Mar 13, 2023

What are the most common injuries in sport? What happens when you get a Sports Injury?

Injuries are one of the biggest concerns for athletes and sports enthusiasts. You can take the most precautions, but even then accidents happen. In fact, injuries are so common that most people don't even realize how often they happen in sports. Knowing what types of injuries are most likely to occur in your sport can help you be prepared for them when they do happen (and maybe even prevent them from happening at all)

Muscle, Tendon, and Ligament Tears

Muscle, tendon and ligament tears are some of the most common injuries in sport. They can be caused by direct impact to the body or overuse during training.

Muscle injuries include:

Muscle tears - A muscle tear occurs when a muscle is stretched beyond its natural range of motion. It may also happen if you suddenly change direction while running or jumping on the court/field etc. This may cause a sudden strain on your muscles which could result in tearing them apart from their attachments at joints.
Strains - Strains are partial tears of muscles that usually occur after repetitive motions such as running long distances without warming up properly first. Before engaging in vigorous exercise activities like sprinting or jumping around, even during practice sessions, players may not take enough rest breaks between drills. Their bodies won't have taken time off from physical activity long enough for them to recover completely from previous workouts. These types of activities put extra stressors onto already tired bodies making it harder for athletes' muscles & tendons (which connect muscle groups together) to recover properly between workouts meaning they become susceptible

Knee Injuries

Knee injuries are very common and can be caused by twisting or falling. Knee injuries can cause pain, swelling and stiffness and may take a long time to heal. They can also result in long-term problems such as arthritis if they are not treated properly at the time of injury.

Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries are common in sports. They can range from minor sprains to severe dislocations, but they all share one thing: they hurt! Shoulder injuries can be caused by falls and collisions, overuse (like pitching too many baseballs), direct blows to the shoulder area and even repetitive motions like swinging a golf club or tennis racket for hours at a time.

The most common types of shoulder injuries include fractures (broken bones), strains (pulled muscles) and tears in tendons that attach muscles to bones, known as tendonitis. A dislocation occurs when your arm pops out of its socket because there's no ligament holding it in place anymore! This can happen when you fall on an outstretched hand while playing basketball; if someone tackles you while playing football; or even just moving around too much without warming up first before exercising vigorously.

Ankle and Foot Injuries

Ankle and foot injuries are common in sport, especially among athletes who play running sports such as soccer or basketball. These injuries may cause pain, swelling and difficulty walking. Ankle injuries include:

Tendinitis - inflammation of the tendons around the ankle joint that connect muscles to bone (e.g., peroneal tendonitis)
Sprains - stretching or tearing of ligaments that support your joints (e.g., lateral ankle sprain)
Bruises - bleeding into areas under the skin caused by trauma to blood vessels underneath

There are also several types of fractures that can occur including

fractures involving only soft tissue without any breakage through bone surfaces (greenstick*)
complete breaks where both ends of broken bones stick out from their normal positions (comminuted)
open wounds caused by impact forces acting directly upon the foot ( like when someone steps on them hard enough, in soccer of horse riding)

**Greenstick fractures are the most common type of fracture in children. They occur when a bone bends and cracks instead of breaking completely into separate pieces. The fracture looks similar to what happens when you try to break a small green branch on a tree.

Most greenstick fractures occur in children younger than 10 years of age. This is because the growth plate (the area near the end of a long bone) hasn't closed yet. As a result, it's easier for the bone to bend without breaking completely through the growth plate.

Greenstick fractures often occur around a joint or other bony prominence, such as:

elbows
wrists (carpal bones)
shins (tibia)

Headaches and Neck Pain

Headaches and neck pain are common problems in athletes. The cause of headaches is not always clear, but tension headache is a common type of headache in athletes. Neck pain can be caused by muscle strains or spasms, referred pain from the neck to the head and sometimes even just fatigue or stress on its own.

Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

Back and spinal cord injuries are a very common occurrence in sport. They can range from mild to severe and will often require medical attention, if not surgery.

The most common cause of back and spinal cord injuries is a fall, which may occur during play or training for your sport. The type of fall will determine what types of injuries you sustain; for example:

A forward fall onto your hands or knees could result in soft tissue damage (a sprain or strain).
Landing on your side after being tackled could cause bruising over one or more ribs (flank contusion).

Eye Injuries

Eye injuries are common in contact sports, especially football, hockey and rugby. These injuries can be very serious and even cause blindness if not treated properly.

What to do if you get hit in the eye?

If you've been hit in the eye, go straight to an emergency room or call for an ambulance if there is any bleeding from your eyes (or any other injury where you are bleeding from your head). If there isn't any bleeding but it hurts really bad when you open or close your eyelid then don't delay seeking medical attention as this can also be a sign of serious injury.

Sports injuries are very common and can be avoided by proper precautions.

Sports injuries are very common and can be avoided by proper precautions. Sports injuries can be serious and even life threatening. They can cause permanent damage and disability, long lasting pain and suffering, or even death. Always consult your doctor or go to the ER if you have sustained a serious injury on the sports field.

Examples of sports injuries

A lot of people enjoy playing sports. But what happens if you get injured while playing? Do you need to see a doctor? We'll give you examples of common sports injuries and explain how to avoid them.

ACL tear

An ACL tear is a common sports injury that can occur when you're playing or training for a sport. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of four major ligaments in your knee. It helps to keep the shin bone from sliding too far forward on top of your thigh bone, which would cause pain and instability in your knee joint. If you have an ACL tear, it means that there's been damage to this important ligament and this can lead to further problems if left untreated.

To help avoid an ACL tear:

Warm up before exercise by stretching and doing some simple exercises like jumping jacks or walking lunges; these will increase blood flow through your muscles so they're ready for action when you start playing sports or exercising at full force later on!
Wear shoes with good cushioning and stability, especially if you play basketball or soccer regularly (two popular sports where people often get injured). You should also wear protective gear like MendmeShop’s knee compression support if needed.

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is a condition that causes pain and inflammation in the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is a thick band of tissue that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone.

When you walk, run or play sports, this tendon stretches as it absorbs shock from your feet hitting the ground. If you have Achilles tendonitis, it means that the tissues in this area are inflamed due to repetitive use or overuse of your legs (such as playing basketball).

Symptoms of Achilles tendonitis include:

Pain in the heel and ankle area
Swelling in the heel and ankle area
Tenderness around your Achilles tendon

Ankle sprain

An ankle sprain is a tear in the ligaments that connect your bones. The most common cause of this injury is twisting or turning your foot too far beyond its normal range of motion, which can stretch out the ligament fibers and lead to tears.

Ankle sprains are often painful and result in swelling, bruising and stiffness around the joint. They're also associated with increased risk for future ankle injuries, so it's important to treat them right away! You can begin healing by taking these steps:

Resting your foot on elevated pillows or blankets during the day helps reduce swelling by increasing blood flow back into circulation after injury occurs (this should be done for at least 48 hours).
Try icing regularly using ice packs wrapped in towels so as not to damage sensitive skin; alternate between cold applications over 10 minutes followed by 5 minutes without any ice before repeating again until symptoms subside (you should do this every hour until pain subsides).

Back pain/dysfunction

Back pain is a common complaint, and it's often caused by muscle strain. The muscles in the back help support your spine and keep it strong. If those muscles become injured or strained, they can't do their job properly. This leads to pain in the lower back region that may radiate down into your legs.

The causes of back pain include:

Repetitive strain from heavy lifting, twisting or bending (e.g., moving furniture)
Injury due to sports activities such as running or biking (especially if you're out of shape)

Shin splints

Shin splints is a painful condition that occurs when the muscles, tendons, or other tissues of the lower leg become inflamed. Shin splints can be caused by overuse or sudden increases in activity.

Symptoms include:

Pain in your lower legs when running or walking for longer than usual periods of time; pain may also occur after exercise has ceased for a while (e.g., after you wake up in the morning)
Pain at night when lying down with your legs straight out in front of you

Stress fracture (shin, foot, etc.)

A stress fracture is a small crack in your bone. It can happen when you overuse or improperly train for an activity, such as running too many miles without taking rest breaks or playing tennis daily without giving yourself time off. Stress fractures are also common among athletes who have previous injuries, especially if they continue to play at high intensity levels despite their pain.

Stress fractures are often accompanied by swelling, tenderness, and pain in the area where the fracture occurred, usually on your shinbone (tibia) or foot arch area (metatarsals)

Hamstring strain/tear

Hamstring strain/tear is a common injury in sports. The hamstring muscle is located at the back of your thigh and helps you bend your knee and extend your hip. Hamstring injuries are usually caused by overuse, sudden change in direction and muscle imbalance. Symptoms include pain and tenderness, swelling, bruising as well as weakness with movement of the leg or foot which can occur when walking or kicking a ball

Bicep tendonitis/bursitis

Bicep tendonitis/bursitis is a painful condition that causes pain in the bicep tendon. It's usually caused by overuse or repetitive motion, and it can affect any part of the upper arm, including your shoulder blade, front deltoid and triceps muscles.

The symptoms are similar to those of other kinds of tendonitis: tenderness when you move your arm, pain when lifting your arm up or behind your back (especially if you do so with weight), pain when lifting your arm out to the side (again with weight), and even pain when moving both arms at once (again with weight).

Tendonitis (elbow, wrist, finger)

Tendonitis is an inflammation of a tendon, which is a strong band of tissue that connects muscles to bones. The most common areas for tendinitis include the elbow, wrist and fingers. Symptoms include pain, tenderness and swelling. Tendinitis can be caused by overuse or strain on the affected area.

If you have symptoms of tendonitis in your elbow or wrist:

Stop playing sports until your doctor says it's OK to continue playing again (it could take several weeks).
Apply ice packs regularly for 15-20 minutes at a time every hour or two during waking hours for three days after the injury occurs; do not apply ice directly to your skin but wrap it in cloth first so that you don't get frostbite from the cold pack touching directly against bare skin!

Shoulder tendinitis/tear/dysfunction

Shoulder pain is a very common injury in sports, and it can be caused by a number of things.

Tendinitis (or "tendinitis") is an inflammation of a tendon, a band of tissue that connects muscle to bone. The tendons that attach your shoulder muscles to your upper arm bones are called the supraspinatus tendon and biceps tendon respectively; when these become inflamed, it's called supraspinatus tendinopathy or biceps tendinopathy.
Tears are breaks in the tissue around your rotator cuff muscles or labrum (the rubbery disc that lines your shoulder socket), which results in pain, weakness and limited range-of-motion when moving your arm overhead or out to the side. These injuries often occur after repetitive trauma over time; they're more common among baseball pitchers than other athletes because they throw so many pitches every day!

Avoid sports injuries by warming up before playing and cool down after.

✔️Warming up before playing, and cooling down after is a great way to prevent sports injuries.

✔️Warming up is important because it allows your body to prepare for physical activity by increasing blood flow to muscles and joints.

✔️This helps reduce the risk of injury during activity, as well as help improve performance when participating in sports or exercise activities.

✔️You should warm up for at least 10 minutes before any kind of physical activity by doing some light exercise such as walking or running on the spot with light intensity until you feel warm throughout your whole body (especially during winter months).

✔️If possible, try doing some dynamic stretches such as lunges or squats because these will also help loosen up tight muscles in your legs which could cause pain later on if left untreated!

✔️Cooling down after exercising is just as important as warming up before exercising

✔️ Most people neglect this step altogether which leaves them vulnerable towards experiencing soreness/strain injuries due to overuse during exercise sessions without proper cooldown time taken between sets/exercises done within one session

Exercises to help prevent sports injuries

Although sports can be a great way to stay in shape and have fun, they can also cause injuries. In fact, an estimated 3.2 million people in 2021 suffered an injury while participating in recreational sports (*Ref:1). By taking a few simple steps before you start playing your favorite game or sport of choice, you can prevent many of these injuries from happening at all, and if they do occur, limit their impact

Warm up.

Stretching is important. It's important to warm up before exercising, and stretching can help prevent injuries by improving your range of motion and reducing muscle tension.

🏃 If you're going to be doing intense workouts or sports, try doing some light jogging or walking for 5-10 minutes before starting.

Stretch.

Stretching is one of the best ways to prevent injuries. It's especially important if you're new to exercise or have had an injury in the past.

Stretching helps prevent injuries by:

Increasing flexibility and range of motion so that joints move more freely and easily
Strengthening muscles around joints that help keep them stable when you are moving; this reduces stress on ligaments and tendons which can become strained or torn if they aren't strong enough to support the movement being made by your body parts

Practice proper form.

Practice proper form. The correct technique is important to prevent sports injuries, so make sure you're practicing with proper form.
Practicing in the correct environment. If you are not practicing in an appropriate setting, then it can lead to injury or discomfort. For example, if you're running on pavement instead of grass then that could cause blisters on your feet and ankles because there's less padding on hard surfaces than soft ones (such as sand).
Using good equipment for whatever activity you are doing (try not to use cheap equipment). If a piece of equipment breaks while using it, then there may be sharp edges which could cut into soft tissue such as skin or muscles; this may require medical attention from either an orthopedic surgeon or podiatrist depending on where exactly the injury was located (elderly patients should see their doctor right away).

Take breaks to rest or drink water.

Drink water regularly.
Take breaks to rest or drink water, especially if you're feeling tired or thirsty.
Drink enough water before, during and after activity so that your urine is clear (not dark) and not too frequent (every two hours).

Wear the right gear for the activity.

You may be tempted to think that wearing the right gear is just a matter of comfort, but it's actually a matter of safety. When you're playing sports remember to make good choices:

Wearing the right shoes can help prevent injuries in your feet and ankles.
A helmet will protect your head from getting injured when falling or being hit by another player or object.
Protective gear such as shin guards and elbow pads can also help prevent injuries by absorbing impact during contact with other players or objects on the field or court. MendMeShop has a complete line of compression products that can help support you during your sporting activities!
Finally, sunscreen is important because UV rays can cause sunburns or even skin cancer!

Take care of your body to prevent sports injuries

Warm up before your workout.
Stretch after your workout.
Practice proper form when performing any exercise, particularly those that put stress on your joints and muscles.
Take breaks to rest or drink water if you're feeling tired or overheated during an activity, even if it's just a few minutes' worth of rest every hour or so. This will help prevent injuries from overuse injury (such as runner's knee).
Wear the right gear for the activity: If you're playing sports outside, wear sunscreen; if you're swimming in cold water without a wetsuit, wear one!

What can you do once you get a sports injury?

If you're injured, it's important to take care of yourself. It's also important to make sure that the injury doesn't get worse. If you can't play sports because of your injury, here are some things you can do:

1. Rest

Rest is the first step in the healing process. Resting allows your body to heal and reduces swelling, pain and inflammation. How long you should rest depends (of course) on the injury, but sometimes even just 1-2 days is enough. If you have suffered a very serious injury such as a broken bone or torn ligament it may even be necessary for you to take time off work while recovering from your injury

2. Ice and compression

Ice is the best thing to reduce swelling and pain. Apply ice for 20 minutes at a time, up to 3 times a day.
To protect your skin, wrap the ice in a towel or cloth before applying it directly onto your skin.

3. Heat and massage

✔️Massage is a great way to break up scar tissue and relax muscles, which can help with pain. It also has the added benefit of increasing circulation in your injured area, which can reduce inflammation and speed healing time.

✔️Heat (applying heat to an injured area like using a Tshellz wrap) is another common treatment for sports injuries; it helps relax tense muscles and increase blood flow to the injured area.

4. Surgery

👉Surgery is an option for some sports injuries, such as a torn ACL or meniscus. But it's not always the best one.

👉Surgery is more likely to be successful if you've had an injury that's caused by a single event (like when you twist your knee), rather than one that comes from repetitive wear and tear over time (like when you run on pavement).

👉 Surgery can also be expensive (and sometimes even not covered by insurance) so talk with your doctor about whether it makes sense for your situation before going under the knife.

👉 You might also want to consider other options like physical therapy instead of opting for surgery right away; these may help alleviate symptoms without surgery's risks of side effects like infection or nerve damage

🧑‍⚕️If you get an injury, it's important to know what to do and how long it will take before you can get back in the game. As we ALWAYS say at MendMeShop, see your doctor if you have sustained an injury or you have any pain/ inflammation.

💪Hopefully, these tips will help you stay injury-free while playing sports. Remember, it's always better to prevent than to treat!

🏅The most important thing to remember is that sports injuries are very common, and they can be avoided by taking proper precautions. If you're worried about getting injured or hurting yourself during a game or practice, talk to your coach about how best to protect yourself. They will know what kind of equipment will help keep you safe while playing your sport. That also includes knowing when it's time to stop playing altogether!

References

We pride ourselves on being thoroughly researched before we post blog posts, articles or webpages. Here is a list of references used to create this content:

👉Ref 1: Sports & Recreational Injuries, NSC Injury Facts

👉Ref 2: Sports Injuries, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

👉Ref 3: Common Sports Injuries, Family Doctor. Org

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