Football Injuries

The game of Football is one of the most physical sports and required strength, short burst speed, cardiovascular endurance, multi-directional agility, speed, hand-eye coordination, and the ability to withstand high impact collisions.

Football not only places a large demand on the joints of the body but the ability for the body to withstand blunt force impacts as well.

For this reason, virtually every type of injury is possible when playing the game of football. From a blunt force trauma perspective, due to the high impact nature of football, broken bones, dislocated jointed, concussions, lacerations, and abrasions are all common.

In terms of soft tissue injuries, due to the short burst multi-directional aspect of the game, sprains, strains, and tearing of all types of soft tissue (muscle, ligaments, and tendons) are commonplace.

Listed below are the typical injury types that occur when playing the game of football.

Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles Tendonitis typically occurs when a repetitive stress is placed on the tendon and gradually causes the tendon to become inflamed.

ACL/PCL Injuries

Anterior and Posterior Cruciate Ligaments cross each other in an X shape and provide stability to the knee when flexing and extending.

Ankle Sprains

Ankle Sprains occur through a twisting motion or a movement that causes the ankle to roll, causing minor tears in the ankle ligaments.

Athlete's Foot

Athlete's Foot is a fungus growth that can occur on the feet and rapidly spread when the feet are exposed to a moist warm environment.

Backaches and Stress

Backaches may often occur from excess stress originating from the spine, muscles or nerves of the back region. Backaches due to stress may be a precursor to chronic lower back pain, and should therefore be taken seriously.

Back Sprains and Strains

Back Sprains and Strains are extremely common and can in range in severity from a dull pain to a highly acute sharp pain.

Blisters

Blisters are typically caused by friction between the skin and a surface and produces a fluid filled sacs on the surface of the skin.

Burner or Stinger of the Neck

Burners and Stingers of the Neck are caused by pinching the brachial plexus nerves that travel from the back of the neck to the lateral front.

Cartilage Injuries and Knee Disorders

Cartilage Injuries are related to damage and/or loss of cartilage that cause debilitating pain, stiffness and swelling of the knee area.

Chondromalacia

Chondromalacia is damage to the cartilage located under the kneecap and if left untreated can lead to severe degeneration.

Clavicle Fracture

Clavicle Fracture injuries are the most common broken bone in the human body and account for about 5% of all fractures that occur.

Concussion

Concussions are due to head trauma in which the brain moves within the skull causing the brain cells all fire at once.

Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness

Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness is believed to be due to inflammation caused by muscle damage, however, it is not fully understood.

Finger Fractures

Finger Fractures typically occur from an acute traumatic impact to one of the finger bones, causing it to fracture.

Groin Pull

Groin Pulls range from a minor stretch to a complete rupture of the adductor brevis, magnus and longus muscle groups.

Hamstring, Pull, Tear or Strain

Hamstrings Pull or Tear injuries are related to continuous running where quick accelerations, decelerations and sudden turns are made.

Herniated Disks

Herniated Disks occur when the spinal vertebrae have been compressed and force the disk between the vertebrae outward.

Hip Pointer

Hip Pointers produce bruising, tenderness, and swelling of the illiac crest (hip bone) or the greater trochanter (top of the thigh bone).

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Iliotibial Band Syndrome is related to the iliotibial band becoming irritated and inflamed and causing pain throughout the entire knee area.

Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain is quite common and can be reduced by maintaining a healthy weight and strong back, oblique, and abdominal muscles.

Meniscus Injuries of the Knee

Meniscus Injuries of the Knee are evident by inflammation and pain assocaited with the outside and/or inside of the knee area.

Muscle Cramps

Muscle Cramps typically occur within the muscles of the lower portion of the body and are involuntary muscle contractions and spasms.

Muscle Sprains and Strains

Muscle Sprains and Strains are injuries associated with the ligament that connects bone to bone (Sprain) or connects muscle to bone (Strain).

Muscle Strains of the Back

Muscle Strains of the Back occur when the muscle fibers of the back are overly stretched and/or torn causing acute pain and soreness.

Neck Strain

Neck Sprain injuries are related to overstretching or tearing the neck muscles or the ligaments that connect to the cervical vertebrae.

Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Osteoarthritis of the Knee is the degeneration of the cartilage within the knee joint that is located between the femur and tibia bones.

Overtraining Syndrome

Overtraining Syndrome occurs in individuals that do not allow their body the necessary time to recover from an aggressive exercise routine.

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome is related to the way the patella tracks and moves along the groove of the femur bone.

Piriformis Syndrome

Piriformis Syndrome is defined as the piriformis muscle pressing on the sciatic nerve and is located inside the the pelvis.

Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is the inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thick fibrous band of tissue located on the bottom surface of the foot.

Pulled or Strained Calf Muscle

Pulled or Strained Calf Muscle occurs when part of the soleus or gastrocnemius muscles of the lower leg are torn from the Achilles tendon.

Shin Splints

Shin Splints injuries are generally due to an accumulation of repetitive stress on the front of the lower leg where the shin bone is located.

Shoulder Dislocation

Shoulder Dislocation injuries occur when the ball of the humerus is dislocated from the socket of the scapula through blunt force trauma.

Shoulder Separation

Shoulder Separation injuries involve the stretching or tearing of ligaments at the AC joint, where the clavicle bone connects to the scapula.

Stress Fracture of the Foot

Stress Fractures can occur when an overload of stress is placed on the foot, resulting in small fractures of the toe or metatarsal bones.

Tendonitis of the Wrist

Tendonitis of the Wrist is a result of repetitive overuse causing irritation of the sheath tunnel surrounding the tendons of the thumb.

Torn Rotator Cuff

Torn Rotator Cuff injuries produce considerable pain in the shoulder joint area when attempting to lift, lower, or rotate the arm.

Turf Toe

Turf Toe occurs when excessive stress is placed on the big toe via the foot wear and the artificial surface, damaging the ligaments.

Whip Lash

Whiplash injuries involve the muscle, ligament, and tendon tissue of the neck and typically occur from an abrupt impact from behind.

Wrist Sprains

Wrist Strains are the result of an impact that causes the ligaments that connect bone to bone to overstretch and develop minor tears.