Top 7 Injuries Men Are Likely To Get
Given that this week is the end of Men’s Health Week, we thought we’d share with you the Top 7 most common injuries men are likely to get. The majority of these are sports related, however just because you don’t play sport does not mean you couldn’t potentially suffer one of these nasty injuries!
Top 7 Injuries Men are likely to get:
- Ankle Sprain
- Hamstring Strain
- ACL Tear
- Shin Splints
- Quad Strain
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome
- Tennis Elbow
Most of the above injuries are self explanatory, however there are some that you may not know much about or even heard of. This is a quick run down of them.
- Shin splints – The jury is still out in regards to the exact cause of shin splints, although it is commonly accepted that shin splints are most likely caused by repeated trauma to the connective muscle tissue surrounding the tibia (shin bone). This is very common in runners.
- Hamstring/Quad strain – caused by overloading the muscles at the front or back of your thigh, by putting too much contractile force through the muscle, or over stretching it in a dynamic fashion (e.g. kicking a football)
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome – this is caused by repeated movements of the knee cap over the thigh, usually from an imbalance in the quad muscles, or from an unusually high load or shearing force being put through the knee. It is usually characterized by pain perceived as underneath the knee cap or on the underside of the knee cap.
- Tennis elbow – or lateral epicondylitis, is where the outer part of the elbow becomes sore and tender, usually from repetitive movements of the elbow (e.g. Tennis swing, hence the name!) This condition is self limiting and benign, which means it’s not serious and it will resolve itself with time and rest!
- Ankle sprain/ACL tear – related to the ligaments of the ankle and knee respectively, these injuries are usually the result of a rapid movement against the resistance of the tendons, causing them to stretch, sprain or tear. There are different levels of severity, which are managed on a spectrum from rest, ice and compression, to in severe cases, surgery.
All of these injuries are preventable and manageable! If you are doing any physical activity make sure you spend the proper time warming up and stretching, keep properly hydrated during activity, and have a proper cool-down and stretch after activity.
Any questions or concerns about the best way to manage or rehabilitate these injuries should be directed to the people here at Body of Life, who all have experience in treating and managing these injuries!
Article by Dr Josh Murphy (Chiropractor)
References
webmd.com
mensfitness.com
