Common Injuries in Sport

January 25, 2024

Being a sports performer is great for the mind and body, however, sometimes we can struggle to cope from the load and pressure we put on ourselves during exercise. Not all injuries we get from participating in sport occur from a single mechanism. The repetitive use of the same body part in sport can cause ‘microtraumas’ which typically occur when we over train. This could happen to bones, muscles, tendon, or ligaments and is known as an ‘Overuse Injury’.

Different sports can lead to the development of different overuse injuries. For example, Netballer and Basketball players often suffer from ‘Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS)’, A.K.A Shin Splints. There is no one cause for MTSS and it is thought that many factors can contribute to its development, therefore treatment should be looked at in the same way. Strength and conditioning of muscles in the lower leg could help reduce the stress placed on the tibia when force is placed through the foot. Furthermore, we can look at developing proprioception of the ankle and knee in various functional movement patterns.
In other sports such as Rugby, we see a wide range of acute and overuse injuries to the upper and lower extremities.Managing the treatment and rehabilitation of acute injuries such as shoulder dislocations or sprains to knees and ankles is paramount to ensure players are back to the pitch as strong as when they left it. Treatment methods such as mobilisations/articulations to relieve tight muscles, cryotherapy for pain relief and inflammation, kinesiology tape for proprioception and symptom reduction, can all be incorporated alongside a structured strength and conditioning programme. The aim of this to increase stability within the joint to allow surrounding muscular structures to protect the head of the humerus in the shoulder.