Playing sports is a great way to keep yourself healthy. Sports can help improve your balance, help you maintain a healthy weight, and enhance your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health. But playing sports isn’t without risk. Each year, thousands of people suffer from sports-related injuries, some of them even being severe enough to require the help of an orthopedic surgeon.
Top 9 Most Common Sports Injuries
Eating well, keeping yourself hydrated, and stretching before any sporting activity is the best way to prevent these common sports injuries.
Shoulder Injuries
Repetitive motion, falls, & sudden force can cause shoulder injuries & can cause dislocations, sprains, strains, and fractures.
Fractures
Occur most often during contact sports and are broken into three categories: simple, complex, and stress fractures.
Pulled Muscles
Can occur almost anywhere in the body. Failure to stretch and warm-up prior to exercising can cause this issue.
Tennis or Golfer's Elbow
Repetitive use by the elbow joint causes Tennis/Golfers' elbow & can cause degeneration and tears in the elbow tendons.
Groin Pulls and Hamstring Injuries
Quick side-to-side, lateral movement or changing direction too quickly while playing sports can cause this issue.
ACL Tears and Strains
Occur when the anterior cruciate ligament relieves sudden force from jumping, landing, or changing direction.
Runner's Knee or Patellofemoral Syndrome
Happens when the knee joint is overused, putting stress on the tissues under the kneecap.
Shin Splints
Are an overuse injury characterized by sharp pains that radiate down the player's legs, often while running.
Ankle Sprains
Occur when the joint twists or turns too severely and result in ligament or tendon tears.