Staying active is a fantastic way to melt away stress and take care of your body. Whether you are a collegiate athlete at UT or just enjoy recreation activities with your friends and family, there is always a risk of suffering an injury while participating in the sports you love to play.

Do you know what you would do if you twisted your ankle in a recreation league basketball game or collided heads with someone jumping up for a frisbee on the lawn? We see sports-related injuries all the time here at AFC Urgent Care Chapman Highway, so we can give you some great tips below on how to handle injuries of this sort.

Are Specific Sports More Risky?

When you think about the correlation between injury and high-contact sports, the obvious answer is sports like basketball or football. The highest contact sports usually make the top of every injury list.

That being said, even lower contact sports like ultimate frisbee carry risks of knee injuries or ankle sprains while twisting or changing direction. Any time you choose to be active, there is a chance you may get hurt. We outline some common injuries below.

Potential Sports Injuries

• Sprains/strains: common amongst any sport that requires quick pivoting
• Overuse injuries: more specific athletics experience these, like baseball pitchers
• Stress fractures: repeated strain on your muscles can cause stress fractures
• Head or neck: anytime the head is concerned, you should be evaluated for a concussion

Can I Prevent Injury During Sports?

While it is never a certainty that you won’t get injured while being active, you can take simple steps to lower your risk. Start with staying up to date on a yearly physical! Come see us to get checked out so we can address any issues together.

In addition to a yearly checkup, stay hydrated and eat as well as you can! Supporting your body this way helps make sure it is functioning properly. Also make sure you are warming up and stretching for an appropriate amount of time, regardless of the activity.

Help the Injury Healing Process

• Practice the RICE method—Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate. This is important to reduce swelling and prevent further injury.
• Monitor yourself for any changing symptoms or increased swelling.
• Come see us for an X-ray or office visit if you think your injury requires medical attention.

Do you think your recent injury is more serious? Visit our AFC team to get an X-ray—no appointment necessary!