestling, polo, and so forth. Participating in sports can combine fun with work for the body and make fitness an exciting prospect, but it’s still vital that you understand what injuries you may be at risk for and what you can do if you should suffer an overuse or traumatic injury.
With the cost of healthcare at an all time high, it’s also important to know what your options are for treatment of a sport-related injury. Do you know the difference between Western sports medicine and Eastern sports medicine? If not,
Sinew Therapeutics can help you determine the difference, dispel some common myths, and give you expert advice on a variety of treatment options.