Concussion

Hello all, today I chose to talk about something that has started to appear more, generation after generation! The injury is a concussion. Allow me to explain what is a concussion, it is a brain injury that generally results from head trauma that can be caused by a direct or indirect blow to the head. This injury directly attacks the brain. This causes a temporary loss in brain function such as memory loss, reflexes, speech, balance and judgment. which can be determined by many symptoms. There are 2 types of concussions:

• First degree: The player is confused for a short period of time. (within 15 min)
• Second degree: The player has unconsciousness demonstrating symptoms (more than 15 min)

Alright, so now I will explain what happens during a concussion:

• The brain is bathed in the cerebrospinal fluid which moves within the skull.
• The physiology of the brain can be altered for hours or weeks.
• A concussion appears in an MRI scan

Sports that it is more common to get a concussion are football because of the physical contact, hockey and boxing.
So now the most obvious question. What is a concussion, meaning what happens? It is basically a big headache!! You will get a lot of pain in the head.
Symptoms
First things first, it's important to remember that some symptoms may occur immediately, while others may appear later. Also, if there is loss of consciousness, seek medical help immediately.
•nausea
•vomiting
• Blank Regard
• Fatigue
• Poor coordination
• Slowly Responds to Questions
• Unable to concentrate
• Sees  bright lights
• Dizziness
• Hear the bells
• Seeing stars
• Sensitive to light
• Sensitive to noise
• Headache
• Confusion

Preventions
• Make sure your helmet is tight
• mouth guard
• Respect other players
• Avoid collisions with head
• Know the signs and symptoms
concussion

Treatment
There are 3 treatments I would recommend for a concussion. First of all, you must rest, then you can take some medication and lastly, you must ice for 20-30min for 2 hours.

RETOURNING TO YOUR ACTIVITY. It will not be easy returning from a concussion. If it's a first degree concussion, it could disappear spontaneously within a few days. Here are the steps you would follow to come back from this injury.
1. Repos
2. Exercises light
3. Training sport specific
4 without contact. Exercise
5.Entrainement with touch
6. Participation in a match

I know of a girl who has gotten many concussions before. She would never get them treated and kept playing sports. As a result, she would get concussions more and more often. Also, they became worse, the more she got. Unfortunately due to not treating that injury properly, she now suffers a lot of brain damage and has terrible memory.
To conclude, I believe that before you make any assumptions or decisions, you should consult a doctor.

Tarsal Tunnel

Alright, so for this blog I decided to do an injury that most people do not know about and by most people that includes me. The reason I have chosen to do a blog on Tarsal Tunnel is because I recently went to the doctors and I was diagnosed with this injury. When I was in that doctor's office and he told me that had tarsal tunnel my eyes widened and I could not believe it. The more and more the doctor talked about it the more it made me depressed. As soon as he mentioned the word SURGERY I could not bear to hear anymore! All I could think was ME, an athlete, hoping to go on and play basketball in life but might have to sit back a couple months! I can't even rest one week without playing a sport, I feel bored and dead without them. So me, trying to go at least 1 month without playing a sport is just not in my mentality right now.

Allow me to explain what is Tarsal tunnel its a painful foot condition in which the tibia feels tight as it travels along the tarsal tunnel. Your tarsal tunnel is located on the inner leg, behind your medal malleolus. (located in the picture) To determine if you have this injury you must get a physical examination  and take an X-ray but an MRI is highly recommended too.

How can tarsal tunnel happen? This injury can happen for a number of reasons for example the reason I have it, is because I have flat feet. Also, those who have arthritis in their feet can lead to tarsal tunnel, diabetes, another injury can lead to this as well or, simply you could have a disease.

Symptoms

The first time I noticed there was something wrong with my feet, I got agonizing pain at the bottom of my feet. It was a very sharp and later on numbing pain that prevented me from playing to my full potential. I could tell there was something wrong with the nerves in my feet but I did not know what it was! Here are other symptoms that may occur:

• Burning sensation
• Numbness in the foot
• Very bad pain at the bottom of feet
• Swelling of the feet
• Also, if any of these symptoms spread up your legs

Preventions

• Do a good warm up
• Do exercises to make the feet more flexible
• Wear the proper shoes
• Make sure to give your feet a break throughout long durations of activity

Treatment

Non surgical treatment

To try and get ride of the pain there are many solutions but depending on how severe your injury is, it might not cure it. First of all, I have went with the solution of getting orthotics, that you must wear in all your shoes to try and help create an arch in your foot. Also, you can take medication to help cure the nerve damage in your foot. The other option which frightens me the most would be steroid/ anesthetic injections in the nerves of your foot to try and release the swelling and pain.

Surgical treatment

For this solution the doctors would either release the ligament that surround the tunnel, fix the structure of the tunnel or clearing the obstruction.

Here is small video explaining everything you need to know about Tarsal Tunnel!

http://injuryfix.com/archives/tarsal-tunnel-syndrome.php

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/specialty_areas/peripheral_nerve_surgery/conditions/tarsal-tunnel-syndrome.html

ACL tear

AHHHH here we go! It's time to talk to talk about the worst injury in my opinion ever! The injury that I fear to get the most and pray will never happen to anyone! It's an ACL tear. ACL is a short abbreviation for Anterior Cruciate Ligaments. An ACL tear can only happen painfully to your knee. No words can even describe the feeling that this injury provides. There is so much to know about this injury, I don't even know where to begin. I guess I'll start with my personal story.

Alright, so thankfully this injury has never happen to me but it has effected my old favourite NBA player. I feel so bad for Derrick rose, he was such a good basketball player. Although, now he's been sitting out for at least a year already and not being able to play the sport he is passionate about. He was such a young and exceptional guy in the NBA, I cannot believe this injury has happen to him! With 1 minute and 22 seconds left in the game, it was the most devastating thing the crowd and I could experience. Rose went up for a layup and fell awkwardly to the ground all most in tears and so was I. Later on he was diagnosed with an ACL tear and now all of Chicago and Derrick Rose fans were devastated. I believe one of the reasons he got hurt so easily was because his body was not at the same level as his athleticism. He was super quick, small, and very aggressive although, he could have built him body shape to suite him. Meaning I feel he did not have the strongest leg muscles to support the big role player he is. That is why now he is doing a lot of physio and training and especially weight lifting to be able to return as quickly and safely as possible back to the NBA. Sadly not just Rose has experienced a major injury but many in the NBA have this year. It has become very scary to see how many athletes in the NBA have had an injury this year.

So now let me get to how you know an ACL tear has happen. You typically will feel or hear a pop causing your knee to give out and you may fall. The swelling and pain make it too difficult to continue playing your activity. This injury can a small, medium or complete tear of the ligament. There are 4 major ligaments in your knee , you have your ACL, PCL, MCL and LCL. They are all used to connect your femur and your tibia and controls your excessive motions. Sports that it is more common to happen in is basketball, hockey, soccer, football, etc but can appear from any activity.

The symptoms of an ACL tear are if your hear or feel a pop in the knee. If there is swelling and it is very painful that you are barely capable to walk. To diagnose this injury you may get an MRI then they will be able to tell you if you have a tear and how severe it is.

Treatment
The best way to treat an ACL tear is to have knee surgery. You and the surgeon would discus the physical activity you wish to pursue after the injury to determine if surgery is necessary. Those who do not do physical activity do not have not have surgery but it is recommended. For athletes surgery is highly recommended! According to medicinenet.com this is the level of activity you will be able to do if you choose to or not to have surgery.

• Level I: jumping, pivoting, and hard cutting
• Level II: heavy manual work or side-to-side sports
• Level III: light manual work and non cutting sports like running and bicycling
• Level IV: sedentary lifestyle without sports

After surgery you must go through rehabilitation to help strengthen the knee and regain stabilization and excessive motion.
It will not be easy but it will take time to heal. Usually this injury take about six to eight months to heal! You must be careful and do exactly what your rehabilitation doctor tell you to do, so you do not damage the surgical knee. It is highly recommended to wear a specific knee brace to protect the knee after.

Prevention
Can an ACL tear be prevented? Sadly this injury can occur at any moment, there is not exact way to prevent it. Although you can reduce the possibilities by building good muscle strength and flexibility. A good exercise for that would be plyometrics. Also, doing a good warm up and cool down will help.

Here is a small 4 minute video concerning ACL tears! Hope you enjoy!

http://www.medicinenet.com/torn_acl/page4.htm

Dislocation

This week I have chose to talk about dislocations. For many this subject is self explanatory but for others allow me to elaborate. By reading the word "dislocation" it is clearly stating that it's evolving a bone location. Therefore, a dislocation is when your bones get separated from the joint where they connect. A dislocated bone is no longer in its correct position! You can dislocate divers parts of your body such as you knee, shoulder, hip, ankle. It's usually hard to tell from a broken and dislocated bone although, this injury is equally an emergency too!

Causes: This injury is caused by a sudden hit or impact to the joint. Such as if someone were to fall or be hit with great force it could lead to a dislocated bone. When you dislocate a bone once, it's easy to dislocate the bone again in the future.

Let me tell you a story regarding dislocations and how they effected my cousin. It all started when he was about 15 years old and now he's 26. His shoulder has dislocated 5 times in the last 11 years or might I say his SHOULDERS! Yes both his shoulders have been dislocated. The first incident was in the school yard when he was 15, he was playing football and got tackled by a guy who is 2 times his size. He was in great pain and screamed for help. Much like his second incident when he fell down the stairs and dislocated the same shoulder. By his 3rd incident he was practically an expert, after he was checked in hockey, he knew exactly how to fix his shoulder. Although, he could never overcome the agonizing pain he was able to pop it back in place. The next time he got hurt was a little different, this time it was his left shoulder that dislocated exactly the same as his fifth time. He has been to the doctors several times and they said that his shoulders are prone to dislocate easily because it has happen so often. My cousin does not let this injury affect his life, I am so proud that he continues to play sports and enjoy his life. He is just more cautious now of what he does.

Symptoms

• Bruising/ swelling
• Intense pain
• Hard to move
• Redness
• Limited movement
• Visibly out of place

Treatment
The treatment will depend on your doctor and how severe the dislocation is! For minor dislocation all you must simply do is R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevate). Although, for more severe dislocation your must get it popped back into place. After the treatment, the injured area will be placed in a sling and would profit from muscles strengthening (physiotherapy).

How to Prevent

• Use handrails when using the stairs
• Keep a first aid kit in the area
• Move electrical cords off the floor
• Wear protective gear when playing sports
• Be careful on rugs
• In the bath tub, use non-skid mats
• Do not stand on unstable items

This video demonstrates how your bone can dislocate!

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000014.htm
http://www.healthline.com/health/dislocation

Stress Fracture

Hello again everyone today I'm going to talk about a stress fracture! Now just to elaborate, this is a type of fracture. A fracture is basically a medical term for a broken bone. So when its a Stress Fracture, just like mentioned in the name it's because of stress to the bone.

A stress fracture is a small crack in the bone and can be any size such as a hair line fracture to a huge crack. They are usually caused by overuse or high impact sports. That being said when your muscles become fatigue and can no longer absorb the shock it causes stress which leads to the horrible fracture.

I have a family member who had a stress fracture but they were not aware of it. They felt so much pain in their foot and it made it difficult to walk. Their main priority was sports, sports, sports, no time to rest any injuries no matter how much pain there was. They went days even years without getting the injury checked out. Discovering 2 years later they had suffered from a stress fracture and did not let it heal properly. Due to their decision, they now have problems causing pain quite often on that foot. Sadly, it could be something they will have to deal with for the rest of their lives or a good majority of it. So this is why I chose this injury and want to explain everything you need to know to be able to either prevent, treat or even identify a stress fracture.

Symptoms

• Pain in the injured area
• If the pain increases with time
• Sometimes their if redness or swelling

How to diagnose it? Just like most injuries you must get a X-ray. Although, sometimes the fracture may not appear in a X-ray which is why your doctor would schedule you a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) which is a more sensitive photograph.

Prevent

1. To prevent this injury, a person must have proper dieting meaning making sure to get their vitamins such as calcium, vitamin D, etc.
2. Also, the most important would be to take caution of how much we exercise and listen to our bodies when there is too much stress and needs a break.
3. Lastly, make sure to wear the proper equipment and do every exercise properly.

Treatment

1. TAKE A BREAK!!
2. Take pain medication prescribe by a doctor if necessary
3. Make sure to ice the injured area

Here is quick video giving a summary of my blog and a in depth explanation of a stress fracture!

http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00112
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/sports/stress_fractures.html#

Shin Splints



MTSS

Does your shins ever throb or ache? Does pain occur after simply the smallest movement or even during the biggest playoff game of your life?

Yes these could be signs of shin splints! Another known name for shin splints is Medial Tibia Stress Syndrome (MTSS) although this pain appears on the lower leg and on the inside of the bone where shin splits is common to appear from the knee to the ankle. (1) So for those you are wondering what is shin splints, allow be to tell you. They are when you get pain in the shins either on the outside or inner part of the leg. It is caused by vigorous exertion which means too much force applied to the shin bone. This usually happens to athletes who play sports that involve then to stop and go constantly. Such as in sports like running, basketball, soccer, tennis, etc.

 
I noticed many people with who I play sports with get shin splints. I am very thankful that I have not gotten any yet and hope not get any in the future. A girl a played soccer with would get them often but she would play through the pain which is not a good idea. She would tape her shins with the KT tape and think that everything will be fine. One thing I believe we must know is doing something to numb the pain will help for a short period of time but the injury could get worst in the long run.

Symptoms of shin splints

• Swelling in the lower leg
• Pain on the inner part of your leg
• Tenderness or soreness
• Nerves get irritated therefore your feet feel numb

To diagnose that you have shin splints it is usually shown on physical examinations. Also, you can go to the doctors and get a bone scan, X-Ray or a MRI to determine if there is a stress fracture on the tibia bone.

Treatment (2)

Here is a list of treatment tips to help heal your shin splints as best and soon as possible.

• The most important is REST your body
• Place a heat compressing wrap over your leg
• Ice your leg for 20min every 3-4 hours
• Do physical therapy and leg exercises if your doctor recommends it
• Take pain killers if necessary

How to prevent shin splints (3)

• Always wear the proper shoes to do your exercise
• Make sure to warm up before your exercise
• When you feel pain stop your workout and take a rest
• Be careful on uneven surfaces and hard concrete pavement

 

(1)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shin_splints

http://www.medicinenet.com/shin_splints/page3.htm

(2)http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-Shin-Splints

(3)http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/shin-splints

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/242169.php

Sprained Ankle

 I believe that an ankle injury is the most common injury that can happen. This sprain doesn't not only occur to athletes but to everyone of all ages. Furthermore, it does not happen while playing a sport but also, when you simply step at a different angle or on a uneven surface.

Ankle sprain is when the foot rolls beyond your capable limits or is twisted too far. Also, the ligaments are used to hold the ankle in place and help with proper movement but when they get overly stretched and sometimes even be torn pain will occur and that can be a sign of a sprained ankle. (1)

I know a family member of mine about 2 years ago sprained his ankle, it was a high ankle sprain (you will learn of a high ankle sprain further on). It took him over 2 months before the injury healed and allowed him to play sports again at his full potential. The reason is because he never stopped after his injury to let his ankle heal and that is the worst thing to do! I know a few people that have experienced sprains so much that their ankle does not heal properly. Consequently, their ankles get rolled and twisted easily making it hard for them to enjoy doing activity and not getting hurt so often.

Classification

Lateral Ankle Sprain: It's when the ankle is rolled towards the outside of your foot. Therefore this one is the most common.

Medial Ankle Sprain: It's when the ankle is rolled towards the inside of your foot.

High Ankle Sprain: This one affects the ligaments around your tibia and fibula. It's when your ankle rolls towards the outside and is most common while playing a sports.

Severity

Grade 1: Some one in this category will have a bit of swelling and tenderness because the ligaments were stretched a little bit. (2)

Grade 2: Putting weight on your ankle will be difficult because of the pain. The ligaments are torn partially and swelling is noticeable. (2)

Grade 3: This is the most severe sprain because the ligament is completely torn. You will not be able to put weight on your ankle and the will be a lot of swelling. (2)

How to prevent

There is no way to avoid an ankle injury for sure, all you have to do is just take precaution of things that you do. We always want to make sure our ligaments are strong and flexible to decrease the probability of getting a sprained ankle. Here are a few ways to prevent an ankle sprain:

• Warm up and stretch your ankles
• Watch your step when you walk around
• When you get tired/ fatigued be extra carful with the motions you do with your ankle
• Wear the proper equipment on your feet for the activity that your doing.

Treatment

To heal your ankle it will depend on the severity of the sprain and how well the patient can take care of it. First of all you should see a doctor so they can examine your ankle and take x-rays if needed to determine that your injury is not too serious. After that you must follow the rule of R.I.C.E! Therefore, you must limit your amount of walking, apply ice to reduce swelling (20min every 3-4 hours), wrap your ankle and elevate it while your resting. Keep in mind depending of the grade level of the sprain there is more treatment such as for grade 3 sprains you must immobilize the ankle. Also, stretching and taking anti-inflammatory pills will help increase the healing process.

Here is a link to a video on how to treat a sprained ankle. Hope you enjoy!

1.http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/first_aid/ankle_sprains.html#
2.http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00150

Jammed Finger

There is nothing worse than you not being able to participate in a sport or physical activity due to a minor injury. A jammed finger is one of the smallest yet still a very painful injury. A jam does not only occur to fingers it can also happen to your toes and various other parts of your body but not as often. A jam is when you get a finger joint pain and in most cases there is swelling. So if your wondering what exactly is a jam let me explain. It is a type of sprain that occurs to the interphalangeal (knuckles) joint of the fingers. Usually it's a consequence of a forceful object hitting the ends of your fingers and pushing towards the knuckles.

 Common sports

A jammed finger is very common in a sport where you must do ball handling. As soon as I hear the word ball handling I think of basketball because you must dribble and catch a ball. Also, if your like me you can jam it playing volleyball especially because this sport you use your fingers to set and pass a ball. About 2 months ago, I went to pass up a smash and jammed my thumb. It was the most painful injury I have ever experienced! The aching pain and the swelling bothered me so much I did not play sport for a week. Although, after that week I continued playing and re-injured it, as a result of not treating it properly it took over a month to heel.


Treatment

A JAMMED FINGER MUST BE TREATED IMMEDIATLY! The immediate treatment will help your injury heal faster. Most jams last 1 to 2 weeks and some for example my case in months. This type of injury usually does not take too long to heal unless a fracture occurs. the symptoms of a fracture are;

pain, swelling, bruising, or tenderness

trouble moving the finger

a crooked looking finger

How do I treat a jammed finger? The answer is the same simple solution to every injury which is RICE.
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate

Rest: To immobilize and rest the affected finger to help it heal faster. That means do not play any sports using your hand.

Ice: Apply ice to your finger about 20 minutes every hour. Ice will help reduce the swelling but make sure you wrap the ice in a towel so your not placing it directly on skin.

Compression: In this case of a finger jam you don't need to have compression

Elevate: Have your finger elevated as much as possible. This will help increase the blood flow in that area to speed up the healing process.

Hopefully the jammed finger will heal as soon as possible but it will depend on how well you treat it.

 http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Jammed-Finger

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/sports-injuries/pages/Common-Finger-Injuries-in-Athletes.aspx

Muscle Cramps

Have you ever suffered from a muscle cramp? If so there are many reasons why this particular condition has occurred. A muscle cramp is a involuntary contraction which means you are doing something against your will and as a result it can cause serious pain. These cramps can limit your movement and performance or become so extreme that your not able to do any activities you enjoy doing.

Allow me to explain how a muscle cramp works: First of all, as mentioned before its a involuntary muscle that is contracting. As we move our muscle contract and relax (de contract) naturally therefore a cramp does not allow the muscle to relax. When the muscle contracts in a spasm and lasts at that stage for a long period of time this is how a cramp is created. These cramps can occur to any muscle in the body whether it's your calf, thigh, hand, forearm or even eye lid. Once in a while I get them in my thigh, and they are sleeping cramps. I believe those are the worst because they appear in your sleep after you make the slightest movement. When I get these, they prevent me from sleeping and they become aggravating. No matter how much I stretch I cant get rid of it!

The types of muscle cramps

 

There are four different types of muscle cramps such as;

1) True cramps: These are the most common cramps because they are usually caused by fatigue.

2) Tetany: These cramps occur when the body is low on vitamins

3) Dystonic Cramp: The cause of this cramp is when you do a repetitive movement

4) Contractures: Its when the muscle or tendon gets hard and causes that joint to deform.

 

Causes of muscle cramps

 

• Not enough blood circulation
• Overexertion while exercising
• Not stretching well before exercise
• Exercising in the heat
• Fatigue of your muscles
• Dehydration
• Lack of vitamins
• Malfunctioning of the nerves
• Side effect of some drugs

Treatment

A muscle cramp can be treated by STRETCHING! This is the easiest way to get rid of a cramp and there are many stretches for divers parts of the body. Also, you can try messaging the muscle or by applying heat. In serious cases some cramps can be stopped by getting injections in that muscles or tendon "ouch".

Prevention

• Stretching before and after exercise
• Drinking a lot of fluid before, during and after your activity
• Get your vitamins

If you would like to learn more and have an in-depth knowledge on muscle cramps visit these amazing websites:

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/muscle-spasms-cramps-charley-horse

http://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_cramps/article.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPp3Ibf37xU