Sports Injuries

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Summary

Exercising is good for you, but sometimes you can injure yourself when you play sports or exercise. Accidents, poor training practices, or improper gear can cause them. Some people get hurt because they are not in shape. Not warming up or stretching enough can also lead to injuries.

The most common sports injuries are

Sprains and strains
Knee injuries
Swollen muscles
Achilles tendon injuries
Pain along the shin bone
Rotator cuff injuries
Fractures
Dislocations

If you get hurt, stop playing. Continuing to play or exercise can cause more harm. Treatment often begins with the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) method to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and speed healing. Other possible treatments include pain relievers, keeping the injured area from moving, rehabilitation, and sometimes surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

Common Sports Injuries (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Dealing with Sports Injuries (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Sports Injuries (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
What Are Sports Injuries? (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Latest News

Force, Frequency of Head Hits Jump as Young Football Players Get Older (06/27/2017, HealthDay)
Boys More Likely to Hide a Concussion Than Girls (06/09/2017, HealthDay)

Prevention and Risk Factors

Overuse Injury: How to Prevent Training Injuries (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Sports Safety: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Exercise-Induced Urticaria (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
High-Altitude Illness (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Knee Bracing: What Works? (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Venous Thromboembolism and Marathon Athletes (American Heart Association) - PDF

Specifics

Burners (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Concussion (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Concussion in Sports (American College of Sports Medicine) - PDF
Eye Injuries in Sports (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Facial Sports Injuries (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)
Foot Health Facts for Athletes (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
Golf Injuries (American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine)
Golf Injuries to the Hand, Wrist, or Elbow (American Society for Surgery of the Hand)
Golfer's Elbow (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Hamstring Injury (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Shin Splints (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Shoulder Impingement/Rotator Cuff Tendinitis (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF Also in Spanish
Shoulder Instability (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Sports Hernia (Athletic Pubalgia) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF
Sports Injuries to the Foot and Ankle (American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons)
Sprains and Strains (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Stress Fractures (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Tennis Elbow (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - PDF

Videos and Tutorials

Concussion (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

Recovery Time for Sports Concussions (National Institutes of Health)
Youth Sports Safety Statistics (National Athletic Trainers' Association) - PDF

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Athletic Injuries (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish

Children

Ana's Story: How She and Her Family Learned about Sports Injuries (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - PDF
Ear Injuries (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Leading Cause of Eye Injuries in School-Aged Children are Sports-Related (Prevent Blindness America)
Parents' and Coaches' Guide to Dehydration and Other Heat Illnesses in Children (National Athletic Trainers' Association) - PDF Also in Spanish
Preventing Musculoskeletal Sports Injuries in Youth: A Guide for Parents (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
Sever's Disease (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Treatments of Sports Injuries in the Young Athlete (North American Spine Society)
What Is a Pediatric Sports Medicine Specialist? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Ankle Sprains (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Dealing with Sports Injuries (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Heads Up to High School Sports (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Jumper's Knee (Patellar Tendonitis) (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Quadriceps Contusion (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Runner's Knee (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Sports and Concussions (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Men

Testicular Injuries (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Achilles tendon repair (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Back pain and sports (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
How to avoid exercise injuries (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Medial epicondylitis - golfer's elbow (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Returning to sports after a back injury (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish