Maybe you have been injured or know someone who has and started to use injury terms you never heard of or heard of but never knew what they were. Let’s look at a few of the most common injury turns that are out there.
FIRST DEGREE/SECOND DEGREE/THIRD DEGREE INJURY
When a sports medicine provider diagnose an injury, in many cases (depending on what the injury it is) it could be pre-labeled as first degree, second degree or third degree (such as a 1st degree ankle strain). FIRST DEGREE is a mild injury. SECOND DEGREE is a more moderate to severe injury and THIRD DEGREE severe injury.
ACUTE INJURY
Is a term meaning fairly new. Just happened. This could be a term used with a fresh injury for a few days or a week.
CHRONIC INJURY
A term meaning an injury that has been prolonged and has not been treated. The time period could go from weeks to months.
SPRAIN A SPRAIN is a tear to a LIGAMENT. A Ligament is a structure that connects between bone to bone keeping things nice and tight. When you have a sprain, you are tearing this structure. Strains take longer to heal because of lack of blood flow to these structures.
STRAIN A STRAIN is a tear to a muscle or tendon. A muscle before it attaches onto a bone turns into a tendon. If you injured part of the muscle or the tissue that changes from the muscle to a tendon, you have a strain.
CONTUSION
A contusion is another word for Bruise. Injury to the tissue or skin which blood capillaries have been ruptured.
ABRASION
An abrasion refers to scraping/rubbing of the skin that damages the tissue. Typically happens when the skin rubs against a rough surface scrapping the tissue. Prime example, a road rash.
SUBLUXATION
A subluxation is a partial dislocation of a joint. It’s often the result of acute injury or repetitive motions, but it can also occur because of medical conditions where the ligaments are loose. Treatment for subluxations often includes resetting the joint, pain relief, rehabilitation therapy, and in severe cases, surgery.
TENDONITIS
With overuse injuries, one can develop tendonitis – inflammation of the tendon. These injuries tend to be at the beginning of an injury. They are considered ACUTE injuries. If not addressed, they could become CHRONIC thus changing into a tendinosis.
BURSITIS
Bursae sacs are located all over your body where there tends to be friction between tissues. They act like bumpers between muscles and bones or muscles and tendons. These sacs are fluid filled. If these bursae get irritated (from impact or aggressive irritation, they can get inflamed.
Delaney Farmer, LAT, LMT, ATC is a Licensed Athletic Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist who owns his own business, PRM Sports Therapy in Bellevue, WA. Delaney has been practicing massage since 1998 and as an Athletic Trainer since 2008. You can reach him at: www.PRMsportstherapy.com delaney@PRMsportstherapy.com 425-390-4121