Persons most commonly affected: Sports Persons. Adults are less likely to suffer sports injuries than children, whose vulnerability is heightened by immature reflexes.

Organ or part of body involved: Muscles, joints.

Symptoms and indications: Instability or obvious dislocation of a joint, pain, swelling and weakness.

Causes and risk factors: Common causes of sports injuries include: athletic equipment that malfunctions or is used incorrectly, falls, forceful high-speed collisions between players, and wear and tear on areas of the body that are continually subjected to stress.

Prevention: Always take time to warm up and stretch before physical activity. Research studies have shown that cold muscles are more prone to injury. Warm up with jumping jacks, stationary cycling or by running or walking in place for three to five minutes. Then slowly and gently stretch, holding each stretch for 30 seconds. Select the proper shoes for your sport and use them only for that sport. When the treads start to look worn or the shoes are no longer as supportive as they were, it’s time to replace them. As you age, you may find that you are not as flexible as you were, or that you cannot tolerate the same types of activities that you did years ago. While no one is happy about getting older, you will be able to prevent injury by modifying your activity to accommodate your body’s needs. Develop a balanced fitness program that incorporates cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility. In addition to providing a total body workout, a balanced program will keep you from getting bored and lessen your chance of injury. Add activity and new exercises cautiously. No matter if you’ve been sedentary or are very fit, don’t try to take on too many activities at one time. It’s best to add no more than one or two new activities per workout. If you have or have had sports or orthopaedic injuries or problems like tenidinis, arthritis, stress fractures, or low back pain, in the past, consult an orthopaedic surgeon who can help you design a fitness routine to promote wellness and minimize the chance of injury.