Causes of Sports injuries

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Injuries are most commonly caused by misuse of equipment, inadequate safety precautions, and insufficient warm-up exercises before taking part in sports.

Professional and competitive athletes are particularly at risk of injuries due to the intense nature of their training and the overuse of specific muscles.

Children are also more at risk of injury because they are still physically developing. The female shape changes significantly during puberty, the hips widen causing pressure on different parts of the legs and feet. Bones that are still growing during adolescence are vulnerable to traction injuries.

The repetitive and aggressive movements used in many sports can result in different types of injuries to different parts of the body, for example:

Athletics injuries

Runners are at risk of various muscle strains, particularly to the legs, lower back and lower half of the body. Ankle and ligament damage is also common, as well as Achilles tendon rupture and calf tendon tears. Long-term and professional runners are also at risk from overuse injuries such as Severâ€™s disease, Osgood Schlatterâ€™s disease and stress fractures.

The sudden movement and intense power required by throwers can lead to injuries to the upper body limbs, usually the shoulder, elbows and wrists.

Jumping events can lead to stress injuries to the lower limbs and spine. Professional or competitive athletes who participate in jumping events are at risk of overuse injuries to the tendons and ligaments of the knees and Achilles.

Cricket injuries:

Head injuries are most common in cricket, due to fast bowling techniques, particularly in professional and competitive cricket. Bowlers are at greater risk of back and spine injuries including muscle strains and stress fractures. Knee ligament and cartilage damage is also a possibility.

Football injuries:

As football is increasingly becoming a contact sport, fractures, cuts and bruises are common injuries. Other injuries include boot stud injuries, damage to knee cartilage through repeated twisted action, and ankle sprains.

Gymnastics injuries:

Gymnasts can develop serious injuries if training is not properly supervised and safety equipment not used. Because the body is often contorted into new shapes, training is a particularly associated with picking up injuries.

Spinal injuries are the biggest risk to gymnasts. High impact landings from substantial heights can cause spinal injuries, as can repeated hypertension (back bends). This can lead to serious conditions such as spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, which need surgical treatment.

Racquet sports injuries:

Racquet sports include badminton, tennis and squash. Injuries during racquet sports are often caused by players falling onto hard surfaces, and include cuts, bruising and fractures. Eye injuries are a specific risk, especially from racquet sports where the ball travels at high speed such as squash. Lower and upper body muscle strains are a risk, particularly for professional or competitive players.