Common Injuries
There are a large variety of musculoskeletal injuries and physiotherapy plays an integral part in the management of these injuries. The aim of physiotherapy is to treat and rehabilitate you after an injury or operation and enables you to return to your regular level of function in the shortest possible time and to prevent further injury and loss of fitness.
In This Section
ACHILLES TENDON INJURIES
Achilles tendinopathy is a common injury that may affect runners, or people with flat feet or those with high arches or tight calf muscles as well as those who wear runners that are not an appropriate fit for them.
ANKLE SPRAINS
It is important to get a professional diagnosis with every ankle sprain no matter how mild, since there may be damage to tendons, bones and other joint tissues in addition to ligament damage.
ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT (ACL) INJURIES
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four main ligaments in the knee. It binds the back of the thigh bone (femur) to the front of the shin bone (tibia).
BACK PAIN
Most people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is common among athletes who strain their back muscles or it may be the result of spinal injuries such as fractures or sprains.
CALF STRAINS
The calf muscle is made up of the gastrocnemius muscle which is the large muscle at the back of the lower leg and the soleus, a smaller one located just below the gastrocnemius.
COMPARTMENT SYNDROME
Compartment syndrome is a condition caused by swelling within the space or “compartment” that contains muscles, nerves, blood vessels and bones.
DISC PROLAPSE
The spinal column is made up of a number of bones called vertebrae. Between these vertebrae are discs which prevent the bones from rubbing against each other during movement and act as shock absorbers during impact.
FOOT INJURIES
Overuse, overtraining, weak muscles and tendons, trauma, poor technique and incorrect footwear can all lead to foot injuries. In this article we will look at some of the most common foot injuries and how physiotherapy can help.
FRACTURED CLAVICLE
Fracture of the clavicle is one of the most common fractures seen in sport and is either caused by a fall where the person lands on the side or point of the shoulder or by a direct blow to the clavicle with another player or piece of sporting…
FRACTURED RIBS
Fractures usually occur from direct blows or from indirect crushing injuries. Rib fractures can be painful and may lead to severe injury inside the abdomen and chest.
GROIN INJURIES
Groin injuries most commonly involve the adductor muscles that go from the pelvis to the knee and help to bring the leg in toward the body.
HAMSTRING STRAIN
A hamstring strain, sometimes called a pulled hamstring, is very common in sports that involve sprinting such as football, rugby and hockey and it most often occurs at the junction of the muscle and its tendon.
HAND AND WRIST INJURIES
The hand and wrist are made up of an intricate assortment of bones, ligaments, tendons and nerves.
ILIOTIBIAL BAND FRICTION SYNDROME
The Iliotibial (IT) band is the thick sheath of connective tissue that runs from the pelvis to along the outside of the thigh and attaches to the top of the shinbone(tibia).
KNEE INJURIES
The knee joint is a complex structure of bones, ligaments, muscles, cartilage and the joint capsule.
ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURIES
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the four main ligaments in the knee. It binds the back of the thigh bone (femur) to the front of the shin bone (tibia).way”.
LUMBAR SPINE SPRAINS AND STRAINS
The lumbar spine (lower back) withstands the greatest amount of strain during movement and because the ligaments of the lumbar spine are inherently weak, injury is always a possibility.
METATARSALGIA
Athletes who run and jump a lot may be susceptible to metatarsalgia, a type of foot injury that manifests itself in pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot.
MUSCULAR INJURIES
In athletes and sports enthusiasts, muscular injuries may stem from a variety of reasons like direct blow or trauma, sudden forceful contraction or stretch and overuse.
OVER TRAINING INJURIES
Many athletes make the mistake of thinking that more is better, but this is not always the case.
PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Plantar fasciitis is experienced by walkers and those who are on their feet a lot. Women, the obese, those who overpronate or have very high arches, and the elderly may also experience this type of foot pain.
QUADRICEPS INJURIES
The quadriceps are the four large muscles at the front of the upper leg that help to stabilise the knee and hip and allow movement.
RUNNERS KNEE ILIOTIBIAL BAND FRICTION SYNDROME
Runner’s knee or iliotibial band (ITB) syndrome is the name given to a condition that causes pain on the outside of the knee in the area of the lateral epicondyle – bony prominence on the outside of the knee.
SHIN PAIN
Causes of shin pain include compartment syndrome, which we look at under its own heading, nerve entrapment, vascular insufficiency, inflammation and bone stress.
SHOULDER INJURIES
Shoulder injuries are common among athletes such as baseball players, golfers, cricketers who overuse their arm in their sporting activities.
SNAPPING HIP INJURY
Snapping hip injury, sometimes called dancer’s hip, is a condition in which the person feels a snapping sensation around the hip region when the hip is flexed or extended.
SOFT TISSUE INJURY
Soft tissue injury may occur in the muscle as in a contusion or strain, in the tendons as in a strain or tendinopathy, in fascia connective tissue as in a fasciitis or in the ligaments as in a sprain or in the joint bursae as in a bursitis.
SPINAL CORD INJURY
Rehabilitation of someone with a spinal cord injury is intensive and can last a lifetime. Physiotherapy plays a vital role in helping the spinal cord patient live a fairly functional existence.
SPORTS HERNIA
Sports hernia, also known as an inguinal hernia or Gilmore’s groin, is named after Jerry Gilmore who first recognised the condition in 1980 and developed a surgical repair technique for it.
SPRAINS AND STRAINS
Sprain is the term for tearing of a ligament or joint capsule. Strain is the term used when a muscle is damaged or torn.
TENNIS ELBOW AND GOLFER’S ELBOW
Golfer’s elbow is a condition that affects the flex or muscles of wrist and causes pain and inflammation to their tendons that is mostly felt along the inside of the forearm and up towards the inside of the elbow.
THORACIC INJURIES
Thoracic pain or evidence of thoracic injury should not be ignored as the thoracic or chest cavity contains important respiratory organs which can be easily compromised.