Common Sports Injuries or Problems

Achilles tendinitis

This is an inflation of the achilles tendon area usually caused by overuse or aggrevation. Often, sports people will sustain this injury from having too rigid a shoe or from continously running uphill.

Symptoms include difficulty walking after rest and pain in the heel that may decrease whilst running but worsen afterwards.

The best treatment consists of absolute rest with constant ice massaging and stretching.

Achilles strain

Achilles strain is generally due to minor tearing of a tight achilles tendon, usually bought on by little or lack of stretching. Often, this may occur in those who have high arch feet and forgoe stretching before undertaking sports activities at a high intensity.

High arched feet are best combatted mid-foot support, otherwise, stretching is the most adviseable prevention technique.

Painful Heel

One will feel soreness at the point of intersection between the achilles tendon and the heel bone and is once again usually bought on by a high arch foot or bursa between the tendon and bone becoming chronically inflamed.

Rest and ice are best practise for heeling however surgical work may be needed to remove the bursa.

Problems occuring in the spine from sport

• Major Fractures May be very serious due to involvement of the spinal cord

• Minor Fractures small factures of the spinous process where the attached muscles are painful but do no pose great long-term threat

• Disc Injuries Disc injuries invlove detachment, bursting or tearing of the intervertebal disc. The biggest problem with these injuries is pressure from the moved disc tissue on to the spinal cord with may give sensory disturbance.