Whether you are a highly-trained athlete or a weekend warrior, there’s always a chance you could get injured. Unfortunately, when injuries happen, it can be hard to know what you’ve tweaked or how to treat it.
5. Sciatica
Sciatica is back pain that also travels down the back of the leg or even to the feet. This radiating pain can additionally be associated with numbness, burning and tingling down the leg. Sciatica can be seen in athletes who are in a flexed forward posture, such as cyclists, or athletes who perform a great deal of trunk rotation in the swing sports, like golf and tennis. The back pain and radiating pain can be caused by a bulging disc or a pinched nerve. Sometimes, rest, stretching the back and hamstrings and laying on your stomach can help alleviate the symptoms. If pain, numbness or tingling persists for more than two weeks, then the athlete should seek out a medical professional, such as a physical therapist, to help alleviate sciatica symptoms.
4. Hamstring Strain
The hamstring muscle is located on the back of the thigh. Unfortunately, the hamstring muscles can be tight and are susceptible to a strain, which is also called a pulled muscle. Poor stretching techniques or lack of stretching can be the cause of a hamstring tear/strain. Often, an athlete with a hamstring tear will experience bruising in the back of the thigh or the knee. Rest and icing are the common early treatment techniques for a pulled hamstring, followed by gentle stretching and strengthening to prevent another injury. If the pain persists more than two weeks, the athlete could try physical therapy to use ultrasound or other methods to promote healing the pulled muscle.
3. Tennis or Golf Elbow
Tennis and golfer’s elbow is usually seen with athletes performing a great deal of gripping activities. It can be labeled as an overuse sports injury, also known as medial or lateral epicondylitis. Due to the repetitive action, the tendons of the forearm can become inflamed and make any wrist or hand motions extremely painful. Often, athletes will complain of a lack of grip strength. Early treatment options for tennis or golf elbow involve rest and icing the inflamed area. Doctors will often prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, or even a brace, to try to take pressure off the area and prevent further elbow injuries. Stretching techniques and other strengthening exercises applied by an occupational or physical therapist can help to break down the stiffness and gradually build strength, returning athletes to their sporting activities.
2. Shoulder Injury
Shoulder injuries cover a large number of sports injuries from dislocations, misalignment, strains on muscles and sprains of ligaments.
The shoulder is the weakest joint of the body and is subject to a great deal of force during athletic activities. Many shoulder injuries can be caused by either a lack of flexibility, strength or stabilization.
Shoulder injury treatment starts with rest and icing to help with pain and swelling relief. Any pain persisting for more than two weeks should be evaluated by a physical therapist.
1. Patellofemoral Syndrome
The majority of sports injuries involve the lower body, particularly knee injuries. One of the most common knee injuries is called patellofemoral syndrome. This diagnosis can be caused by a slip or a fall onto the knees, swelling of the knee joint or a muscle imbalance. The patella, or kneecap, should travel in the groove at the end of the femur or thigh bone. Sometimes, a fall onto the knee can cause swelling, leading to a muscle imbalance of the two major muscles that aid in proper tracking of the kneecap in the groove. This muscle imbalance can create more swelling, making the tracking problem even worse. Rest and ice can help with knee injury pain and swelling. Gentle isometric, or static, strengthening exercises for the inner thigh muscle and gently stretching muscles for the outer or lateral thigh muscles can help to correct the muscle imbalance. If knee injury pain or dysfunction continues for more than two weeks, a referral to a physical therapist could help with more aggressive stretching and strengthening. A physical therapist may use knee taping or bracing techniques to aid with proper tracking.
