By Valerie Melton

news@joplinglobe.com

In any sport, the risk of injury is inevitable. However, the risk of injury can be greatly reduced simply by taking the proper preventative measures.

About 30 million children and teens participate in organized sports, according to the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford, and more than 3.5 million injuries are reported each year.

Recognizing common injuries and being aware of prevention and treatment methods are a must, according to Darrin Moore, head athletic trainer at Missouri Southern State University.

Common injuries

There are two types of injuries that are most often sustained when participating in an athletic activity.

An acute injury occurs suddenly when playing or exercising. A fractured hand, sprained ankle or strained back muscles are examples of acute injuries.

Signs of an acute injury include: sudden, severe pain; swelling; not being able to place weight on a knee, ankle or foot; or a bone or joint that is visibly out of place.

Chronic injuries, on the other hand, happen after you play a sport or exercise for an extended period of time. Signs of a chronic injury include pain when you play or exercise, a dull ache when you rest and swelling.

Prevention

Regardless of the nature of the sport, experts agree that one of the most important, and often overlooked, preventive measures an athlete can take is engaging in warm-up exercises and activities.

“Warm-up exercises, such as stretching and light jogging, can help minimize the chance of muscle strain or other soft- tissues injury during sports,” the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases reported last year. “Warm-up exercises make the body’s tissues warmer and more flexible. Cool down exercises loosen muscles that have tightened during exercise.”

In addition to warm-up exercises, health safety professionals urge all athletes to suit up with the proper safety equipment.

“Safety equipment is absolutely necessary,” said Moore. “If wearing a certain piece of equipment is recommended for a particular sport, wear it! That even includes wearing goggles while playing racquetball or a helmet while biking.”