Sports injuries

Need to know

• What are common sports injuries and their symptoms? icon plus

  The most common type of sports injuries occur in the ankle, foot, wrist, thumb, knee, leg or back. They can be a sprain, strain or splint. 

  • A sprain: when a ligament is twisted, stretched or torn.
  • A strain: when muscle fibres are torn (or pulled).
  • A splint (such as shin splint): when the tissue around the bone is inflamed.

  The most common symptoms of sports injuries

  • Pain, tenderness, swelling and bruising of an area that occurs immediately while playing sport or exercising.
  • Restricted movement or stiffness in the area that is affected In some cases symptoms may only occur several hours after you have played sports or exercised.

• Screening and diagnosis icon plus

  If you have severe pain or injury, you should visit your nearest Emergency department straight away.
  
  If your symptoms are minor, you may be able to manage them yourself with pain relief, by resting the affected area and by applying an ice pack. If they don't improve in time, contact your GP or consultant for advice.
  
  Sports injuries can be diagnosed in several ways. Your GP or consultant will discuss your symptoms with you. Tests they recommend may include:

  • physical examination of the affected area to check for pain, swelling or restricted movement
  • X-ray to check for torn tendons and ligaments

• Potential treatment options icon plus

  Treatment options for sports injuries depend on the type of injury you have and your overall health and fitness. These may include:

  • physiotherapy to improve your range of movement, rebuild strength and regain flexibility
  • steroid injections to relieve pain and inflammation
  • surgery to repair torn ligaments such as knee ligament surgery