Fulltime athletes, newcomers to exercising and everyone in between have potential for injuries.
According to the National Institutes of Health[Link http://nih.gov/ in a new window with off site icon and 3rd party content disclaimer] (NIH), the most common types of sports injuries are:
- Achilles tendon injuries – An Achilles tendon injury is caused by stretching, tearing, or irritating the tendon that connects the calf muscle to the back of your heal.
- Dislocations– A dislocation occurs when there is an abnormal separation in the joint, such as a shoulder, elbow, or toe, where two or more bones meet. A joint dislocation can also cause damage to the surrounding tissues.
- Fractures – A fracture is a break in the bone that happens from either a quick, one-time injury (acute fracture) or from repeated stress on the bone over time (stress fracture.
- Knee injuries – Knee injuries are common and can be frequently caused by ligaments and tendon injuries.
- Ligament tears – Tearing a ligament, which is a band of tissue that connects the ends of bones together.
- Rotator cuff injuries – The rotator cuff is in your shoulder, and it is common to have an inflamed rotator cuff or damage the rotator cuff in sports with repeated overhead motion.
- Shin bone pain – Often known as “shin splints,” this describes leg pain that shoots along the shin bone, on the front of the lower leg.
- Sprains and strains – A sprain is an overly stretched muscle. A strain is a twisted or pulled muscle.
- Swollen muscles – The muscles can swell and feel sore from lack of stretching or overuse during exercise.
- Tendon tears – Tearing a tendon, which is a cord of tissue that connects muscles to bones.