Food & Heel Pain
Injuries to the foot can be acute (sudden onset) or chronic which come on gradually often through overuse. We have categorized foot pain injury heel pain, midfoot pain, forefoot pain including pain under the ball of the foot, toe injuries and skin conditions such as athletes foot and blisters. If you have suffered a recent foot injury then you should apply immediate first aid for foot paint. We also explain under which circumstances you should see a doctor.
Ankle Pain & Achilles Pain
If you are not sure what your injury is then why not tray our sports injury symptom checker (/symptom-checker) ? Or select from the options below. Ankle injuries are classified as sudden onset (acute ankle injuries) or gradual onset injuries, often referred to as chronic injuries. The most common ankle injury is a sprained ankle. However, there may be other complications that arise from ankle sprains which are not initially diagnosed. If you are unsure of have any of these symptoms then you should seek medical advice.
Shin & Calf Pain
Shin pain usually occurs gradual and affects the inside lower part of the shin but can also affect the outside of the shin. Calf pain can be sudden onset or acute such as in a calf strain or it can develop gradually through overuse.
Knee Pain
Sudden onset or acute knee injuries are usually the result of twisting or a hard impact and will likely involve ligament, tendon or cartilage joint injury. Read our advice on immediate first aid as well as when you should see a doctor. Pain which comes on gradually can affect the front (anterior), back (posterior), inside (medial) or outside of the knee (lateral knee pain).
Thigh Pain
Thigh pain can occur at the back of the thigh as in a hamstring strain or at the front with a quadriceps muscle strain. Most thigh injuries are sudden onset but can also be clinic injuries and occur gradually, especially if an acute injury has not been treated correctly or healed properly.
Buttock, Hip & Groin Pain
Buttock hip and groin pain is often connected or might be pain referred from another area such as the lower back. The hip and groin area is one of the most challenging areas of the body to treat by sports injury specialists. The reason for this is that there are a large number of possible structured that can be injured and cause pain in this area and also because most of the structures are very deep within the groin area (including the hip joint).
Head & Face Injuries
If you have sustained any kind of head injury it is always advisable to seek medical attention. A direct blow to the head can be a minor injury right through to something more serious or even death.
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder injuries can be either acute or chronic depending on when they are diagnosed and how long the pain / disability has been felt for. If you are not sure what your injury is why not check out our symptom checker (/symptom-checker) ! Or use the links below to view specific shoulder injuries. An acute shoulder injury occurs suddenly either through direct impact, over stretching a muscle, tendon or ligament, overusing a muscle or tendon or twisting of the shoulder joint. The top five most common categories of shoulder injury are listed below.
Arm & Elbow Pain
Arm and elbow pain covers pain on the outside of the elbow (lateral elbow pain), inside elbow pain (medical elbow pain), pain at the back of the elbow, upper arm pain and forearm pain.
Wrist & Hand Injuries
The most common wrist and hand injuries are wrist sprains and fractures (broken wrist or broken finger). Sudden onset injuries are called acute injuries and are usually caused by a fall onto the hand with an outstretched arm or a forced twisting movement. If a broken bone (fracture) is suspected, then always seek medical advice immediately. Gradual onset injuries or chronic injuries occur over a period of time and often cannot be traced back to a single incident or cause.
Lower Back Pain
Back pain can be particularly difficult to diagnose due to the complexity and the number of structures and tissues in the lower back that can cause pain. The most common causes are slipped discs and this can sometimes cause leg pain called Sciatica (/sport-injuries/low-back-pain/sciatica). In addition, scoliosis, spinal canal stenosis, spondylitis, spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, transverse process fracture, facet joint pain and more.
Abdominal & Chest Pain
Chest pain in the athlete can be anything from indigestion to a heart attack so if you are at all unsure seek medical advice. Moderate to severe chest injuries should always be assessed by a doctor to ensure the ribs, lungs or other internal organs including the heart have not been affected or damaged. However, in view of the possible consequences from any chest or abdominal injury, if in doubt, always consult a doctor.
Upper Back & Neck Pain
Upper back and neck injuries are relatively rare in sport and more often occur from activities of daily living, such as waking up with a wry neck (torticollis). Neck injuries that are sustained in sport must be taken very seriously, especially if they are associated with symptoms of concussion or referred pain into the shoulders and arms.
General Conditions
This section covers general medical conditions that do not fit into specific areas of the body.
Sports Specific Injuries
Tennis Injuries
Here we look at some of the most common injuries in the game of Tennis, as well as what you can do to try to prevent tennis injuries. Tennis injuries are often in the upper body, especially due to the forces required to hit the ball over and over again, especially on shots like serves and smashes ! Rotator cuff injuries are common, as are wrist and elbow injuries.
Skiing Injuries
Although skiing has a reputation as a dangerous sport, research has shown that general skiing injury rates have reduced by 50% over the last fifteen years. Even so, it is almost as common for a skier to talk about their most recent injury as it is a road runner !
Rugby Injuries
Rugby is well known for a high injury rate and this is mostly due to the physicality and contact nature of the sport, coupled with a lack or protective equipment ! In most cases, the only protection a rugby player wears is shin pads and a gum shield, although shoulder padding and padded scrum caps are also available and permitted.
Ice Hockey Injuries
Ice hockey is a dangerous sport due to the high speeds, slippery surface, sharp blades and a solid puck traveling at up to 100 miles at hour ! However, players do wear extensive protective gear, including helmets.
Football (Soccer) Injuries
Soccer injuries occur predominantly in the legs, although occasionally injuries to the upper body do occur, often through falls or impacts. Soccer injuries may be either acute – where there is one incident that clearly causes the injury, or chronic – where an injury develops gradually.
Field Hockey Injuries
Field hockey injuries are similar to other field sports such as soccer due to the sudden bursts of speed and changes of direction.
Cycling Injuries
Cycling injuries are either overuse injuries which develop gradually over time because of repeated movement patterns or pressures, or acute, traumatic injuries due to a fall ! These are extremely variable and so not really covered here.
Cricket Injuries
Cricket injuries are either acute injuries which occur suddenly such as a torn muscle, or an impact from the ball. Or they can be chronic injuries which occur gradually through overuse.
Netball Injuries
Netball injuries can be a mix of both upper and lower limb injuries, as well as acute, impact injuries and gradual, overuse injuries.
Basketball Injuries
Basketball injuries are some of the most varied sports injuries ! They commonly range from the finger tip to the toe and everything in between !
Baseball Injuries
Baseball injuries tend to usually occur in the shoulder and elbow, due to the high forces involved. This is especially true in pitchers, but other positions, as well as batters may also suffer with this kind of injury.
Football Injuries
American Football is an intensive contact sport where serious injuries are not uncommon. However, it is also one of the best protected, due to the amount of body armour and protective headgear the players wear as a mandatory standard.
Athletics Injuries
Sprinting injuries
Muscles strains are common in sprints events, particularly hamstring strain groin strains and calf strains. Sprinters are always pushing the limits of speed and often training as close to the fine line of injury as possible. Injury risk can be mitigated by proper warm up which includes dynamic stretching and strength and conditioning.
Badminton Injuries
Badminton injuries are usually overuse injuries which develop from repeated overhead movements. Injuries to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, knees and ankle are common.
Running Injuries
Running injuries are usually overuse injuries of the foot, lower leg, knee and hip.
Injuries to the foot can be acute (sudden onset) or chronic which come on gradually often through overuse. We have categorized foot pain injury heel pain, midfoot pain, forefoot pain including pain under the ball of the foot, toe injuries and skin conditions such as athletes foot and blisters. If you have suffered a recent foot injury then you should apply immediate first aid for foot paint. We also explain under which circumstances you should see a doctor.
Ankle Pain & Achilles Pain
If you are not sure what your injury is then why not tray our sports injury symptom checker (/symptom-checker) ? Or select from the options below. Ankle injuries are classified as sudden onset (acute ankle injuries) or gradual onset injuries, often referred to as chronic injuries. The most common ankle injury is a sprained ankle. However, there may be other complications that arise from ankle sprains which are not initially diagnosed. If you are unsure of have any of these symptoms then you should seek medical advice.
Shin & Calf Pain
Shin pain usually occurs gradual and affects the inside lower part of the shin but can also affect the outside of the shin. Calf pain can be sudden onset or acute such as in a calf strain or it can develop gradually through overuse.
Knee Pain
Sudden onset or acute knee injuries are usually the result of twisting or a hard impact and will likely involve ligament, tendon or cartilage joint injury. Read our advice on immediate first aid as well as when you should see a doctor. Pain which comes on gradually can affect the front (anterior), back (posterior), inside (medial) or outside of the knee (lateral knee pain).
Thigh Pain
Thigh pain can occur at the back of the thigh as in a hamstring strain or at the front with a quadriceps muscle strain. Most thigh injuries are sudden onset but can also be clinic injuries and occur gradually, especially if an acute injury has not been treated correctly or healed properly.
Buttock, Hip & Groin Pain
Buttock hip and groin pain is often connected or might be pain referred from another area such as the lower back. The hip and groin area is one of the most challenging areas of the body to treat by sports injury specialists. The reason for this is that there are a large number of possible structured that can be injured and cause pain in this area and also because most of the structures are very deep within the groin area (including the hip joint).
Head & Face Injuries
If you have sustained any kind of head injury it is always advisable to seek medical attention. A direct blow to the head can be a minor injury right through to something more serious or even death.
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder injuries can be either acute or chronic depending on when they are diagnosed and how long the pain / disability has been felt for. If you are not sure what your injury is why not check out our symptom checker (/symptom-checker) ! Or use the links below to view specific shoulder injuries. An acute shoulder injury occurs suddenly either through direct impact, over stretching a muscle, tendon or ligament, overusing a muscle or tendon or twisting of the shoulder joint. The top five most common categories of shoulder injury are listed below.
Arm & Elbow Pain
Arm and elbow pain covers pain on the outside of the elbow (lateral elbow pain), inside elbow pain (medical elbow pain), pain at the back of the elbow, upper arm pain and forearm pain.
Wrist & Hand Injuries
The most common wrist and hand injuries are wrist sprains and fractures (broken wrist or broken finger). Sudden onset injuries are called acute injuries and are usually caused by a fall onto the hand with an outstretched arm or a forced twisting movement. If a broken bone (fracture) is suspected, then always seek medical advice immediately. Gradual onset injuries or chronic injuries occur over a period of time and often cannot be traced back to a single incident or cause.
Lower Back Pain
Back pain can be particularly difficult to diagnose due to the complexity and the number of structures and tissues in the lower back that can cause pain. The most common causes are slipped discs and this can sometimes cause leg pain called Sciatica (/sport-injuries/low-back-pain/sciatica). In addition, scoliosis, spinal canal stenosis, spondylitis, spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, transverse process fracture, facet joint pain and more.
Abdominal & Chest Pain
Chest pain in the athlete can be anything from indigestion to a heart attack so if you are at all unsure seek medical advice. Moderate to severe chest injuries should always be assessed by a doctor to ensure the ribs, lungs or other internal organs including the heart have not been affected or damaged. However, in view of the possible consequences from any chest or abdominal injury, if in doubt, always consult a doctor.
Upper Back & Neck Pain
Upper back and neck injuries are relatively rare in sport and more often occur from activities of daily living, such as waking up with a wry neck (torticollis). Neck injuries that are sustained in sport must be taken very seriously, especially if they are associated with symptoms of concussion or referred pain into the shoulders and arms.
General Conditions
This section covers general medical conditions that do not fit into specific areas of the body.
Sports Specific Injuries
Tennis Injuries
Here we look at some of the most common injuries in the game of Tennis, as well as what you can do to try to prevent tennis injuries. Tennis injuries are often in the upper body, especially due to the forces required to hit the ball over and over again, especially on shots like serves and smashes ! Rotator cuff injuries are common, as are wrist and elbow injuries.
Skiing Injuries
Although skiing has a reputation as a dangerous sport, research has shown that general skiing injury rates have reduced by 50% over the last fifteen years. Even so, it is almost as common for a skier to talk about their most recent injury as it is a road runner !
Rugby Injuries
Rugby is well known for a high injury rate and this is mostly due to the physicality and contact nature of the sport, coupled with a lack or protective equipment ! In most cases, the only protection a rugby player wears is shin pads and a gum shield, although shoulder padding and padded scrum caps are also available and permitted.
Ice Hockey Injuries
Ice hockey is a dangerous sport due to the high speeds, slippery surface, sharp blades and a solid puck traveling at up to 100 miles at hour ! However, players do wear extensive protective gear, including helmets.
Football (Soccer) Injuries
Soccer injuries occur predominantly in the legs, although occasionally injuries to the upper body do occur, often through falls or impacts. Soccer injuries may be either acute – where there is one incident that clearly causes the injury, or chronic – where an injury develops gradually.
Field Hockey Injuries
Field hockey injuries are similar to other field sports such as soccer due to the sudden bursts of speed and changes of direction.
Cycling Injuries
Cycling injuries are either overuse injuries which develop gradually over time because of repeated movement patterns or pressures, or acute, traumatic injuries due to a fall ! These are extremely variable and so not really covered here.
Cricket Injuries
Cricket injuries are either acute injuries which occur suddenly such as a torn muscle, or an impact from the ball. Or they can be chronic injuries which occur gradually through overuse.
Netball Injuries
Netball injuries can be a mix of both upper and lower limb injuries, as well as acute, impact injuries and gradual, overuse injuries.
Basketball Injuries
Basketball injuries are some of the most varied sports injuries ! They commonly range from the finger tip to the toe and everything in between !
Baseball Injuries
Baseball injuries tend to usually occur in the shoulder and elbow, due to the high forces involved. This is especially true in pitchers, but other positions, as well as batters may also suffer with this kind of injury.
Football Injuries
American Football is an intensive contact sport where serious injuries are not uncommon. However, it is also one of the best protected, due to the amount of body armour and protective headgear the players wear as a mandatory standard.
Athletics Injuries
Sprinting injuries
Muscles strains are common in sprints events, particularly hamstring strain groin strains and calf strains. Sprinters are always pushing the limits of speed and often training as close to the fine line of injury as possible. Injury risk can be mitigated by proper warm up which includes dynamic stretching and strength and conditioning.
Badminton Injuries
Badminton injuries are usually overuse injuries which develop from repeated overhead movements. Injuries to the shoulder, elbow, wrist, knees and ankle are common.
Running Injuries
Running injuries are usually overuse injuries of the foot, lower leg, knee and hip.
