Most Common Sport Injuries College, Professional, or Recreational Athletes Andrew Garzia

7 Most Common Sports Injury Ankle Sprain Groin Pull Hamstring Strain Shin Splints ACL Tear Patellofemoral Syndrome Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Ankle Sprain Most common ankle injury Injured in and inverted and plantar flexed position Ankle is turned in and toes are pointed down

Treatment for an Ankle Sprain Usually self-treatable Practice PRICE Protection Rest Ice Compression Elevation

Often appears in soccer and hockey players Groin Pull This is adduction Over-stretched or torn adductor muscles Adductor muscle brings leg towards the body Common in athletes with excessive jumping and running Often appears in soccer and hockey players

Symptoms and Severity Symptoms include: Pain when raising knee Pain when bringing legs together Severity is divided into 3 degrees 1st Degree: Mild pain, little loss of movement 2nd Degree: Moderate pain, some tissue damage 3rd Degree: Severe pain, complete tear of the muscle

Treatment for a Pulled Groin Practice PRICE Protection Seated groin stretches are crucial for groin recovery Rest Ice Compression Elevation Take anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs) If seeking further assistance, doctor may help prescribe stretches

If severe enough, a hamstring strain may require surgery Very common, very painful Every athlete is susceptible to hamstring strains Causes Failure to warm up/stretch before exercise Quadriceps are much stronger than hamstrings Teenager going through a growth spurt If severe enough, a hamstring strain may require surgery

Symptoms Possible Symptoms Bruising Tenderness Pain in back thigh or near glutes during walking or straightening of leg Contusion is a sign of a possible torn hamstring

Treatment Practice PRICE Take an anti-inflammatory or NSAID, such as Advil Hamstring Stretches If recommended by a doctor, perform hamstring exercises

Shin Splints Medically known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome Small stress fractures in the tibia (shin bone) An aching pain when shins throb after running Common for runners, and even dancers

Symptoms Muscle swelling Stress Fractures Overpronation of the foot

Treatments Rest Ice Do range-of-motion Physical Therapy

ACL Tear One of the most common knee injuries Based on the severity of the tear, it can be labeled as an ACL Sprain grade 2 or 3 2 = Partial Tear 3 = Complete Tear With a tear, surgery is needed for full function of the knee to be regained

Symptoms and Causation 80% of ACL tears are non-contact occurrences Changing direction rapidly Stopping suddenly Slowing down running Landing a jump incorrectly Signs to look for are: Pain with swelling Loss of full ROM Discomfort while walking

Patellofemoral Syndrome Syndrome where pain is caused by softening, roughening, or wear of cartilage under the kneecap

Cause and Symptoms Patellofemoral Syndrome can be caused by: Overuse Excess Weight Injury Knee not properly aligned Signs towards PS may include: Pain in squatting, jumping, using stairs Knee buckling Popping or grinding sensation

Treatment There are multiple ways to treat PS Avoid activities to worsen symptoms Squatting, kneeling, sitting for excessive time PRICE NSAID medication Ice and rest Tape or a knee brace Physical Therapy Exercises that stretch and increase flexibility at the knee

Lateral Epicondylitis More commonly known as tennis elbow Caused by overuse of arm, forearm, and hand muscles Abrupt or subtle injury to tendons/muscle near the later epicondyle Most common in dominant arm Affects 1-3% of the population Affects men more than women

Symptoms and Treatment Pain slowly increasing around outside of elbow Pain when shaking hands or squeezing Pain worsens with stabilization/use with force of the wrist Ex. Opening a jar or using a toothbrush Treatment includes, but not limited to: PRICE Proper technique and use in sports Avoid tight grip and overuse of wrist

References http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00549 http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/groin-pull http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/hamstring- strain http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/shin-splints http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/tennis- elbow?page=2 http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/knee- pain/tc/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome-topic-overview