Article Context:
- Difference Between an Acute and a Chronic Injury
- What Should I Do if I Get Injured?
- How Are Sports Injuries Treated?
- Surgery
- FAQ
What Are Sports Injuries?

- Sprains and strains
- Knee injuries
- Swollen muscles
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Pain along the shin bone
- Fractures
- Dislocations
What are the Difference Between an Acute and a Chronic Injury?
- Sudden, severe pain
- Swelling
- Not being able to place weight on a leg, knee, ankle, or foot
- An arm, elbow, wrist, hand, or finger that is very tender
- Not being able to move a joint as normal
- Extreme leg or arm weakness
- A bone or joint that is visibly out of place
- Pain when you play
- Pain when you exercise
- A dull ache when you rest
- Swelling
What Should I Do if I Get Injured?
- The injury causes severe pain, swelling, or numbness
- You can’t put any weight on the area
- An old injury hurts or aches
- An old injury swells
- The joint doesn’t feel normal or feels unstable
Rest:
Ice:
Elevation:
How Are Sports Injuries Treated?
Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) :
Immobilization
Surgery
Rehabilitation (Exercise)
Rest
Other Therapies
What Can People Do to Prevent Sports Injuries?
- Don’t bend your knees more than half way when doing knee bends.
- Don’t twist your knees when you stretch. Keep your feet as flat as you can.
- When jumping, land with your knees bent.
- Do warm up exercises before you play any sport.
- Always stretch before you play or exercise.
- Don’t overdo it.
- Cool down after hard sports or workouts.
- Wear shoes that fit properly, are stable, and absorb shock.
- Use the softest exercise surface you can find; don’t run on asphalt or concrete.
- Run on flat surfaces.
- Don’t be a “weekend warrior.” Don’t try to do a week’s worth of activity in a day or two.
- Learn to do your sport right. Use proper form to reduce your risk of “overuse” injuries.
- Use safety gear.
- Know your body’s limits.
- Build up your exercise level gradually.
- Strive for a total body workout of cardiovascular, strength-training, and flexibility exercises.
- Group children by their skill level and body size, not by their age, especially for contact sports.
- Match the child to the sport. Don’t push the child too hard to play a sport that she or he may not like or be able to do.
- Try to find sports programs that have certified athletic trainers.
- See that all children get a physical exam before playing.
- Don’t play a child who is injured.
- Get the child to a doctor, if needed.
- Provide a safe environment for sports.
- Be in proper condition to play the sport.
- Get a physical exam before you start playing sports.
- Follow the rules of the game.
- Wear gear that protects, fits well, and is right for the sport.
- Know how to use athletic gear.
- Don’t play when you are very tired or in pain.
- Always warm up before you play.
- Always cool down after you play.
What Research Is Being Done on Treating Sports Injuries?
- Arthroscopy (fiber optic scopes put through small cuts in the skin to see inside joints)
- Tissue engineering (using a person’s own tissues or cells to help heal injuries)
- Targeted pain relief (pain-reducing drug patches put directly on the injured area).
- Advanced imaging techniques (like x rays) that will lead to better diagnosis and treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Stress fractures: bone pain caused by small cracks that develop in a bone as a result of repeated stresses (for example, during high-impact activities like cross country running) leg cramps: shin pain caused by inflammation of the tissues surrounding the shin is common in sports that involve running.
The seven most common sports injuries are:Ankle sprain,Groin pull,Tendon twist,Splints on the shin,Knee injury: ACL tear,Knee injury:Tennis elbow (epicondylitis)
Sports injuries are injuries that occur while playing sports or exercising. Sports injuries can occur due to overtraining, poor conditioning, and improper form or technique.
Sports injuries can be classified in relation to the type of tissues injured, eg. Eg soft tissues (muscle, skin) or hard tissues (bone). Most often, sports injuries are classified in relation to their cause. The main types are primary, secondary, direct, indirect, and chronic lesions.
The difference between a sprain and a strain is that a sprain injures the bands of tissue that connect two bones, while a strain involves an injury to a muscle or to the band of tissue that connects a muscle to a bone.
Common examples of chronic injuries include tennis elbow. Swimmer's shoulder. Runner's knee and jumper's knee.