Sports injuries – different types and treatments

Injured yourself while playing sport? Find out how to treat it at home, and when to see a doctor.

Types of injury

What’s the cause? 

Self-care tips

When to see a doctor

Diagnosing sports injuries

Treatment for sports injuries

Hurting yourself while playing sport can be painful and frustrating, and stop you going about life as usual. Learn about the many types of sports injuries, and how to treat them at home.


From sprains and strains to fractures and dislocations, playing sports increases the chance of having a sports-related injury. The term “sports injury” is often used to refer to the kinds of injuries that happen most frequently from playing sport, but they can also occur in other circumstances, despite the name.

There are many different types of sports injuries, but the most common ones tend to affect muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, joints, and cartilage.

Most sports injuries are minor and often get better with self-care, but sometimes they can be severe. Here’s how to manage them, and when to see a doctor. 

## Types of injury

Each sports injury will come with its own set of symptoms. Some of the most common include:

- __a [sprain](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/sprains)__ – a stretch or tear of the ligament. It can cause pain, tenderness, bruising and swelling, and makes weight-bearing difficult
- __a [strain](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/sprains)__ – twisting, pulling, or tearing of the muscle or tendon. The symptoms are often similar to a sprain
- __joint inflammation__ – such as [tendonitis](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/tendonitis), can happen at joints in the shoulder, knee, wrist, fingers, thigh, heel, and elbow. It can cause pain, swelling, and weakness around the joint
- __[a fracture](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/signs-of-a-broken-bone)__ – a break in your bone caused by falling, or a direct blow. This injury causes pain, swelling, tenderness, bruising, and discoloration. It may also be hard to move the injured area. [Seek medical help](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/sports-injuries#when-to-see-a-doctor)
- __[a dislocation](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/joint-dislocations)__ – when 2 bones separate after extreme and direct force. It causes pain, swelling, bruising, instability and weakness. You might not be able to use the joint at all, and it may be sitting at an odd angle. Seek emergency medical help.

Get help with this

## What’s the cause? 

Sports injuries are usually caused by traumas to a certain part of your body. This can be triggered by:

- an accident during contact sports, such as falling over or running into someone
- not warming up properly 
- overusing or overtraining – exercising too often, too frequently, or for too long
- not using the correct exercise technique
- increasing the intensity of exercise too quickly
- running or jumping on hard surfaces
- wearing shoes that don’t have enough support
- not wearing the right equipment for certain activities 
- having poor flexibility.

## Self-care tips

Mild sports injuries, for example strains and sprains, may get better on their own within a few weeks. But it might help to:

Follow the __PRICE__ principle – this stands for protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

- __protection__ of the injured area using a support or supportive shoes 
- __rest__ and don’t put weight on the injury 
- __ice__ the injury (for example, with a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel) for 20 minutes, every 2 to 3 hours
- __compress__ with a bandage
- __elevate__ the injury by raising it.

You may also want to see a pharmacist. They can recommend specific tablets, creams, or gels to ease pain and swelling, such as paracetamol tablets and ibuprofen gel.

[Follow the links for your condition](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/sports-injuries#types) to find specific treatment, and to find when you need medical help. 

## When to see a doctor

Book an appointment with a doctor if your sports injury:

- is very painful, or the pain is getting worse
- feels stiff or is difficult to move
- isn’t getting better after treating it at home
- is very swollen and bruised, and it’s getting worse
- you can’t put weight on it without feeling pain
- comes with a high temperature, or you also feel hot and shivery – it could be an infection.

Get emergency medical help if:

- you heard a crack when you had your injury
- the injured body part has changed shape, or is at an odd angle
- the affected area is numb, tingly or you have pins and needles
- your skin has changed color – it might look blue, gray, or be cold to the touch.

## Diagnosing sports injuries

At your appointment the doctor will ask you questions about how your injury happened, your medical history, if you’re taking any medication, and what your symptoms are.

They’ll also take you through a physical exam to check for areas of swelling and tenderness, and to check your range of motion.

You may then be referred for imaging tests, such as:

- __an X-ray__ – it can reveal if there’s damage to any bones
- __a CT scan__ – provides a picture of the inside of your body to look for damage to your bones, and the areas around them
- __an MRI__ – offers pictures of any damage to soft tissues in the body, like cartilage and ligaments, as well as bones
- __a bone scan__ – to look for fractures that don’t show up on an X-ray.

## Treatment for sports injuries

If self-care or help from a pharmacist hasn’t worked, you might need:

- __prescription painkillers__ – these are stronger than those you get in a pharmacy
- __a steroid injection__ – to reduce pain and swelling
- __physiotherapy__ – when a trained therapist helps you with injury recovery, including flexibility, strength, and conditioning exercises
- __a cast, splint, or brace__ – for support
- __surgery__ – although this only tends to be needed if the injury is severe.

error

 There was an error when submitting your feedback – have a screen break then try again in a few minutes.

Oh no, something’s gone wrong

ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?

initial

This isn’t helpful

This isn’t relevant

Something is wrong

This isn’t accurate

Please select one.

loading

success

We're listening – we use your feedback to improve your experience, and make our content more helpful.

Thank you for your feedback

References

Amelia Glean

Fiona Bugler

Jo Wheatley

Dr Ewan O'Farrell

Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.