Fitness tips for young athletes: Common sports injuries, their treatment and dos and don'ts to prevent them

As young athletes compete year-round, it seems new injuries are always appearing and while the aim is to prevent them, it is still good to know what injuries are the most common. Fitness tips for young athletes: Common sports injuries, their treatment and dos and don'ts to prevent them In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sharif Dudekula, Consultant Arthroscopic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist at Medicover Hospital in Navi Mumbai, explained, “Sports injuries are classified into three types acute, overuse and the last one is chronic sports injuries.” Common sports injuries: Dr Sharif Dudekula revealed that the most common sports injuries include - 1. In the case of meniscal injury, all symptoms are the same except the swelling which appears after some time of injury.” Treatment Dr Sharif Dudekula advised, “In acute conditions go for ice pack application, knee immobiliser, adequate pain killers and active physiotherapy once the pain subsides. In acute conditions go for rest, ice pack application, adequate pain killers, arm pouch sling for temporary stabilisation, and once the pain subsides go for rotator cuff strengthening and shoulder ROM exercises. For chronic rotator cuff injuries with significant symptoms go for rotator cuff repair and chronic recurrent dislocations will go for Bankert's repair or remplissage procedure.” Highlighting that sprain and strain are usually presented with pain, swelling and inability to bear weight if the injury to the lower limb, Dr Sharif Dudekula shared, “These are usually treated with rest, ice application, compression and limb elevation and followed by adequate physiotherapy.” Dos: After an injury, Dr Sharif Dudekula recommended you should take care of your limb with adequate rest, ice pack application.