Physical Management of Pain in Sport Injuries

The number of people both young and old engaging in sporting activities has increased in the recent times. Apart from the economic benefits of sports which drive youths to engage in competitive sports, adults and seniors are now aware of the health benefits of recreational sports. Inactivity has been linked to many chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease which is leading cause of death worldwide. Health educators are now encouraging the public to be involved in physical activities in order to promote their health. Unfortunately sports are associated with injuries whether it is for leisure or competition. Those who overdo or who are not properly trained are prone to sports injuries. Many sports injuries can be prevented if proper precautions are taken (Lachmann 1989). If injuries are not properly managed, it could reduce the optimal performance or inability of an athlete to continue participation in sports. Nowadays many sports injuries can be treated effectively and most people who suffer injuries can return to a satisfying level of physical activity after an injury due to advancement in medical management. However, many athletes tend to ignore minor injuries or result into self-management. This always led to more damage to the body structures and makes the injury worse. Majority of injuries sustained during sporting activities involve musculoskeletal system which include; bones, joints, tendons, ligaments and tendons (Ebnezar, 2003). The injury may be as a result of trauma from external force as it is in contact sports. This is direct trauma also known as macro trauma. Indirect trauma is due to pathology resulting from repeated sub maximal loading. Fracture of bones is less common but not unlikely (Kisner and Colby, 2007). Signs and symptoms that follow injuries include; pain (from the chemicals released by damaged cells), swelling (from an influx of fluid into the damaged region), loss of function (because of increased swelling and pain), redness (from local vasodilation) and heat (from increased blood flow to the area), which are features of inflammatory reaction. Pain is the major reasons why many people seek medical attention. International Association for the Study of Pain defined pain as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage (IASP, 1994). Pain experienced from soft tissue injuries is usually related to the extent and type of trauma sustained as well as to the structures involved and an individual’s perception and expression of it (O’Sullivan and Schmitz, 1994). Pain and inflammation