Popular injuries in athletes

You don’t have to be a first-class athlete to suffer an injury on the field or sports arena. Whether you start training regularly or are a professional athlete, you are at risk for a sports injury. Learn about the 5 most common injuries among athletes and the best ways to treat them!

Plantar fasciitis

If you’ve started to feel a dull or burning pain in the heel area while walking, you may be suffering from plantar fasciitis, which, as the name suggests, extends along the entire length of the sole. This type of injury is most common in runners, and its treatment is a long and gradual process. Try rolling your feet from toe to heel on a tennis ball to stretch the damaged tissue. Do this for 5 minutes several times during the week. You may need to use special insoles to relieve the stress on the stretch to give your foot extra cushioning.

Hip bursitis

Although hip bursitis is most often diagnosed among the elderly, people who are very physically active, long-distance runners or avid cyclists are also at risk. Bursitis is favored by prolonged repetitive stress on the hip joint. Recovery from injury will be improved by light exercises that improve coordination of the hip and gluteal muscles. Strengthening and improving coordination in these regions reduces inflammation and increased friction between the muscle and the joint.

Lumbar spine pain

This pain can be caused by a number of factors, including weight lifting and strength training. The level of pain you experience depends on the severity of the injury. In most cases, the pain passes on its own. In the case of severe pain syndrome, you will need to see a physiotherapist who will manually relieve you of the pain, in addition to teaching you proper ergonomics and exercise technique.

Muscle overload

Regardless of sports seniority, everyone is at risk of muscle overload, especially if training is not preceded by a decent warm-up. In addition to insufficient stretching, muscle overload during training can occur due to muscle weakness, fatigue and stress. Injury is easily prevented by performing simple stretching exercises before each workout. However, if it has occurred, apply a cold compress to the sore area for 20 minutes, wrap it with a bandage and lift it up if necessary.

Runner’s knee

Almost half of all sports injuries are related to the knee. Runner’s knee is a strain injury that manifests as pain on the lateral side of the knee joint. Although many runners actually suffer from this condition, the injury also affects basketball players, volleyball players, swimmers, cyclists or soccer players. Excessive strain on the patellofemoral band causes friction between it and the bony outgrowth above the lower attachment, on the lateral side of the knee joint. Treatment of runner’s knee can go in many directions and include ice packs, giving up certain exercises such as squats and lunges, and using additional support in the form of bandages.

main photo: unsplash.com/Terry Shultz