At the first hint of warm weather, people like to get moving. Lace up your running shoes, grab your tennis racket, or head to the soccer field. After months of cold weather and shorter days, warmer temperatures make outdoor activities genuinely enjoyable again.
The same burst of springtime energy and activity also brings a noticeable spike in sports injuries.
When your body has been less active for a while and you jump back into physical activity — especially at high intensity — your muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints may not be ready for the demand, leading to overuse injuries. Sudden movements can also lead to strains and sprains.
But many of these injuries are preventable, or at least manageable, when you know what to look for. At SEPA Pain & Spine in southeastern Pennsylvania, our team specializes in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal injuries common to active people.
Whether you are a competitive athlete or someone who just enjoys staying active, we’re equipped to assess your injury and provide the most effective treatment.
Here, we cover four of the most common sports injuries that tend to show up in spring.
Runner’s knee is one of the most common complaints among people who pick up or ramp up their running routine in the spring.
Despite the name, you don’t have to be a runner to get it. Cyclists, hikers, and anyone who does repeated squatting or stair climbing can develop it, too. The condition refers to pain around or behind the kneecap that develops when the cartilage under the kneecap becomes irritated from repeated stress.
Many mild cases respond well to rest, ice, and reduced activity. But if the pain is persistent or worsening, or if it affects your ability to walk normally, you should get it checked.
Ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in sports. They happen across virtually every sport that involves quick changes in direction, jumping, or running on uneven surfaces.
A sprain happens when the ligaments that hold the ankle joint together are stretched beyond their normal range or torn.
The most common type involves the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle that get overstretched when the foot rolls inward.
In the moment, you may feel a sharp, immediate pain, followed by swelling, bruising, and tenderness around the joint. Depending on severity, walking can become difficult or impossible shortly after.
Your shoulders get quite a workout with spring sports. Baseball, softball, tennis, golf, swimming, and volleyball rely heavily on the rotator cuff, which is the group of four muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint and keep it stable when you make an overhead movement.
When you strain or partially tear a rotator cuff, the result is a deep aching shoulder pain that becomes especially sharp with certain movements.
Symptoms include:
Some people also notice a crackling or popping sensation when they move the arm.
Shin splints are a classic spring injury, particularly among runners and anyone who has ramped up their physical activity. The term refers to pain along the inner edge of the shinbone. It’s caused by inflammation of the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue in that area.
Common triggers include suddenly increasing training intensity, running on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt, wearing shoes that do not provide adequate support, and having flat feet.
Many minor sports injuries improve on their own with rest, ice, and time. But there are certain signs that tell you it’s time to get professional help:
Spring is one of the best times of year to be active, and you should enjoy it. To do so, ease back into high-intensity activity gradually, warm up properly before you play, and listen to your body when it tells you something is wrong.
If a sports injury is getting in the way of the activities you enjoy this season, call us today to schedule a consultation at any of our offices in Horsham, Langhorne, Meadowbrook, Chalfont, East Norriton, or Limerick in southeastern Pennsylvania. You can also request one online here.
