Although many people think that sports injuries do not continue to affect the body once they have healed, this is often not the case. Injuries can affect your body in many ways, either with repercussions throughout your life, or when you begin to age. This is the case particularly with impact and sports injuries as the repeated strain on the injury causes it to flare up again in later life rather than to heal.
Head Injuries
Head injuries are one of the most common injuries in terms of lasting side effects. Effects can range from short-term memory loss and mood swings to more long-term effects such as impaired cognitive abilities and partial paralysis. This can even lead to degenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s as you age. Long term effects can also become more severe as we age, either through wear and tear or through additional causes such as seizures. Although head injuries can affect people for life, at least to a partial degree, many people are able to fully recover from head injuries and their harmful side effects.
Mental Health
The inability to play certain sports or perform certain activities again due to a head injury can cause people to suffer from adverse mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. When athletes are injured, they are normally referred to counselors and therapists to help them to talk through their emotions and deal with their mental health appropriately. However, injuries can set off long-term conditions such as eating disorders as people try to reclaim control of their life after their injury, with negative outcomes.
Bone Deformity
If people have been injured whilst they are a child, and their bones are still growing, this could lead to life-long bone deformity due to the impact of the injury. This is usually due to impact to a child’s bone growth plate, as this is where new cells grow, and so a child’s bone will not be able to develop as normal. Their bones then may have a crooked appearance for the rest of their lives, especially if they are not set properly, which is likely to be the case with broken fingers.
Shin Splints
If sporting impact leads to shin splints, this can have lasting, long-term effects such as chronic pain. Shin splints are the term for pain on the inside of the shin bone, where the surrounding muscles have become inflamed due to an injury. Shin splints, however, are not found in seasoned athletes and are much more likely to occur in people who are not used to strenuous exercise or who increase their workout too fast. If you have shin splints, you should find the right treatment type for you. For instance, Airrosti provides non-invasive treatment for shin splints and other chronic pain, with long term chiropractic and physical therapy programs.
Arthritis
If you experience torn cartilage or ligaments during sporting activity, you have more chance of contracting arthritis in later life. This is because arthritis is caused by protective cartilage wearing down and allowing bones to rub against each other when you move. This can make it difficult to experience daily activities as it can cause swelling and joint pain, and so you should avoid doing strenuous exercise until an injury to your ligaments is healed.
Sporting injuries can be debilitating and frustrating; however, most heal over time. When playing sports though, you must be aware of the possible risks incurred by injuries and the best ways to prevent them.
