The most common types of sports injuries include:
- Sprains: Overstretching or tearing the ligaments of a joint will result in a ‘sprain’. Ligaments are pieces of tissue that connect two bones to one another in a joint which aids in the stability and integrity of that structure.
- Strains: Overstretching or tearing muscles or tendons results in a ‘strain’. Tendons are thick, fibrous cords of tissue that connect bone to muscle.
- Knee injuries: Any injury that interferes with how the knee joint moves could be a sports injury. It could range from an overstretch, to a tear in the muscles or tissues in the structure of the knee, such as the cartilage or the chondral surfaces of the bone.
- Swollen muscles: Swelling is a natural reaction to an acute injury. Swollen muscles may also be painful and weak to function.
- Achilles tendinopathy or rupture: The Achilles tendon is a thin, powerful tendon at the back of your ankle. During sports, this tendon can weaken, break or even rupture. When it does, you may experience sudden, severe pain and difficulty walking. Most can resolve with a graded loading program and physiotherapy; some go on to have surgery particularly in the case of a complete rupture.
- Bone fractures: This can occur from direct impact or trauma.
- Dislocations: Sports injuries may dislocate a bone in your body. When that happens, a bone is forced out of its socket. This can be painful and lead to swelling, instability, and weakness at the joint.
- Rotator cuff injury: Four very important pieces of muscle work together to form the ‘rotator cuff’. The rotator cuff keeps your shoulder moving in all directions. A tear in any of these muscles can weaken the rotator cuff and create pain and instability at the shoulder joint.
