What Distinguishes Acute And Chronic Sports Injuries?

If you lead an active lifestyle and participate in athletics, you know that injuries are a common occurrence. When it comes to sports injuries, there are two main types: acute and chronic. Learn the difference between these types of injuries in the guide below.

Acute Sports Injuries

Acute sports injuries appear suddenly and with pronounced symptoms. Acute sports injuries may present with the following signs and symptoms:

• Sudden and intense pain
• Inability to put weight on the injured area
• Swelling, redness, and tenderness
• Limited range of motion
• Nausea or vomiting
• Broken bone
• Headache
• Dizziness

An acute injury is usually isolated to one area that has been affected. These injuries usually have an easily identifiable cause, such as a recent fall or intense impact during activity.

There are certain injuries that are considered common acute injuries, including these:

• Whiplash
• ACL tears
• Concussion
• Rotator cuff tears
• Sprains and strains
• Dislocated shoulders
• Broken bones and fractures

These injuries tend to happen frequently in organized sports and athletics. In fact, a study found that about 70.7% of injuries among college athletes were considered acute. This study looked at more than 1,300 reported injuries over a three-year period.

Chronic Sports Injuries

Chronic sports injuries present slightly different from acute injuries. While acute injury symptoms come on rapidly and intensely, symptoms from chronic injuries appear gradually and grow in intensity over time.

Chronic sports injury symptoms include the following:

• Minor swelling
• Dull pain when at rest
• Limited range of motion
• Pain and tenderness with physical activity

Chronic sports injuries do not result from an isolated incident. Chronic injuries occur due to repetitive actions, such as throwing a ball, swinging a bat, or lifting a heavy object. A chronic injury cannot be attributed to a specific time, but rather a prolonged period of activity over the course of several months to years.

There are several types of injuries that are considered chronic sports injuries, including these:

• Shin splints
• Spondylosis
• Tennis elbow
• Runner’s knee
• Stress fractures
• Swimmer’s shoulder
• Achilles tendon issues

Chronic athletic injuries are often ongoing and prone to progression over time. They are more likely to happen with exercise and recreational fitness activities than with organized sports.

Treating Sports Injuries

Whether you have an acute or chronic sports injury, there are many different ways to receive treatment. These include medications, physical therapy, and regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy. If you acquire an athletic injury of any kind, always seek prompt treatment from a medical professional.

At Stemedix Inc., a medical expert wrote this article. Orthopedic stem cell therapy, often known as regenerative medicine for orthopedics, is available at Stemedix. Regeneration medicine has the inherent ability to help restore symptoms that are occasionally lost as a result of the development of numerous illnesses.