Four Indoor Sports Injuries To Watch Out For

Ankle Sprains

• Sprains occur when the ligaments around a joint stretch or tear, usually as a result of forcing the joint too far outside its normal range of motion. Sprained ankles are especially common in sports that require quick changes of direction (like basketball or squash).

Rotator Cuff Injuries

• Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that support your shoulder joint. Frequent overhead motions, like those performed in volleyball, or racquet sports, can strain these tissues, leading to pain, weakness, and a restricted range of motion.

Muscle Strains

• You can also strain other muscles in your body, such as your hamstring or calf. Leg muscle strains often develop in sports that require sudden bursts of acceleration, such as hockey or basketball, leading to pain and restricted mobility.

Overuse Injuries

• You also want to watch out for overuse injuries, such as tennis elbow or jumper’s knee. These injuries develop gradually due to repetitive movements, poor technique, or if you’re anything like me – a competitive nature. At first, you might just notice pain during activity, but your symptoms will only worsen if left untreated. Don’t push through pain–let our team help you find out what’s causing it instead!

Tips for Preventing Indoor Sports Injuries

You can do several things to prevent a sports injury this winter. Here are some of our top suggestions:

Perform Proper Warm-Ups and Cool-Down

• Kick off your matches and practices with some light cardio and dynamic stretches to make sure your body is ready to play. Afterward, take the time to gradually slow down your activity and perform relaxing stretches.

Stay Hydrated

• You might not be on the tennis court during a heat wave, but you still need to drink plenty of water throughout your sessions.

Use Proper Equipment

• Make sure any protective gear (like helmets or pads) fits appropriately and choose the correct kinds of shoes for your sport.

Visit Momentum Health

• Think that visiting our clinic is only for treating sports injuries? Think again! Our physiotherapists and chiropractors can actually help you prevent injuries before they happen. Here’s what we can do:

Comprehensive Assessments

• Before you kick off the sports season, allow us to complete a comprehensive biomechanical assessment. We’ll evaluate your strength, coordination, posture, balance, mobility, and more to identify issues that might contribute to an injury later on.

Personalized Conditioning Programs

• Once we’ve identified areas of improvement, our team can create a customized program to address those issues. This might include strengthening exercises, mobility work, or postural adjustments–it all depends on your unique needs.

Injury Treatment

• Of course, we’re here to help if you do suffer an injury. In fact, fully rehabilitating sports injuries is important in helping you stay injury-free in the long term. For example, an ankle sprain may be a relatively minor injury. However, if you don’t restore the strength and mobility in your ankle joint, you’re more likely to suffer another injury. We may recommend a brace to minimize the risk of re-injury and allow you to participate in the sport you love. You can count on us to ensure you get the care you need.

Pelvic Floor Considerations! 

This wouldn’t be an “article from Meghan Murphy” if it didn’t speak on the impact of pelvic floor on high impact activities! 

Up to 80% of women who participate in impact sports suffer from urinary incontinence. It’s important to note that this is not normal, regardless of your age or stage of life! Our number one recommendation is to seek the help of one of our pelvic floor physiotherapists, but in the meantime, here are some tips that may help reduce the severity of symptoms. 

Breathing

• Proper breathing during impact activities is crucial for pressure management.
• Think about exhaling as you hit the tennis ball, or as you land from a jump during basketball. Just don’t hold your breath! 

Warm up

• Warm up your pelvic floor muscles prior to starting your sport by performing some contract/relax exercises (Kegels), diaphragmatic breathing, and even a few glute bridges.

Mobility 

• Stiffness in our midback and ribcage can contribute to poor pressure management and overload the pelvic floor. With many indoor sports, the ability to freely rotate through our mid to upper back is crucial! Work on this mobility by doing cat cow, thread the needles, or seated twist!