Athletic injuries are common at all levels of sports. Whether you’re a professional, an amateur or a recreational sports enthusiast, you are susceptible to injury. Sports injuries are unavoidable in cases of impact and accidents, but many cases of sports injuries are caused by strain and overuse.
Common sports injuries
Recovering from a sports injury can take a lot of time and keep you from participating in the activities you love. That’s why prevention is key if you want to maximize your performance time. Knowing the kinds of injuries you may be susceptible to can help you take measures to prevent them from happening to you.
These are some of the most common sports injuries:
- Sprained ankle — If your foot twists or rolls too far, the ligaments in your ankle can get strained or torn. This injury is common in sports that involve any form of running.
- Pulled groin — This refers to overuse of the groin muscles that causes them to stretch or tear. This injury is common in athletes who have to run and jump a lot, especially when changing directions.
- Concussion — Concussions are head injuries that are common in contact sports where the head or upper body is subject to an impact that causes the brain to crash against the inside of your skull.
- Pulled hamstring — When the muscles on the back of your thigh are overused, they can stretch or tear, which causes a sprain.
- Shin splints — Repetitive stress to the shinbone can cause strain and inflammation to the muscles and ligaments around your shin.
- ACL tears — Sudden twisting of the knee can cause the anterior cruciate ligament to tear.
- Tendinitis — This is irritation and inflammation of the ligaments that connect your muscles to your joints. This is caused by overuse of joints like shoulders, elbows, knees and heels.
Many of these injuries can be avoided with proper training, warming up and stretching. If you’re concerned about getting injured on the field, talk with a physical therapist today about developing a routine to strengthen your body to help prevent sports injuries.
Treating sports injuries with physical therapy
Despite your best efforts to prevent an injury, it can still happen. If you’ve been injured in the game, speak with a physical therapist at Whatcom Physical Therapy. Our team can help you strengthen and stretch muscles and ligaments to promote optimal recovery and help you prevent injuries from occurring again in the future.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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