What Is The Number One Sports Injury

sports medicine Manhattan

Sports Medicine Manhattan

Are you suffering from a sports injury? Are you searching for sports medicine in Manhattan? New York Sports Medicine can help! New York Sports Medicine services include orthopedic sports medicine and concussion care. Orthopedic surgeons Doctor Roth and Doctor Delaney provide quality, compassionate care and treatment for all patients. Dr. Roth and Dr. Dedlaney have experience with all types of sports injuries. They enjoy helping athletes recover and get back to doing what they love. Continue reading below to learn more about sports injuries.

What is the number one sports injury?

The number one sports injury is a knee injury. About 55% of sports injuries occur in the knee. A knee occurs when your knee cap grinds against your leg bone. This results in damage to the kneecap tissue and causes pain. If knee injuries go untreated, they can drastically impact your ability to do what you love. 

What are the most common sports injuries?

In addition to knee injuries, there are several other very common sports injuries. Six other common sports injuries are ACL Tear, tennis or golf elbow, shin splints, groin pull, sciatica, and hamstring strain. 

Your ACL is responsible for connecting your thig to your shinbone at your knee. Any sudden movements like stopping or changing directions or landing with a hard impact can strain or tear your ACL.

Tennis or elbow is when the tendons in your elbow degenerate due to repeated motions like a backhand in tennis. The golf elbow is caused by the inflammation of your epicondyle, which affects the inside of your elbow.

Shin splints are characterized by shooting pain down the front of your leg. This injury is commonly seen in runners and is sometimes the result of a stress fracture in your bone.

A groin pull deals with the muscles in your inner thigh or groin that are used to help pull your legs together. It typically occurs when you change directions suddenly.

Sciatica refers to the pain on your sciatic nerve path, which is from your lower back through your hips and butt and down your leg. This is typically caused by improper stretching and typically only affects one side of your body.

Hamstring strain commonly occurs when you overuse or overstretch your muscles. It can be easily avoided by not overworking your body. Because of the location of the injury, it can take a very long time to heal.

The five common causes of sports injuries 

There are many causes of sports injuries, but there are 5 in particular that are the leading causes of sports injury. The five most common causes are overuse, too much too soon, improper rehabilitation, imbalance training sessions, and ignorance. Overuse can be due to a lack of rest which results in there not being enough time for the muscles to recover and heal. Too much too soon happens when an athlete gets injured, and upon healing, they try to jump right back into their pre-injury performance level. You should never do that, and you should always start slow. Improper rehabilitation applies to those who have been injured previously but did not undergo proper reconditioning. Athletes who don’t train to balance out their physique and only focus on specific muscle groups cause muscle imbalances and deformity, which then subjects them to injury. Lastly, ignorance gets athletes injured. If you are experiencing pain or sustained an injury and have the “ill just walk it off” mentality, you will only cause more damage and worsen the injury. No sports injury should ever go untreated, and you should contact a doctor as soon as the injury occurs. If you are injured, you should seek treatment immediately to ensure you make a full recovery and can get back to doing what you love. 

How to prevent sports injuries

  • Maintain flexibility
  • Strengthen your core
  • Use proper technique
  • Take time to rest
  • Ensure proper healing of a previous injury

Contact New York Sports Medicine: Sports Medicine Manhattan

If you are suffering from a sports injury and are searching for sports medicine in Manhattan, contact New York Sports Medicine today! Fill out the form online to schedule an appointment with one of their five locations across New York and New Jersey. 

NYSMI