Sports Injuries

Sports can cause a wide variety of injuries, such as cuts, joint strains, muscle sprains, and fractured bones. If you were injured while playing a sport, come into Bristol & First Medical Clinic & Urgent Care to receive prompt treatment for your injury. No appointment is necessary to visit our Santa Ana urgent care. If you need treatment for a sports injury, simply come into our clinic for a walk-in appointment. Bristol & First Medical Clinic & Urgent Care is open daily from 8AM to 9PM.

Common Types of Sports Injuries
Playing sports can cause a wide variety of accidental injuries. Below, see a summary of some of the most common types of sports injuries.

Muscle Strains
One of the most common types of sports injuries is a muscle strain, which is also sometimes
called a pulled muscle. Muscle strains occur when a muscle, ligament, or tendon has sustained damage, become torn, or become twisted. Symptoms of a muscle strain can include pain, swelling, bruising, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, or muscle cramps. Muscle strains can sometimes cause immediate symptoms. However, often the symptoms of a muscle strain may appear somewhat slowly or begin to worsen over time.

Sprains
Sprains are another common type of sports injury. Sprains occur when a ligament (this is a band of fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones or to cartilage) becomes torn, twisted, or overstretched. Sprains commonly occur around the joints, such as around the knees, wrists, ankles, or fingers. The most common type of sprain is a sprained ankle. Sprains can cause pain, bruising, or swelling. They can also make it difficult or impossible to use your affected joint normally. The symptoms of a muscle sprain are usually felt immediately after a ligament has become torn, twisted, or overstretched.

Cuts
Cuts are frequently sustained by those who play sports. Many types of shallow cuts or scrapes can be cared for at home by cleaning the area with water and applying an antibiotic ointment. However, if you have a cut that is more serious or deep, it may require stitches. At Bristol & First, we can assess any cuts sustained from sports injuries and can provide stitches if your wound requires it.

Bone Fractures
Bone fractures are a common, yet quite serious, type of sports injury. Fractures occur when a
bone completely or partially breaks. While many people think a broken bone is a more serious injury than a fractured bone, these are actually two terms for the same type of injury. “Fractured” is simply a medical term that means “broken.”

If you suspect that you have fractured a bone while playing a sport, it’s very important that you seek treatment for your injury. Fractured bones are very painful and often must be immobilized (with a cast, a sling, or a brace) while they heal in order to heal properly. Sometimes, fractured bones must also be reset in order to heal properly. At Bristol & First Medical Clinic & Urgent Care, our team is experienced at treating bone fractures. We have an on-site x-ray machine that allows us to x-ray suspected bone fractures in our medical clinic, without having to outsource patients to an ER or imaging center.