Minor Sports Injuries

• Sprains: These injuries affect ligaments, which are tissues that connect bones. Symptoms typically include pain, swelling, bruising, and limited flexibility and range of motion in the affected joint. Severe sprains can cause instability and difficulty using the affected joint.
• Strains: These involve tendons or muscles and can cause pain, muscle spasm, muscle weakness, swelling, inflammation, and limited ability to move the affected muscle.

Tendonitis is the inflammation or irritation of a tendon and is usually caused by repetitive, minor impact on the affected area, or from a sudden more serious injury. Common symptoms include:

• Pain and tenderness just outside a joint
• Swelling
• Pain that worsens with movement
• A feeling of warmth in the affected area

Commonly affecting runners and those involved in vigorous physical activities, shin splints cause discomfort along the shin bone (tibia). Symptoms include:

• Sharp, razor-like or dull and throbbing pain along the inner part of the shinbone
• Pain that develops during exercise
• Mild swelling in the lower leg (at times)
• Pain along the inner side of the shinbone, which may be relieved with rest

This term commonly describes several conditions that cause pain around the front of the knee. Symptoms include:

• Pain behind or around the kneecap, particularly where the thighbone and the kneecap meet
• Pain when you bend the knee — when walking, squatting, kneeling, running, or even sitting
• Swelling
• Popping or grinding sensations in the knee

This involves inflammation of the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes. Symptoms include:

• Sharp heel pain, particularly with the first steps in the morning or after long periods of sitting/lying down
• Pain that worsens after exercise but not necessarily during it
• Swelling and tenderness in the foot’s arch

These are broad symptoms that can arise from a variety of underlying issues, including muscular strain, ligament sprain, and misalignment of the spine. Common symptoms include:

• Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along the spine, from the base of the neck to the hips
• A sharp, localised pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back, especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity
• Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods
• Muscle spasms and tightness in the lower back, pelvis, and hips
• Pain or numbness that radiates to the arms, legs, or around the rib cage from back to front