Sports Injuries

The Facts

Sports injuries can occur as a result of playing sports or other athletic activities. However, any repetitive physical activity, even walking, can cause muscle injury (such as muscle strain), joint injury, or even bone injury (e.g., fracture).

Sports injuries are most commonly caused by poor training methods; structural abnormalities; weakness in muscles, tendons, ligaments; and unsafe exercising environments.

Types of common sports injuries include:

  • shin splits – pain along the shinbone (tibia)
  • Achilles tendinitis – injury of the Achilles tendon (the tough sinew that attaches the calf muscle to the back of the heel bone)
  • lumbar strain – back strain, which can occur in sports that involve sudden twisting of the back
  • lateral and medial epicondylitis – also known as backhand and forehand tennis elbow, which is when the tendons in the elbow are overworked
  • metatarsal stress fracture – injury to the long bones in the foot that connect the toes to the ankle

Treatment for sports injuries follows the RICE principle: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

 

Read more about sports injuries and muscle strain by clicking on the links below.

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