Sports Injuries: Prevention, Management & Risk Factors

Consistent physical activity and sport participation is essential for physiological health and mental well-being. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of hypokinetic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, osteoporosis and lower back pain. Unfortunately, however, participation in sport and physical activity lends itself to injuries, although it must be stressed that the benefits outweigh the associated maladies. There are many risk factors that predispose the sport enthusiast to injury, and these are classified as either extrinsic or intrinsic. Intrinsic risk factors are person-dependent factors (body mass, skeletal alignment, muscle strength) and rarely cause injuries, but significantly increase the risk of injury. Extrinsic factors include environmental conditions (extreme heat and/or cold, running or playing surface) and sport equipment that predispose people to injury. This book discusses the prevention, management and risk factors of injuries in sports.