At some point in your life you've probably played sports—whether it was with your friends for fun or on a school team. There are a numerous health benefits associated with staying active and playing sports, but at the same time there are also potentially serious risks. Here is a look at some of the most common types of sports injuries.
Foot Strain
Repeated stress on the feet can cause the tendon that stretches along the arch of the foot to become strained. A foot strain will feel tight and painful with every step. This is an especially common injury in sports that require a lot of running or sprinting. Poor footwear or flat feet also increases the chances of experiencing this painful type of strain.
Luckily, most foot strains are minor and can be treated with rest, ice, and elevation.
Ankle Sprain
Another common sports injury is an ankle sprain—which specifically refers to an injury to the soft tissues or ligaments of the ankle. These can be caused by a variety of things, including twisting your ankle, landing on the foot wrong after jumping, or losing your footing while running.
After an accident like this if there is prolonged pain, then it means the ankle is indeed sprained and will need to be treated with rest, ice, compression and elevation. After the pain diminishes, exercising the ankle is important in order to normalize ankle stability. However, physical activity during the recovery period should be light and gradual to prevent another sprain.
Knee Injury
One of the major ligaments in the knee is the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Knee injuries involving the ACL are common and are most likely to happen in sports that require sudden stops, jumping, or changes in direction, such as basketball, soccer, or football. Injury done to the ACL is often recognized by a popping noise. The injured knee will swell within a few hours and be unable to bear weight.
Treatment depends on how severe the injury is. Rest and physical therapy may be all that is needed to regain strength and stability of a strained ACL. In more severe cases, when the ligament is torn, surgery is required to replace the damaged ligament. Physical therapy will then be needed following surgery.
Shin Splints
Pain in the front of the leg along the tibia (aka the shin bone) is referred to as a shin splint. This particular injury is most common in runners, but it can occur in any athlete who intensifies or changes their training regimen. The increase or change in activity overworks the muscles, tendons, and bone tissues in the shins and may cause symptoms like tenderness, soreness, pain and mild swelling in the lower leg.
Treatment for this type of injury involves rest, ice, and preventive self-care measures, such as wearing proper footwear and altering your exercise regimen.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is the result of overexertion of the arm, forearm, and hand muscles. Most commonly, the injury is seen in tennis players.
Similar to the treatment of other sport-related injuries, rest is important for allowing the muscles and tendons of the arm to heal. Exercising the arm is also helpful to strengthen and return the arm to working form.
