COMMON SPORTS INJURIES

COMMON SPORTS INJURIES

Overuse Injuries

An overuse injury is an injury that does not result from a single occurrence of trauma but is instead caused by repeated stress to an area. Because excessive continuous movement causes a tremendous amount of shock to the feet, ankles, legs, knees, hips, and lower back in a repeated fashion, athletes are at a higher risk of developing overuse injuries. These injuries include, but are not limited to the following:

Ankle Sprain

An ankle sprain is an injury that causes a stretch or tear of one or more ligaments in the ankle joint. Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect the bone at the joint. A sprain is caused by twisting your ankle. Your foot usually turns in or under but may turn to the outside. Ankle sprains can happen in just about every sport, contact or no contact. An ankle sprain varies from mild to severe injury.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury

An anterior cruciate ligament injury is the over-stretching or tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). An ACL injury is frequently due to forced twisting motion of the knee. The ACL may also become injured when the knee is straightened beyond its normal range of motion (hyper-extended). In addition, ACL injuries can occur when the thigh bone is forcefully pushed across the shin bone, such as with a sudden stop or transfer of weight. ACL injuries are common to athletes across many sports.

Achilles tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is an acute inflammation of the Achilles tendon. The Achilles tendon is located on the back of the ankle and connects the muscles of the calf to the heel bone. This type of injury is usually brought about by overuse and can take a while to heal as the tendon does not receive much blood flow. Achilles tendinitis is frequently found in runners and athletes who participate in sports that require a lot of running.

Patellofemoral pain (Runners Knee)

Runner’s knee is the most frequently diagnosed condition in doctors and professionals of sports medicine offices and clinics. It can best be described as a burning pain between the knee cap and the thigh bone. This painful condition is predominantly caused by overuse but can be caused or exacerbated by faulty mechanics. Athletes who are susceptible to Runner’s Knee should have a gait analysis performed by a professional to determine if correcting gait problems could help to mitigate and relieve pain.

Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS)

ITBS is a common injury that can affect athletes across all sports. ITBS is a common cause of hip and knee pain on the outside of the leg in all athletes. The Iliotibial band runs from the hip to beneath the knee and pain from ITBS can show up anywhere along with the band. This condition worsens by mechanical instability and may be alleviated by a motion control or balanced shoe.

Shin splints

Shin splint is the term used for describing medial tibial stress syndrome. It has many causes including tendinitis and stress fractures. Shin splints in an athlete are most commonly found in shins that absorb too much shock. Athletes who experience shin splints should try a more shock-absorbing shoe as well as an insole to counteract the shock caused by participating in sports activities.

Plantar fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is a painful inflammation of thick fibrous tissue in the foot called the plantar fascia. Pain from plantar fasciitis is usually centered under the heel and is often found to be worse at the beginning of the day. If plantar fasciitis worsens or goes untreated, it can lead to some conditions that will cause more discomfort including degeneration of the plantar fascia, called plantar fasciitis as well as many painful conditions of the heel.

Lower Back Pain

Participation in sports activities puts an enormous amount of strain on the muscles of the lower back which can cause a great deal of pain. Many athletes find a shoe with more cushion or a cushioned custom insole to positively impact and reduce pain in their back. While the right footwear will help, the best way to treat and prevent back pain is by strengthening the muscles with exercises like straight back wall squats, crunches, and bridging.

Call our offices located in Cherry Hill, N.J. or Ridley Park, PA. or reach out via our contact form today to schedule your complete biomechanical assessment and comprehensive examination at (610) 522-9200.