Types of sports injuries
Injuries are treated based on their severity, location and the specific tissue affected. Sports people are more likely to experience certain types of injuries compared to non-sporting individuals due to the physical demands, repetitive movements and high impact of many sports.
Examples of injuries more likely to occur in a sporting environment:
- Tennis elbow: in racquet sports
- Patellofemoral pain (knee) syndrome: in runners
- Rotator cuff injuries: golf
- ACL tear: in rugby and skiing
- Ankle sprains: in basketball and football
- Groin strains: hockey and cricket
- Hamstring strains: track and football
Stress fractures: these are more common in athletes who take part in high impact or endurance sports
- Stress fracture in lower leg: hill runners and karate
- Stress fracture in the spine: gymnastics and dance
- Supraspinatus tendinopathy (rotator cuff): judo and tennis
- Patellar tendinopathy, Jumpers knee: volleyball and basketball
Most common in contact sports: rugby, football and boxing.
- Shoulder: judo and rugby
- Fingers: judo and wrestling
Most common in endurance events such as Iron Man, marathon running.
Although these injuries can occur in non-sporting individuals they are less common and often have different mechanisms of injury, such as accidents or repetitive strain due to the working environment.