World Cup Year – Common sports related injuries
Here at PhysioCare, we see a diverse amount of pathologies and conditions, with it being a World Cup year around the corner let’s discuss the most common injuries that can occur while playing sports, we often see here in our clinics.
Sports injuries can often be as a result of overuse (cumulative) or acute traumatic injuries (impact). Overuse injuries are a result of increased stress to the muscle, joints and soft tissue over a period of time without the adequate time for healing. What can start off as a small ache or pain can become quite debilitating if not treated correctly. Acute or traumatic injuries can be as a result of a direct force or impact and can be quite severe depending on their nature.
What are the common injuries?
Ankle Sprains: The most common of all ankle injuries, an ankle sprain occurs when there is a stretching and tearing of ligaments surrounding the ankle joint, most would describe this as going over on your ankle.
Achilles tendonitis: Achilles tendonitis is a chronic injury that occurs primarily from overuse and it felt as pain in the back of the ankle. Normally a long standing issue which gets progressively worse with time, if ignored it may increase your risk of an achilles tendon rupture.
Groin Pull: A groin (adductor) pull or strain occurs when the muscles of the inner thigh are stretched beyond their limits.
Hamstring pull/tear: Hamstring injuries are common among runners and can range from minor strains to total rupture of the muscle at the back of the thigh.
Iliotibial band syndrome: IT band friction syndrome often results in knee pain that is generally felt on the outside (lateral) aspect of the knee or lower.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome: This term usually refers to pain under and around the kneecap. Most people will say it can feel worse when walking on hills or stairs.
Plantar fasciitis: This is the most common cause of pain on the bottom of the heel and usually defined by pain during the first steps of the morning.
Calf tear or strain: calf strain occurs when part of the muscles of the lower leg (gastrocnemius or soleus) are pulled from the Achilles tendon. It is similar to an Achilles tendon rupture but occurs higher up in the back of the leg. Pain is felt at the middle of the calf and can cause pain at the back of the knee.
Shin Splints: Shin Splints describes a variety of generalized pain that occurs in the front of the lower leg along the tibia (shin bone). Shin Splints are considered a cumulative stress injury.
Tendinitis: Tendonitis is simply inflammation of a tendon. It generally occurs from overuse, but can also occur from a forceful contraction that causes microtears in the muscle fibers.
These tears can lead to weakness and inflammation, these injuries can take long to heal if not treated correctly and early.
Knee Injuries:
Anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries
Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injuries
Ligament injuries to the knee are very common in sports that require stopping and starting or quickly changing directions.
Cruciate ligament injuries don’t always cause pain, but typically cause a loud “pop.” Most of these injuries are confirmed with an MRI or by a qualified Physiotherapist
Knee cartilage tears (meniscus injury) Torn knee cartilage is usually a torn meniscus.
These small, “c” shaped pieces of cartilage act as cushions between the thigh bone (femur) and the tibia (shin bone). Meniscus tears are often the result of twisting, pivoting, decelerating, or a sudden impact. It can be identified/confirmed by an MRI scan or various manual tests a qualified physician can perform to detect torn cartilage.
These are just a brief overview of some of the most common conditions that can occur in sports. Bear in mind, anybody can suffer with these type of injuries, from the competitive sports player to the light walker, so if you find yourself suffering with any of these types of injuries do not hesitate to make an appointment here at PhysioCare. We treat these types of conditions/injuries on a daily basis with the highest standard of care.
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