Ankle Sprain

An ankle sprain is an injury to the tough bands of tissue

(ligaments) that surround and connect the bones of the
leg to the foot. The injury typically happens when you
accidentally twist or turn your ankle in an awkward way.
This can stretch or tear the ligaments that hold your ankle
bones and joints together.
All ligaments have a specific range of motion and
boundaries that allow them to keep the joints stabilized.
When ligaments surrounding the ankle are pushed past
these boundaries, it causes a sprain. Sprained ankles
most commonly involve injuries to the ligaments on the
outside of the ankle.
You should call your doctor right away if you sprain your ankle. Your doctor can determine the severity of
the injury and recommend a proper course of treatment. It can take several weeks or months for a sprained
ankle to heal completely.

Causes of Ankle Sprain

An ankle sprain often occurs when the foot suddenly twists or rolls, forcing the ankle joint out of its normal
position. During physical activity, the ankle may twist inward as a result of sudden or unexpected
movement. This causes one or more ligaments around the ankle to stretch or tear.
Some swelling or bruising can occur as a result of these tears. You may also feel pain or discomfort when
you place weight on the affected area. Tendons, cartilage, and blood vessels might also be damaged due
to the sprain.
Ankle sprains can happen to anyone at any age. Participating in sports, walking on uneven surfaces, or
even wearing inappropriate footwear can all cause this type of injury.

Symptoms of ankle Sprain

 swelling
 tenderness
 bruising
 pain
 inability to put weight on the affected ankle
 skin discoloration
 stiffness

Prevention of Ankle Sprain

 Stretch before and after you exercise .
 Do special exercises that strengthen the muscles around your ankle .
 Do special exercises to improve your balance .
 If you have had ankle problems before, ask your doctor about taping your ankle (Picture4) or wearing an
ankle brace.
 Groin pull
A groin pull -- or groin strain -- results from putting too much
stress on muscles in your groin and thigh. If these muscles
are tensed too forcefully or too suddenly, they can get over-
stretched or torn.
Groin pulls are common in people who play sports that require
a lot of running and jumping. In particular, suddenly jumping or
changing direction is a likely cause. Groin pulls often appear
in people who play soccer and football, and they make up
about 10% of all injuries in professional hockey players.

Causes of Groin pull

Groin strain is most common among both professional and
recreational athletes.
It’s often caused by straining the adductor muscle while kicking, so it’s more common in the athlete’s
dominant leg. It can also be caused by turning quickly while running, skating, or jumping.
Movements that require your muscle to both lengthen and contract at the same time usually cause a groin
strain. This puts stress on your muscle and can lead it to overstretch or tear.
Although sports are the most common cause, a groin strain can also occur from:
 falling
 lifting heavy objects
 other types of exercise, such as resistance training.

Symptoms of Groin pull

The main symptoms of groin strain are pain and tenderness in the area. Other symptoms include:
 bruising or swelling of the inner thigh
 pain when a person raises their knee
 pain when a person closes or opens their legs
 the groin or inner thigh may feel warmer than usual
 muscles feel weak or tight
 limping or difficulty moving the leg
Pain can range from a dull ache to sharp pain. The pain will often be worse when walking or moving the
leg. A person may also experience spasms in the inner thigh muscles.

Prevention of Groin Pull

The best way to prevent groin strain is to avoid using the adductor muscle without proper training and
preparation. Especially if you play a sport that’s likely to cause groin strain, regularly stretch and strengthen
your adductor muscles.
Continue training throughout the year if possible. If you take a break from training, work back up gradually
to your former level of activity to avoid straining muscles.
Hamstring Injury
Unfortunately, hamstring strains are both common and
painful. They strike athletes of all sorts -- including runners,
skaters, and football, soccer, and basketball players.
But what is a hamstring? It isn't actually a single ''string.'' It's a
group of three muscles that run along the back of your thigh.
They allow you to bend your leg at the knee.
During a hamstring strain, one or more of these muscles gets
overloaded. The muscles might even start to tear. You're
likely to get a hamstring strain during activities that involve a
lot of running and jumping or sudden stopping and starting.

Causes of Hamstring Injury

There are a variety of potential risk factors for hamstring injuries.
 Inadequate warming up and poor stretching
 Muscle weakness or an imbalance in the muscle strength within the hamstring muscles
 Muscle weakness or an imbalance between the hamstrings and quadriceps
 Poor footwear
 Recurrent injury when the muscle hasn't completely healed from the previous damage

Symptoms of Hamstring Injury

Other possible symptoms of a hamstring strain are:
 Sudden and severe pain during exercise, along with a snapping or popping feeling
 Pain in the back of the thigh and lower buttock when walking, straightening the leg, or bending over
 Tenderness
 Bruising

Prevention of hamstring injury

minor to moderate hamstring strains usually heal on their own. You just need to give them some time. To speed
the healing, you can:

 Rest the leg. Avoid putting weight on the leg as best you can. If the pain is severe, you may need
crutches until it goes away. Ask your doctor or physical therapist if they're needed.
 Ice your leg to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 20-30 minutes every three to four hours for two to
three days, or until the pain is gone.
 Compress your leg. Use an elastic bandage around the leg to keep down swelling.
 Elevate your leg on a pillow when you're sitting or lying down.
 Take anti-inflammatory painkillers. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) will help with pain and swelling. However,
these drugs may have side effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding and ulcers. They should be
used only short term, unless your doctor specifically says otherwise.
 Practice stretching and strengthening exercises if your doctor/physical therapist recommends
them. Strengthening your hamstrings is one way to protect against hamstring strain.
Shin Splints
Shin splints are a common exercise-related problem. The
term "shin splints" refers to pain along the inner edge of
the shinbone (tibia).
Shin splints typically develop after physical activity. They
are often associated with running. Any vigorous sports
activity can bring on shin splints, especially if you are just
starting a fitness program.
Simple measures can relieve the pain of shin splints.
Rest, ice, and stretching often help. Taking care not to
overdo your exercise routine will help prevent shin splints from coming back.

Causes of shin Splints

In general, shin splints develop when the muscle and bone tissue (periosteum) in the leg become
overworked by repetitive activity.
Shin splints often occur after sudden changes in physical activity. These can be changes in
frequency, such as increasing the number of days you exercise each week. Changes in duration and
intensity, such as running longer distances or on hills, can also cause shin splints.
Other factors that contribute to shin splints include:
 Having flat feet or abnormally rigid arches
 Exercising with improper or worn-out footwear
Runners are at highest risk for developing shin splints. Dancers and military recruits are two other
groups frequently diagnosed with the condition.

Symptoms of Shin Splints

The most common symptom of shin splints is pain along the border of the tibia. Mild swelling in the
area may also occur.
Shin splint pain may:
 Be sharp and razor-like or dull and throbbing
 Occur both during and after exercise
 Be aggravated by touching the sore spot

Prevention
Wear a proper fitting athletic shoe. To get the right fit, determine the shape of your foot using the "wet
test." Step out of the shower onto a surface that will show your footprint, like a brown paper bag. If you
have a flat foot, you will see an impression of your whole foot on the paper. If you have a high arch, you will
only see the ball and heel of your foot. When shopping, look for athletic shoes that match your particular
foot pattern.

Slowly build your fitness level. Increase the duration, intensity, and frequency of your exercise
regimen gradually.

Cross train. Alternate jogging with lower impact sports like swimming or cycling.

Barefoot running. In recent years, barefoot running has gained in popularity. Many people claim it has
helped to resolve shin splints. Some research indicates that barefoot running spreads out impact stresses
among muscles, so that no area is overloaded. However, there is no clear evidence that barefoot running
reduces the risk for any injury.
ACL Injury
An ACL injury is a tear or sprain of the anterior cruciate
(KROO-she-ate) ligament (ACL) — one of the major
ligaments in your knee. ACL injuries most commonly occur
during sports that involve sudden stops or changes in
direction, jumping and landing — such as soccer,
basketball, football and downhill skiing.
Many people hear or feel a "pop" in the knee when an ACL
injury occurs. Your knee may swell, feel unstable and
become too painful to bear weight.
Depending on the severity of your ACL injury, treatment
may include rest and rehabilitation exercises to help you
regain strength and stability or surgery to replace the torn ligament followed by rehabilitation. A proper
training program may help reduce the risk of an ACL injury.

Causes of ACL Injury

Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. The ACL, one of two ligaments that
cross in the middle of the knee, connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia) and helps stabilize
your knee joint.
ACL injuries often happen during sports and fitness activities that can put stress on the knee:
 Suddenly slowing down and changing direction (cutting)
 Pivoting with your foot firmly planted
 Landing awkwardly from a jump
 Stopping suddenly
 Receiving a direct blow to the knee or collision, such as a football tackle
When the ligament is damaged, there is usually a partial or complete tear of the tissue. A mild injury may
stretch the ligament but leave it intact.

Symptoms of ACL Injury

Signs and symptoms of an ACL injury usually include:
 A loud "pop" or a "popping" sensation in the knee
 Severe pain and inability to continue activity
 Rapid swelling
 Loss of range of motion
 A feeling of instability or "giving way" with weight bearing

Prevention
Proper training and exercise can help reduce the risk of ACL injury. A sports medicine physician, physical
therapist, athletic trainer or other specialist in sports medicine can provide assessment, instruction and
feedback that can help you reduce risks. Programs to reduce ACL injury include:
 Exercises that strengthen leg muscles, particularly hamstring exercises, to ensure an overall balance
in leg muscle strength
 Exercises to strengthen the core, including the hips, pelvis and lower abdomen
 Training and exercise emphasizing proper technique and knee position when jumping and landing
from jumps
 Training to improve technique when performing pivoting and cutting movements
Training to strengthen muscles of the legs, hips and core — as well as training to improve jumping and
landing techniques — may help to reduce the higher ACL injury risk associated with women athletes.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition
of the elbow caused by overuse. Not surprisingly, playing
tennis or other racquet sports can cause this condition.
However, several other sports and activities can also put
you at risk.
Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the tendons that join
the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow. The
forearm muscles and tendons become damaged from
overuse — repeating the same motions again and again.
This leads to pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow.
There are many treatment options for tennis elbow. In most cases, treatment involves a team
approach. Primary doctors, physical therapists, and, in some cases, surgeons work together to
provide the most effective care.

Causes of Tennis Elbow

Overuse
Recent studies show that tennis elbow is often due to damage to a specific forearm muscle. The extensor
carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscle helps stabilize the wrist when the elbow is straight. This occurs during
a tennis groundstroke, for example. When the ECRB is weakened from overuse, microscopic tears form in
the tendon where it attaches to the lateral epicondyle. This leads to inflammation and pain.
Activities
Athletes are not the only people who get tennis elbow. Many people with tennis elbow participate in work or
recreational activities that require repetitive and vigorous use of the forearm muscle.
Painters, plumbers, and carpenters are particularly prone to developing tennis elbow. Studies have shown
that auto workers, cooks, and even butchers get tennis elbow more often than the rest of the population. It
is thought that the repetition and weight lifting required in these occupations leads to injury..

Symptoms of Tennis Injury

The symptoms of tennis elbow develop gradually. In most cases, the pain begins as mild and slowly
worsens over weeks and months. There is usually no specific injury associated with the start of
symptoms.
Common signs and symptoms of tennis elbow include:
 Pain or burning on the outer part of your elbow
 Weak grip strength
The symptoms are often worsened with forearm activity, such as holding a racquet, turning a wrench,
or shaking hands. Your dominant arm is most often affected; however both arms can be affected.

Prevention
 if you have tennis elbow, stop doing the activity that is causing pain, or find an alternative way of
doing it that does not place stress on your tendons
 avoid using your wrist and elbow more than the rest of your arm. Spread the load to the larger
muscles of your shoulder and upper arm
 if you play a sport that involves repetitive movements, such as tennis or squash, getting some
coaching advice to help improve your technique may help you avoid getting tennis elbow
 before playing a sport that involves repetitive arm movements, warm up properly and
gently stretch your arm muscles to help avoid injury
  use lightweight tools or racquets and enlarge their grip size to help you avoid putting excess strain
on your tendons

Hip Flexors Strain

The hip flexors are muscles found on the

upper-front side of your thigh. The main
functions of the hip flexor muscles are to
lift the knee toward your trunk, as well as
assist moving your leg toward and away
from the other leg. Hip flexors can be
weak in individuals who sit a great deal at
work or can become weak and stiff in
individuals who have poor sitting posture. Sports injuries to this muscle
group can be caused by sprinting, running inclines and activities with
quick turns and sudden starts.

Causes of Hip Flexors

Your muscles can get strained from overuse. You may be more likely to
have hip flexor strain if you are a cyclist, an athlete who jumps or runs
with high knee kicks, or an athlete who does forceful kicking activities,
like in soccer or the martial arts.

Symptoms
You have pain in the place where your thigh meets your hip.

Prevention
Warm-up exercises and stretching before activities can help prevent
injuries. If your hip or thigh hurts after exercise, putting ice on it may
help keep it from getting injured. When you ride a bicycle, make sure
the seat is at the right height for you.