Corneal Abrasions

A corneal abrasion is a scratch on the eye's cornea. The cornea is the clear, protective covering over the iris, which is the colored part of the eye, and the pupil.

A corneal abrasion is a very aggravating injury. The cornea is very important to vision and protecting the eye.

Causes

•    Being poked in the eye, for instance by a fingernail, plant, or makeup brush

•    Dirt and other things getting caught under your eye lid

•    Chemicals getting in your eye

•    Aggressively rubbing your eye

•    Poor fitting or dirty contact lenses

•    Certain types of eye infections

Avoiding Abrasions

The best way to avoid an abrasion is to keep from rubbing your eyes when you get something in them. Rubbing your eye will only cause damage to your eye. The best way to get things out of you eye is to flush them out with eye wash, eye drops, clean water or a sterile solution.

Symptoms

Once you've had a corneal abrasion, you're not likely to forget the unrelenting pain and discomfort it can cause.

Feeling like you have sand or grit in your eye, eye pain, especially when opening or closing your eye, tearing and redness, sensitivity to light and

Blurred vision or loss of vision.

 In my game this past friday, I was going after a rebound and caught a hand to my right eye. When i got hit i lost complete vision in my eye. it was one of the worse feelings of my life. I couldn't see , so our team trainer felt it would be best for me to go to the emergency room immediately. After the eye specialist checked me out, she came to the conclusion that I had an corneal abrasion. 

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. Under your foot, there is a ligament called the plantar fascia that connects your heel bone to your toes. It supports the arch of the foot. It someone happens to strain that ligament, it can get weak, swollen or inflamed which results in a lot of pain. After that, the simple joy of walking can be very painful. Plantar fasciitis is very common in athletes, especially track runners, basketball and football players.

Plantar fasciitis is caused by the inflammation of the ligament that supports your foot arch. Repeated strains can lead to tiny tears which can cause excruciating pain. Here are some causes of plantar fasciitis:

1. Flat feet or high arches
2. Overweight
3. Wearing shoes that don't fit or shoes that are worn out
4. Walking, standing or running for long periods of time

Most people with Plantar fasciitis have pain when they take their first steps of the day. However, after a couple minutes of walking, the stiffness and  pain lessens and become bearable.

If diagnosed, the doctor will take X-rays and even a MRI to see if there are any tears or stress fracture. As far as treatment go, some work better than others for different people. The most common and recommended treatment is to rest the feet. Take time away from the activities that makes your foot hurt the most. Another treatment is to ice the feet. Icing will reduced pain and swelling. It's best to get a new pair of shoes with a great cushion sole and good arch support. Lastly, if the pain still exist, you may need to get custom made orthotics. By doing so, the sole is molded to your foot which gives the right arch support to your foot.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

During my second season playing college basketball, I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. It was by FAR the most annoying and painful discomfort I ever experienced. Waking up every morning was a struggle. The simple routine of waking up and going to the bathroom every morning was very painful for me. On top of that, I had to practice every single day which just added on the pain. I did every treatment you could think. I iced my feet daily, got massages and I even wore night splints (which makes the list of top 5 most uncomfortable things ever.) After months of pain, I went to the doctor and got an MRI. The results revealed that i had a partial tear in the ligament. It was a minor setback. It impacted my overall performance on the basketball court. After, I had got custom made orthotics. After a few weeks of wearing them my feet started to get better and better. Now i'm moving much better on the court. I wouldn't wish plantar fasciitis on anyone. It was truly the most painful thing I ever experienced.

Groin Pulls/ Strains

Groin Pull

A groin pull is an injury to the muscles of the inner thigh. The groin muscles, called the adductor muscle group, consists of six muscles that span the distance from the inner pelvis to the inner part of the femur (thigh bone). These muscles pull the legs together, and also help with other movements of the hip joint. The adductor muscles are important to many types of athletes including sprinters, swimmers, soccer players, and football players. When a muscle is strained, the muscle is stretched too far. Less severe strains pull the muscle beyond their normal excursion. More severe strains tear the muscle fibers, and can even cause a complete tear of the muscle. Most commonly, groin pulls are minor tears of some muscle fibers, but the bulk of the muscle tissue remains intact.

Symptoms

An acute groin pull can be quite painful, depending on the severity of the injury. Groin pulls are usually graded as follows:

Grade 1 Groin Strain: Mild discomfort, often no disability. Usually does not limit activity.

Grade 2 Groin Strain: Moderate discomfort, can limit ability to perform activities such as running and jumping. May have moderate swelling and bruising associated.

Grade 3 Groin Strain: Severe injury that can cause pain with walking. Often patients complain of muscle spasm, swelling, and significant bruising.

Treatment for Strains

~ Rest- It is important to rest following the injury to allow the injured muscle to properly heal. Allow pain to guide your level of activity; this means that activities which cause symptoms should be avoided.

~ Stretching- Gentle stretching is helpful, but it should not be painful. Stretching excessively can be harmful and slow the healing process.

~ Ice the Injury- Apply ice to the injured area in the acute phase (first 48 hours after injury), and then after activities. Ice will help calm the inflammatory response and stimulate blood flow to the area.

~ Heat Applications- Before activities, gentle heating can help loosen the muscle. Apply a heat pack to the groin prior to stretching or exercising. As a general rule of thumb, remember to heat before, and ice after.

Prevention

New research is shedding light on factors that can be helpful in preventing groin injuries. Competitive athletes who participate in soccer, ice hockey, or similar sports that are prone to groin injuries should focus some energy on groin injury prevention. Exactly what exercises and stretches are most important in still being worked out, but some suggestions for groin injury prevention include:

Adductor stretching

Hip adductor and abductor strengthening

Pelvic stabilization exercises

Core stability, including abdominal and lumbar strengthening