Sports injuries are common and can occur throughout your body to bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments and other structures. You can treat many minor injuries at home with rest, ice, compression, elevation and over-the-counter pain medications. But some injuries require medical treatment, such as immobilization, physical therapy and surgery.

Exercise is important to good health, but people often get hurt when participating in sports or other physical activities. A sports injury involves damage to part of your body due to sports, exercise or athletic activities.

Sports injuries are divided into two broad categories, acute and chronic injuries. Acute injuries happen suddenly, such as when a person falls,  receives a blow, or twists a joint, while chronic injuries usually result from overuse of one area of the body and develop gradually over time. Examples of acute injuries are sprains and dislocations, while some common chronic injuries are shin splints and stress fractures.

causes sports injuries

Sports injuries have many causes, including:

• Accidents, such as a fall.
• Bad habits with exercise, such as not warming up or stretching enough.
• Lack of safety equipment, or gear that’s damaged or worn incorrectly.
• Shoes that don’t fit well or provide enough support.
• Sudden start to an exercise program or significant increase in physical activity that your body isn’t used to.

symptoms of a sports injury

• Aches, pain or tenderness.
• Bruising.
• Deformity, such as a bone or joint looking out of place.
• Decreased range of motion.
• Grinding, cracking, clicking or popping noise.
• Inability to bear weight on your hip, leg or foot.
• Skin that’s warm to the touch.
• Stiffness or weakness.
• Swelling.
• Trouble moving a body part normally (for example, you can’t move it as far or it locks up when you try to move).

Diagnosis 

To diagnose a sports injury, your healthcare provider performs a physical exam. They’ll ask questions about what happened and what symptoms you’ve had. They’ll also look at the injured area, possibly testing how it moves.

Prevention

• Choose sports and activities that are less dangerous (for example, avoid sports that involve collisions and tackles).
• Don’t play the same sport or do the same activity year-round. This is especially important for children.
• Mix up your routine. Your body needs a combination of cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise, strength training with weights or resistance, and flexibility.
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after any exercise.
• Learn proper technique and use it all the time.
• Listen to your body and don’t push too far. Rest when you’re tired. Stop any activity that doesn’t feel right.