Sports Injuries

Summary

Exercising is good for you, but sometimes you can injure yourself when you play sports or exercise. Accidents, poor training practices, or improper gear can cause them. Some people get hurt because they are not in shape. Not warming up or stretching enough can also lead to injuries.

The most common sports injuries are:

• Sprains and strains
• Knee injuries
• Swollen muscles
• Achilles tendon injuries
• Pain along the shin bone
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Fractures (broken bones)
• Dislocations

If you get hurt, stop playing. Continuing to play or exercise can cause more harm. Treatment often begins with the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and speed healing. Other possible treatments include pain relievers, keeping the injured area from moving, rehabilitation, and sometimes surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Patient Handouts

• Achilles tendon repair Medical Encyclopedia
• Back pain and sports Medical Encyclopedia
• How to avoid exercise injuries Medical Encyclopedia
• Medial epicondylitis – golfer’s elbow Medical Encyclopedia
• Returning to sports after a back injury Medical Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

• ACL reconstruction Medical Encyclopedia
• Acute mountain sickness Medical Encyclopedia
• Concussion Medical Encyclopedia
• Lactic acidosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Osgood-Schlatter disease Medical Encyclopedia
• Rotator cuff problems Medical Encyclopedia
• Shin splints – self-care Medical Encyclopedia
• Tennis elbow Medical Encyclopedia

Teenagers

• Ankle Sprains Nemours Foundation
• Dealing with Sports Injuries Nemours Foundation
• Heads Up to High School Sports Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Jumper’s Knee (Patellar Tendonitis) (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Quadriceps Contusion Nemours Foundation
• Runner’s Knee Nemours Foundation
• Sports and Concussions Nemours Foundation

Statistics and Research

• Biomarkers Identified in Collegiate Athletes That Could Help Predict Time Needed to Recover From Concussion National Institute of Nursing Research

Specifics

• Burners American Academy of Family Physicians
• Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Concussion American Academy of Family Physicians
• Concussion in Sports American College of Sports Medicine
• Foot Health Facts for Athletes American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
• Golf Injuries to the Hand, Wrist, or Elbow American Society for Surgery of the Hand
• Golfer’s Elbow Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Hamstring Injury Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome American Academy of Family Physicians
• Shin Splints Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Shoulder Impingement/Rotator Cuff Tendinitis American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Shoulder Instability American Academy of Family Physicians
• Sports Hernia (Athletic Pubalgia) American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Sprains Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Stress Fractures Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Tennis Elbow Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Athletic Injuries National Institutes of Health

Start Here

• Common Sports Injuries American Academy of Family Physicians
• What Are Sports Injuries? National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Children

• Ear Injuries (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Parents’ and Coaches’ Guide to Dehydration and Other Heat Illnesses in Children National Athletic Trainers’ Association
• Sever’s Disease Nemours Foundation

Related Issues

• Exercise-Induced Urticaria American Academy of Family Physicians
• Knee Bracing: What Works? American Academy of Family Physicians
• Venous Thromboembolism and Marathon Athletes American Heart Association

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Journal Articles

• Sports Injuries

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Sports injury? Finding a Specialist Can Improve Recovery

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Sports Safety: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Men

• Testicular Injuries Nemours Foundation