Unfortunately, when it comes to the sporting world, injuries tend to be common occurrences. No matter the sport, there is always going to be the risk of a serious injury to an athlete, even if the sport doesn't involve any physical contact with others.
Of course, sports such as MMA, Boxing, or Professional Wrestling are always going to have a higher risk due to the nature of them, but even sports such as Darts, Cricket, and Golf can create injuries due to the strain on the human body.
Whilst some athletes do suffer very specific injuries, there tend to be many common injuries that many athletes suffer from across the board, but there are ways that they can be prevented, or at least made less likely to occur.
Within this list, we will look through the 10 most common injuries that take place in the sporting world, as well as the ways that they could be prevented.
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10 Groin Pulls
Groin pulls happen when the muscles located near the groin get strained and can be an incredibly uncomfortable injury, especially if the pull is serious as it can possibly lead to an athlete missing a lot of time.
One of the big ways to prevent any strains is to stretch efficiently before competing, and ensuring that loose-fitting clothing is worn to allow the legs to move as freely as possible.
However now, many athletes are now starting to use specific tape whilst competing, stuck on to their legs as it keeps the muscle in place and helps to stop it from overstretching, which is something many wrestlers and soccer players are now starting to use.
9 Ankle Sprain
Ankle sprains can be incredibly painful and serious injuries and take place when the ankle is twisted in an awkward way that the body isn't used to and can lead to some severe pain and swelling depending on the severity of the injury.
Most of the time when the injury takes place the athlete has to rest for several days, which isn't easy when they need to train and compete, but the importance of stretching can really help reduce the chances of this taking place.
Stretching out the muscles and ligaments in the legs and feet will reduce the chances of sprains taking place, as well as taping up the ankle to sturdy things.
8 Shin Splints
This might not be as serious of an injury as others on this list, but anybody who has suffered from shin splints before will know only too well how much the pain can hurt and become uncomfortable.
These injuries often come after athletes step up in intensity, which is why shin splints are common in younger athletes making the step up to the top level, with the injury simply being inflammation of the muscle around the shinbone.
However, this one is quite simple to avoid as it really is just to stretch the area out, working the calves both eccentrically and concentrically, with exercises to strengthen the foot also being useful.
7 Rotator Cuff Tear
Because your rotator cuff is made up of lots of muscles and tendons to help stabilize the shoulder, injuries in that area can be frequent, especially if your sport demands a lot of movement or repetitive motions such as Tennis and Baseball.
Repetitive motions often end up with tears or tendinitis taking place in the shoulder, which can cause major issues. However, simple stretching of the pectoral muscles after games is a great way of preventing any possible injuries.
On top of that, it is crucial to strengthen the upper back muscles which will help strengthen the area and make injuries less likely to take place.
6 Knee Injuries
Some of the most gruesome injuries that take place in sports involve a person's knee, with the likes of MCL and ACL tears being common, and being incredibly serious as they lead people to miss a lot of time. Knee injuries tend to be one of the most common injuries to take place in sports, and a lot of the time this can come from overextending the knee, stretching too far, which is why the need to be flexible comes in.
To do this a lot of stretching, on a consistent basis is needed. As well as that, strengthening the muscles around the knee can help build up real strength to make the injury less likely to take place.
5 Concussions
Concussions are a very serious injury that the sporting world is only just really learning and understanding fully and usually takes place after being bumped r receiving a blow to the head, causing a traumatic brain injury.
These injuries are very common in the likes of American Football and Professional Wrestling where blows to the body and head are common, and the best prevention for this is to ensure that the correct headgear is worn at all times.
Of course, for the likes of wrestling, where a helmet isn't allowed, not taking any unnecessary blows to the head is the best bet, but also improving neck and upper back muscles will help act as a cushion, supporting the hit.
4 Back Pain
Back pains and strains are injuries that not just athletes but many people suffer from, with so many different muscles and bones always being put to work no matter how big or small the task is.
One way to prevent back pain, like many sporting injuries, is to ensure that stretching takes place, but this is particularly important as the back is an area of the body that is often neglected in stretching.
As well as that, heating the back can also help relax the muscles which will lower the chances of them being strained due to any sudden movements.
3 Achilles Tear
Another very common injury that athletes suffer from is an Achilles tear, or even Achilles tendinitis, which takes place when the tendon at the back of the ankle becomes inflamed after overuse, with a tear being the worst possible scenario.
This injury is mostly found among athletes who play sports that involve a lot of running or jumping, meaning sprinters, and particularly basketball players are often at high risk of suffering this.
The best way to prevent these types of injuries taking place is to have a strength and flexibility program in place, allowing the Achilles to be built up as strong as possible to reduce the chances of any injury.
2 Tennis Elbow
Whether you call it the Tennis Elbow or the Golfers Elbow, the injury is the same one, which is epicondylitis, which is normally something that occurs due to a poor swing, which often goes down to technique.
Even though this can be a very common problem amongst athletes, with varying levels of severity, this can be solved by strengthening the forearm muscles as well as the rotator cuff, to help prevent the condition.
Of course, the main way to solve the issues is to ensure that your technique is spot on, which will help lower the chances of every suffering it.
1 Fractures
Unfortunately, a fracture happening is something that can be very difficult to prevent given the nature of how they can take place, with most of them being freak accidents that are unavoidable.
However, there are methods that athletes, particularly those who compete in contact sports such as Football or Soccer, can go through in order to try and make the situation less likely to occur.
Ensuring that bones are as strong as possible is essential for athletes, and whilst weight training is a great way of making the muscles work as shock absorbers, the best way to do things is by having a healthy diet with plenty of vitamin D and calcium to strengthen the bones.