Brief Guide to Common Sports Injuries

Sport is good for your body – most of the time! Not only is exercising good fun, it can help avoid the risk of obesity, heart disease and stroke, as well as make you look good and feel great.

But if you’re serious about getting into shape, you should be prepared to suffer the occasional injury. Even professional sports men and women, who are in peak physical condition, endure their fair share of strains, sprains, knocks and niggles.

There are hundreds of potential injuries you can face. They’re an almost inevitable consequence of the demands exercise puts on your body (especially if you play rugby or lacrosse, the two most injury-prone sports. Basketball, squash, running and high-impact aerobics come close behind.)

Some injuries are much more common than others, and the ones you’ll most likely suffer are listed here, in the hope that our tips on treatment and prevention will help you enjoy pain-free sporting fun.

Strains

Fatigue, lack of flexibility or just not warming up properly can lead to pulled muscles, which in turn can cause bruising. The most common areas affected are the calf, the groin and the hamstring at the back of the thigh.

Stretching properly before and after exercise is the best way to avoid muscle strains, which can be cured by a course of rest, ice packs, compression and elevation (sometimes known by the acronym RICE), gentle stretching and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen.

Don’t exercise until free of discomfort, and when returning to exercising, gradually increase the intensity of the activity, rather than start hard and fast.

Tendonitis

This is caused by overuse of a tendon, or by a strain or tear, and is most common at the back of the ankle (the Achilles tendon). Redness, swelling and restricted movement can become chronic if left untreated or if you exercise before being fully recovered.

RICE, anti-inflammatories and strengthening the surrounding muscles (for the Achilles, this would be the calf muscle) are the solution.

Sprains

When a ligament holding two or more bones together is damaged or torn, this can result in swelling, pain and bruising.

This is a very common complaint among people involved in sport and can be easily cured with the usual RICE and anti-inflammatory medication. However, avoid too much rest. After a day or so, move the affected area gently to keep blood circulating, which will help reduce swelling more quickly.

Tennis elbow

Tennis elbow and the similar golfer’s elbow are two of the most common complaints among physically active people, accounting for around 7% of all sports injuries.

The main symptom is pain caused by the degradation of tendons as a result of repetitive movement (swinging a racquet or club). The tennis-related version tends to be on the outside of the elbow, while the golfers’ variety is usually on the inside.

Exercises to strengthen the forearm – such as wrist curls - will help prevent the ailments, as will wearing an elbow brace and improving your swing. For mild cases, RICE and anti-inflammatories will be enough for healing, while physiotherapy and an extended period of rest may be necessary to cure acute cases.

Concussion

Blurred vision, dizziness, nausea and loss of balance are just some of the symptoms of concussion, which is probably the most common head injury among sports men and women – especially those who take part in contact sports such as boxing, rugby and football.

Rest – sometimes for weeks or months - is the only cure and avoiding contact sports is the only prevention. A further head injury while concussed may lead to second impact syndrome, which can be fatal.

Protective headgear is advisable whenever possible.

Shin splints

People who aren’t used to a lot of exercise, or who do a lot of running or hard jumping often suffer from shin splints. Wearing inadequate training shoes or increasing the intensity of your workout too quickly can also lead to pain caused by inflammation of the muscles surrounding the shinbone, leading to tingling and pain.

Exercising when you have shin splints could put you at risk of suffering a stress fracture to your shinbone.

The ideal ways to prevent shin splints are to wear good quality training shoes, increase your workout programme gradually and avoid exercising beyond your capabilities.

Rest, ice packs, anti-inflammatories and stretching are the best cures.

Runner’s knee

Repeated impact on hard surfaces can lead to a variety of aches and pains in your knee that are often grouped under the category ‘runner’s knee’. Most common is a swelling at the back of the kneecap called chondromalacia, which can lead to a grating sensation. It can be a problem not only for runners but also for cyclists, swimmers, footballers and people who take part in high-impact aerobics.

The best ways to avoid the complaint is to wear good quality training shoes, make use of softer running surfaces (such as sprung indoor tracks or grass) and warm up well before exercising.

RICE and anti-inflammatories are the cure. Once you begin exercising again, put an ice pack on your knee for 20 minutes afterwards.

Jogger’s nipple

Chafing of clothing against the skin can cause this friction injury, which leads to dermatitis (characterised by itchy or sore, red, flaky skin) around the nipple. It isn’t restricted to joggers. Anyone who does a lot of running – footballers, for example - can fall victim.

A good sports bra is the best prevention for women, while men will have to make do with putting Vaseline (or similar) on their nipples. Ointment containing hydrocortisone (available from your pharmacist) may help alleviate the complaint.