Top Tips for Avoiding Common Sports Injuries – Expert Advice

It is something that everyone fears – beginners worry that they may get an injury that puts their newfound routine and motivation on hold, while those who are seasoned athletes worry that they will get an injury that will mean they are out of the game for too long! It is no secret that exercise and injuries go hand in hand, you cannot eliminate all risk and accidents do occur.

Regular exercise is good for everyone, but there is always a chance that you will need to turn to our sports injury clinic in Aberdeen for help at some point in your health and fitness journey. We are going to look at some of the common sports injuries and what you can do to prevent them. With a little bit of knowledge and planning you can stay safe and avoid injury during exercise!

Common injuries and how you can prevent them

As one of the top sports rehab clinics in Aberdeen, we have seen nearly every injury imaginable! Most of these could have been prevented with the correct form, planning, and understanding of the sport or exercise. Whilst we would love to see you, we want to make sure that you know as much as possible to avoid a visit to our sports injury clinic in Aberdeen. Here are some of the most common sports injuries that we see:

Achilles’ tear / tendonitis

Achilles’ tendonitis typically occurs among runners or those who participate in sports that include running and jumping. The Achilles Tendon at the back of your ankle will become inflamed and painful due to overuse, and in the worst-case scenarios it can even tear. If this is left untreated then it can become almost impossible to run and you can end up doing some serious damage. In order to prevent this, it is important to speak to your sports therapist in Aberdeen to create a good strengthening and flexibility programme. You need to make sure that you have good, strong hip and calf muscles to indirectly strengthen your Achilles tendon so it becomes more flexible.

Shin Splints

You will feel shin splints almost instantly as a sharp pain on the inside of your shin, usually when you begin a new sport or up the intensity of your workouts. All it is the inflammation of the muscles that surround your shin, and it is one that is easy to avoid. Your sports injury therapist in Aberdeen will be able to give you the correct stretches to use before and after a workout to ensure that you avoid shin splints. Wearing proper and supportive footwear will also help immensely when working out. Whilst these are easy to avoid, they can be very painful if you do end up getting them!

Tennis Elbow

Epicondylitis is often known by its two most common forms – tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. We see a lot of people at our sports injury clinic in Aberdeen suffering from tennis elbow, and it’s not always due to tennis! Tennis (or golfer’s) elbow is typically due to overuse and repetitive use of the muscles and tendons in your elbow and arm, and usually feels like a dull ache that you can’t seem to get rid of. Your sports injury therapist in Aberdeen will help to heal tennis elbow by using a range of massage and stretching techniques that you can take away to help prevent future reinjury.

Sprains and strains

One of the most common injuries that we see here at our sports rehab clinic in Aberdeen is sprains and strains. This can range from sprained ankles to strained groin muscles and can be extremely painful if they are left untreated. You can get sprains and strains from any sports or exercise that include running, jumping, and using your shoulders (for example weight training). The good news is that sprains and strains can be easily avoided, and you can work with your sports therapist in Aberdeen to strengthen your muscles and by having a good flexibility programme to ensure that your muscles are ready for anything that you throw at them.

Rotator Cuff

Your rotator cuff refers to all the muscles and tendons that help to move and stabilise your shoulder, and tears can easily occur when you make repetitive motions if you are not careful. In order to prevent this painful injury, you need to exercise your upper body and core back muscles to ensure that these are strong enough to prevent tears during sport. Stretching your chest during a cool down can also help to reduce the risk of a rotator cuff injury as well.

Knee injuries

Knee injuries can happen to anyone, whether you are playing a sport or not, and they don’t just happen to professional athletes. They are extremely painful and can lead to more serious complications if you don’t treat them quickly and correctly. Your sports injury therapist in Aberdeen will work with you to help prevent these gruesome injuries by working on strengthening your hamstrings, quads, and glutes to make sure that they can work with the bones and protect the knee.

Back injuries

There are several sports that can lead to back injuries, including running, tennis, and golf, but as we all know back injuries can happen to anyone – especially after a certain age! In order to help prevent back injuries, your sports therapist in Aberdeen will help you to focus on proper strength and flexibility training, especially with all the small muscles in your back! If these are properly trained and defined then they will help to keep your vertebrae supported and reduce the risk of back injuries.

What can you do to reduce the risk of needing to use our sports rehab clinic in Aberdeen?

There are a few general things that you can do to help prevent injuries during sports or exercise, you don’t necessarily need to invest in a full strength and training programme

• Warm up – one of the most common mistakes that people make is not warming up before they train, and it is never a good idea to work muscles that are cold and stiff. You need to make sure that you increase your body’s core temperature and blood flow to muscles before beginning exercise.
• Wear the right attire – Whilst you might trust your old faithful running shoes, you could be doing your body more harm than good. You need to make sure that your shoes fit your arch, gait, and body weight – you will thank us in the long run!
• Cool down – stretching and cooling down after exercise is just as important as warming up. You need to make sure that you give your muscles the attention they need after exercise, or you could end up visiting us!
• Listen to your body – your body will give you signals when something is not right, and that ache after the gym could mean something more serious. You need to make sure that you give your body enough time to rest and recuperate in between workout sessions.

You could do all the preparation and planning the world, but unfortunately accidents still happen. If you find that you need a sports injury clinic in Aberdeen, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us here at Toro Blanco. We want to make sure that you get back on your feet as quickly and as safely as possible. Speak to us today for more advice or information, we are always happy to help.