Virtual Sports Injury Clinic

The most common causes of foot pain result from repetitive strain or over use. Plantar fasciitis is probably the most widely seen foot injury with pain in the heel which is worse in the mornings. The pain may radiate into the arch of the foot. A bruised heel or policemans heel has similar symptoms but with the pain more directly under the heel which is unlikely to radiate into the foot. Tarsal tunnel syndrome is another sports injury which causes pain (often described as burning) radiating into the arch of the foot, heel and sometimes the toes. Pins and needles or numbness may also be felt in the sole of the foot.

Of the sudden onset or acute foot injuries metatarsal fracture, turf toe and broken toe are often seen, particularly with footballers and other contact sports.

Metatarsalgia is a general term relating to pain in the forefoot. In addition to fractures, forefoot and midfoot pain can be caused by a stress fracture, tendon inflammation or a  Mortons neuroma which is a pinched nerve in the foot. The foot is also susceptible to skin conditions such as Athletes foot, Blisters, Corns and Callusses.

An ankle sprain is a sports injury which affects most people at some point in their sporting career and is by far the most common cause of ankle pain. It is important to get the right diagnosis though as there can be other complications arising from an ankle sprain including avulsion fracture or even a broken ankle. See our ankle sprain rehab program for a step by step guide to recovering from an ankle sprain. It is important to do the correct ankle sprain exercises which should include wobble board exercises to avoid the injury recurring.

Pain at the back of the ankle is often achilles tendonitis which is an over use injury developing gradually over time. Achilles bursitis is inflammation of a bursa at the very back of the heel where the achilles tendon inserts. Severs disease commonly affects children and is also a very common cause of pain at the back of the heel in kids.

Knee pain and knee injuries fall into two categories. Acute knee injuries are usually the result of a sudden impact or twisting of the knee resulting in damage to the structures of the knee joint. Chronic or over use knee injuries come on gradually over time through over training, poor technique or biomechanical faults.

Injury to any of the knee ligaments including anterior cruciate ligament injury, posterior cruciate injury, medial  ligament sprain or lateral knee ligament sprain are common in football and other contact sports. Knee cartilage meniscus injuries can be sudden onset or sometimes gradual onset with over use.

Runners knee is a general term used to describe pain resulting from the patella or knee cap. Iliotibial band syndrome is inflammation of a tendon on the outside of the knee and has also been termed runners knee. Jumpers knee is the term used to describe pain and inflammation of the patella tendon just below the knee cap.

The most common thigh injuries in sport are muscles strains. A hamstring strain or pulled hamstring is a sudden sharp pain at the back of the thigh. See our hamstring strain rehab program for more information on hamstring exercises, treatment, sports massage and expert interviews. A groin strain causes pain on the inside of the thigh and is the result of a torn adductor muscle. A quadriceps strain is a tear to one of the big thigh muscles at the front of the leg.

A femur stress fracture is a stress fracture of the femur or big thigh bone. This is not a common injury but should always be considered if symptoms include a dull ache in the thigh.

The shoulder joint needs a great deal of movement to perform various sporting activities. This large range of moement means the joint is not naturally supported well and prone to injury. Shoulder injuries can be acute or sudden onset such as a dislocated shoulder or shoulder pain can come on gradually over time. An AC joint sprain is an injury to the acromioclavicular joint and is often caused by a fall onto an ourstretched arm. A broken collar bone or clavicle fracture is the most likely fracture in the shoulder joint.

A rotator cuff injury can be either a sudden onset injury if one of the rotator cuff muscles is torn but equally rotator cuff inflammation can develop gradually through over use or following a rotator cuff strain that has not healed.

Frozen shoulder develops over time with symptoms initialy painful with movement but later the shoulder freezes or stiffens up. Impingement syndrome of the shoulder is caused by a tendon in the shoulder becoming inflammed and getting pinched as it passes out of the shoulder joint into the arm.

Tennis elbow is a common cause of pain on the outside of the elbow. It is an over use injury caused by inflammation of the tendon as it inserts into the bone at the elbow. Tennis elbow can be difficult to treat but our tennis elbow rehab program takes you through it step by step. Golfers elbow is a similar condition on the inside of the elbow.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a wrist injury involving compression of a nerve. Symptoms include a dull ache in the wrist which is often worse at night and pain which may radiate into the hand.

A broken wrist is a common sudden onset wrist injury. The wrist bones can be broken or fractured in a number of different ways with a Colles fracture being one type often seen.

The lower leg is a common area to suffer a sports injury. The two most common being shin splints and calf strain.