Sports Injuries

Exercising is good for you, but sometimes you can injure yourself when you play sports or exercise. Accidents, poor training practices or improper gear can cause them. Some people get hurt because they are not in shape. Not warming up or stretching enough can also lead to injuries.

The most common sports injuries are

Sprains and strains
Knee injuries
Swollen muscles
Achilles tendon injuries
Pain along the shin bone
Fractures
Dislocations

If you get hurt, stop playing. Continuing to play or exercise can cause more harm. Treatment often begins with the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling and speed healing. Other possible treatments include pain relievers, keeping the injured area from moving, rehabilitation and sometimes surgery.

Common Sports Injuries in the Knee

Jumper’s Knee or patellar tendonitis is pain in the tendon which attaches the kneecap (patella) to the shin bone. It is usually an overuse injury due to repeated eccentric quad contractions, as occur when landing from a jump - hence the name jumper's knee. Patellar tendonitis can be a tricky condition to treat and requires a substantial period of rest and a thorough treatment and rehabilitation program. In the most severe or persistent cases, surgery may be required.

Runners Knee
Iliotibial band syndrome is commonly referred to as runners knee, IT band syndrome or shortened to ITBS. Symptoms include knee pain that occurs on the outside of the knee. This pain can be aggravated by running, particularly downhill. Pain during flexion or extension of the knee can be present and made worse by pressing in at the side of the knee over the sore part.

MCL sprain (medial ligament sprain) or MCL injury is damage to the ligament on the inside of the knee. It is often caused by twisting or an impact to the outside of the knee. Medial ligament injuries are common in contact sports such as football and rugby, as well as martial arts. They can also occur in daily life through falls and twists of the knee joint. As with all ligament injuries, they are graded 1, 2 or 3 depending on their severity. Grade 1 injuries are minor, grade 2 are moderate and 3 are severe.

Muscle Strains

Hamstring Strain is a common injury involving a tear in one or more of the hamstring muscles. Read about the symptoms, treatment, exercises and sports massage to help get you back on your feet in the shortest possible time.

A strained or pulled hamstring as it is sometimes called is a tear in one or more of the hamstring muscles. Strictly speaking there are three hamstring muscles, the Semitendinosus, Semimembranosus and Biceps Femoris.

The role of these muscles is to bend and flex the knee and to move the thigh backwards at the hip (extend the hip). Understanding how it works gives vital clues to the level of injury. Mild to severe strains are extremely common in sprinters and hurdle jumpers and in all sports that involve sprinting activities, such as football and rugby.

Groin Strain is a tear or rupture to any one of the adductor muscles. There are five adductor muscles in the thigh.

The main function of the adductors is to pull the legs back towards the midline, a movement called adduction. During normal walking they are used in pulling the swinging lower limb towards the middle to maintain balance. They are also used extensively in sprinting, playing football, horse riding, hurdling and any sport which requires fast changes in direction.

A rupture or tear in the muscle usually occurs when sprinting, changing direction or in rapid movements of the leg against resistance such as kicking a ball. This is especially likely if a thorough warm-up has not been undertaken first! Repetitive overuse of the groin muscles may result in adductor tendinopathy.

Quadriceps Strain is a tear in one of the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh. It can range from a mild discomfort to a full blown tear of most of the muscle.

Quadriceps strains are graded 1, 2 or 3 depending on severity.

Grade 1

A twinge in the thigh is usually felt
A general feeling of tightness in the thigh
Mild discomfort on walking
Probably no swelling
Trying to straighten the knee against resistance may be uncomfortable (see assessment)
An area of local spasm may be felt at the site of the suspected tear

Grade 2

A sudden sharp pain when running, jumping or kicking
Unable to play on
Pain affects walking
The athlete may notice swelling or even mild bruising
Pain on feeling the area of the tear
Straightening the knee against resistance causes pain
Unable to fully bend the knee

Grade 3

Sudden, severe pain in the thigh
Unable to walk without the aid of crutches
Bad swelling appearing immediately
Bruising usually appears within 24 hours
A static contraction will be painful and might produce a bulge in the muscle
Expect to be out of competition for 6 to 12 weeks

Common Sports Injuries in the Foot

Plantar Fasciitis a painful condition resulting in pain under the heel. It is often caused by overuse of the plantar fascia or arch tendon of the foot. We explain symptoms, treatment, exercises, sports massage and more.

The Plantar Fascia is a broad, thick band of tissue that runs from under the heel to the front of the foot. It is also known as a heel spur although they are not strictly the same. A heel spur is a bony growth that occurs at the attachment of the plantar fascia to the heel bone (calcaneus). A heel spur can be present (through repetitive pulling of the plantar fascia) on a foot with no symptoms at all and a painful heel does not always have a heel spur present.

The condition is traditionally thought to be an inflammatory problem. This is now believed to be incorrect due to the absence of inflammatory cells within the fascia. The cause of pain and dysfunction is now thought to be degeneration of the collagen fibres close to the attachment to the calcaneus (heel bone).

Bruised Heels can be caused by either a sudden impact (such as landing heavily) or repetitive pounding. The heel bone (calcaneus) is protected by a pad of fat. Repeated pounding of the heel can cause the fat pad to be pushed up the side of the heel leaving less of a protective layer causing heel pain. This injury is also sometimes known as Policeman's heel. It is common in sports requiring a lot of impact onto the heel and in particular soldiers marching up and down on the parade square.

Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

The tarsals are the short bones which form the bridge between the forefoot (metatarsals) and the ankle. Just below the bony bit on the inside of the ankle (medial malleolus) is a passage called the tarsal tunnel through which the Posterior Tibial Nerve passes.

Common Symptoms include

Pain (often described as burning) radiating into the arch of the foot, heel and sometimes the toes.
Pins and needles or numbness may be felt in the sole of the foot.
Pain when running.
Pain when standing for long periods of time.
Pain is relieved by rest.
Pain is often worst at night.

Tapping the nerve (just behind the medial malleolus) may reproduce pain. This is known as Tinel's Test. The area under the medial malleolus may also be tender to touch.

The symptoms of tarsal tunnel syndrome may initially be mistaken for plantar fasciitis which also causes pain from the medial heel and throughout the arch of the foot. Neural symptoms (such as tingling or numbness) as well as the location of tenderness when touching the area should help to easily distinguish between the conditions.

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is an entrapment/compression neuropathy of the posterior tibial nerve. If you overpronate (your foot rolls in when you walk or run as shown) then pressure is put on these nerves which can become inflamed causing tarsal tunnel syndrome. Because the condition is often due to overpronation, it is common for bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome to occur (i.e. in both feet!)

Common Sports Injuries in the Shoulder

Other Common Sports Injuries include