What Are the 10 Common Types of Sports Injuries?

10 common types of sports injuries

1. Muscle pull

   • Muscle pulls are quite prevalent and can occur in any sport. When a muscle is stretched too far or surpasses its tensile load, small rips form within it, resulting in a strain.
     • Causes:
       • All types of athletes can pull a muscle due to:
         • Insufficient warm-up activities
         • Muscular exhaustion
         • Lack of flexibility
         • Muscle weakness
     • Symptoms:
       • Pain in the muscle region when applying pressure (stretching or loading)
       • Swelling or inflammation
       • Weakness
       • Soreness
       • Redness
     • Treatment:
       • Rest, apply ice, apply compress, and elevate (RICE) immediately
       • Anti-inflammatory drugs after 24 hours are helpful
       • Gentle pain-free stretches after 48 hours
       • Commence pain-free activity as soon as possible
       • When the injury has sufficiently healed, you can start playing a sport, but you should take breaks to stretch every now and again until you are entirely recovered
     • Prevention:
       • Stretch correctly before and after exercise
       • Make sure you have thoroughly conditioned your muscles before exercising
       • Avoid working out while the muscle is fatigued or weak

2. Shin splints

   • Shin splint is a general phrase for shin discomfort (typically on the inside of the shin). It is called medial tibial stress syndrome.
     • Causes:
       • Caused by inflammation of the muscles and their attachments to the shin bone (tibia)
       • Can develop when the intensity of a workout is increased over a typical level when you wear worn-out shoes or leap or run on hard terrains
       • Has a biomechanical trigger in most cases
     • Symptoms:
       • Pain to touch the region
       • Occasional swelling
       • Soreness to jog and walk
       • Dull, aching pain in either side of the shinbone or the muscles
     • Treatment:
       • Apply the RICE method
       • Stretching
       • Anti-inflammatory painkillers
       • A good biomechanical examination of foot posture, gluteal muscle strength, and core stability for improved lower limb control
     • Prevention:
       • Wearing good shoes
       • Cross-training
       • Stretching
       • Not increasing workout intensity too quickly

3. Lower back pain

   • Lower-back discomfort is commonly experienced by runners, bikers, golfers, tennis players, and baseball players. The discomfort may be due to bulging discs, back spasms, stress fractures, and sciatica.
     • Causes:
       • Improper training techniques
       • Weakness (especially of the core muscles)
       • Poor preparation
       • Back discomfort can be caused by even minor differences in leg length
       • Poor lower limb biomechanics
       • Insufficient footwear
     • Symptoms:
       • Muscle spasm
       • Movement restrictions, such as bending or straightening
       • Often painful during sitting and or standing position
     • Treatment:
       • Rest from the aggravating activity
       • Anti-inflammatory medications
       • Gentle pain-free stretching
       • Applying heat to the area can
       • Orthotic lifts
     • Prevention:
       • Warming up properly before exercising
       • Having a good strong core (abdominals, gluteal muscles, etc.)

4. Shoulder impingement

   • Shoulder impingement can occur in any activity that requires a lot of overhead movement. Tennis, swimming, weightlifting, baseball, and volleyball are the sports most prone to a shoulder injury.
     • Causes:
       • Overuse of the shoulder
       • Strained rotator cuff
       • Poor shoulder and scapular muscle control
     • Symptoms:
     • Treatment:
       • Apply the RICE method
       • Anti-inflammatory medications
       • Graded rehab strengthening program for the shoulder and scapular muscles
     • Prevention:
       • Strengthening the muscles by specific weight training exercises before playing the sport.

5. Runner’s knee

   • Knee injuries account for about 55 percent of all sports injuries. It may affect any athlete, including runners, cyclists, soccer, and volleyball players, etc.
     • Causes:
       • Weak quadriceps
       • Tightness of related muscle groups
       • Imbalances around the knee
       • Poor pelvic control
       • Incorrect or worn shoes
       • Overtraining
     • Symptoms:
       • Knee discomfort below the kneecap and on the sides of the kneecap, especially with a deep knee bend or prolonged sitting
       • Swelling in the knee
       • Pain is especially observed when ascending stairs
     • Treatment:
       • Rest
       • Pain medications
       • Strength training
       • When you restart your workout, make sure you warm up correctly and then, apply ice to your knee for about 20 minutes
     • Prevention:
       • Wear good shoes
       • Replace worn shoes
       • Grade your running or exercise program
       • Choose a softer running surface, such as an indoor track rather than hard pavement
       • Strengthen your quadriceps and gluteal muscles through weight appropriate training
       • Get rest, stop before you are tired
       • Remain hydrated before, during, and after running
       • Stretch before and after the activity

6. Tennis elbow

   • Causes:
     • Tennis elbow occurs when the forearm is overworked as a result of repetitive motions in activities, such as tennis, golf, and badminton
     • Muscles responsible for pulling the wrist back may be irritated and damaged
     • The foreman tendons that insert into the side of the elbow area tend to inflame, resulting in intense discomfort
   • Symptoms:
     • When the outermost area of the elbow is touched or the wrist or fingers are pushed rearward, it causes pain
     • Turning a doorknob and holding or carrying heavy things might aggravate the discomfort and cause it to spread down the arm
   • Treatment:
     • Apply the RICE method
     • Anti-inflammatory medication
     • Physiotherapy exercises
   • Prevention:
     • Maintaining body position during the swing
     • Specific prehab exercises that strengthen the forearm
     • Wear a tennis elbow strap

7. Achilles tendinitis

   • Achilles tendinitis is a common ailment among runners and athletes who participate in sports that demand a lot of leaping. Swelling of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone.
   • The Achilles tendon is highly strong, but it is not particularly flexible, making it prone to micro-tearing, which causes inflammation.
     • Causes:
       • Poor foot biomechanics
       • Incorrect footwear
     • Symptoms:
       • Pain in the rear of the ankle, right above the heel, especially while attempting to lift toes
       • Occasional swelling
     • Treatment:
       • Protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation (PRICE) method
       • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
       • Gentle calf stretching
       • Wall stretching
       • Toe raises and balancing
     • Prevention:
       • Warm-up before stretching
       • Exercises that strengthen calf muscles

8. Ankle sprain

   • Causes:
     • When the foot twists inward unintentionally, the ligaments on the outside of the ankle are stretched and torn
     • Ankle sprains are nearly unavoidable in sports, requiring specialized foot movements, such as jumping, turning fast, and sprinting
   • Symptoms:
     • Immediate pain at the location
     • Swelling around the outside of the ankle
     • The injured area becomes tender and feels unstable
   • Treatment:
     • Apply the RICE method immediately for 48 to 72 hours
     • Medication (NSAIDs after 24 hours)
     • Wearing ankle braces during the healing process
     • Once healed increase ankle control with balance exercises
   • Prevention:
     • Regular exercises to strengthen muscles around the ankles

9. Concussion

   • Causes:
     • Damage to the brain (swelling) caused by a hit to the head
     • It is particularly frequent in sports, such as soccer, boxing, hockey, and soccer that entail a lot of abrupt contacts
     • Multiple concussions can result in lifelong brain damage
   • Symptoms:
   • Treatment:
     • Immediate and total bed rest
     • Mild pain remedies depend on the severity of the concussion; nevertheless, never provide medicine without first consulting with a doctor
     • Application of ice over the site of the blow
     • Do a comprehensive concussion evaluation (evaluate eye pupil responses, verbal communication with the athlete)
     • Always consult a doctor right away because symptoms are sometimes delayed in beginning and frequently ignored
   • Prevention:
     • Because you cannot stop participating in a sport merely because there are hazards associated, the best method to avoid concussions is to wear protective headgear when participating in contact sports.

10. Groin strain

    • Excessive sprinting or leaping in sports, such as soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and even racket sports, strains the muscles in the upper thigh that serve to hold the legs together.
      • Causes:
        • Overuse
        • Sudden slip
        • Strain by overstretching the muscle
      • Symptoms:
        • Sharp pain
        • Swelling
        • Bruising of the inner thigh
      • Treatment:
        • Apply the RICE method immediately
        • Anti-inflammatory medications after 24 hours
        • Before returning to play the sport, undergo a stretching and strengthening program
        • Commence pain-free activity for the muscle as soon as possible
      • Prevention:
        • Perform stretching and warm-up activities before participating in the sport
        • Rather than diving in headfirst, the goal is to gradually increase the level of activity to ensure that the muscles are strong

What are the symptoms of a sports injury?

Sports injuries can cause:

• Bruises
• Strains
• Sprains
• Rips
• Fractured bones

Sports injuries may impact:

• Muscles
• Ligaments
• Tendons
• Fascia
• Bursae

What are the 2 types of sports injuries?

There are two kinds of sports injuries. Almost all common sports injuries fall into one of the two following categories:

1. Acute Injury
   • These injuries occur due to sudden trauma.
   • Sprains, fractures, strains, ligament tears, and contusions are common examples.
2. Chronic Injuries
   • These injuries may begin as acute injuries that may not heal entirely, or they may occur as a result of training and technique faults.
   • A succession of minor injuries can result in minor fractures (stress fractures), muscle tears, ligament tears, and other complications.

When to see a doctor for a sports injury

In many circumstances, home treatments can alleviate the discomfort associated with sports injuries. While a sports injury heals, stretching, rest, ice or heat (whatever feels best), and anti-inflammatory medicine can help you continue with your daily activities.

If your discomfort is getting worse or interferes with your everyday activities, you should consult a doctor.

You should seek medical attention in the following cases:

• Difficulty bearing weight or picking things up
• Experienced a collision to the head and suspect a concussion
• Feel off-balance or dizzy
• Pain does not subside for a few weeks
• Worried about your injury

The advantages of participating in sports and exercise greatly exceed the risks of injury. Remember to listen to your body, get rest, and integrate a range of diverse workouts into your training plan to avoid serious damage.