Common Lacrosse Injuries
Lacrosse is a contact sport that creates a risk for many injuries to occur. Fast running, hitting into each other, throwing, catching, and blocking for both men and women’s lacrosse gives an opportunity for ankle, wrist and many other types of injury to occur to the body. Our Orthopedist in Tenafly, NJ, New York Sports Medicine Institute offers a variety of treatments to help you with your injury. Offering treatments for many parts of the body such as the shoulder, knee, wrist, foot, ankles, and more, New York Sports Medicine Institute is here to help you with your sports injuries. Our orthopedist in Tenafly, NJ also provides concussion care to help you to a full recovery. Lacrosse injuries can vary in severity so it is very important to see a doctor to make sure your injury heals correctly and fully or it may worsen over time.
Common Lacrosse Injuries
- Sprains and Strains– Sprains and strains can occur mainly in the ankles but can also happen in the wrists. In lacrosse, these injuries can occur from running fast and cutting which can create a twist of an ankle resulting in a sprained ankle or worse, a torn ligament. Depending on the severity of the injury there are many treatments that can be done at home, such as rest, ice, and over-the-counter pain relief medicine, or more severe injuries that can be treated by a doctor.
- Concussions– Concussions are injuries to the brain caused by a hit or fall. Concussions range in severity and it is very important to see a doctor if you hit your head hard and are experiencing symptoms of a concussion. Concussions are a common injury in lacrosse due to body, stick, or ball contact injuring the head. Concussions are more prevalent in girls lacrosse since they do not wear helmets a blow to the head is more likely to cause an injury than in boys lacrosse where they require helmets to be worn while playing.
- Fractures of the Hand or Wrist– Stick checks, when a player hits another player’s stick with their stick, can accidentally hit someone’s hand or wrist instead of causing a painful fracture. In boys lacrosse, they can wear gloves which is very beneficial for protecting the wrists however in girls lacrosse they do not wear gloves which creates much risk for this injury.
- Knee Injuries– ACL tears, Anterior Cruciate Ligament tears, are very common in lacrosse. This injury can occur from a fast twist of the knee the wrong way which can happen when players are running and have a rapid change of direction. ACL tears require medical attention and often surgery so it is important to see a doctor.
- Hip Strains– Hip strains occur when muscles attached to the hip joint are stretched and even sometimes tear causing pain around the hip. Hip strains can be caused by falling a certain way, a blow to the hip, stretching the hip too far, or being overused.
To learn more and for more information on common lacrosse, injuries click here or contact our orthopedist in Tenafly, NJ for an appointment!
Contact Our Orthopedist in Tenafly, NJ
There are many injuries that can occur while playing lacrosse. Most commonly they involve falling or twisting an ankle or wrist the wrong way but a variety of injuries can occur at all different severity levels. For some injuries, such as a minor sprain, at-home care such as rest and ice can treat the injury to full recovery but other injuries such as a concussion or ACL tear are much more serious and require a doctor for treatment. Overusing muscles, ligaments and the body can cause many injuries over time without a direct incident causing the injury, so it is important to make sure your body is getting rest and you are not overworking any muscles.
Some ways to prevent injury during the lacrosse season are to stay in shape, healthy eating, giving your body rest days, effective preseason conditioning, and making sure you are wearing good gear that fits correctly for protection. Our orthopedist in Tenafly, NJ, New York Sports Medicine Institute offers treatments for many lacrosse and other sports-related injuries that occur. Contact us for help and make an appointment today!