Extensor Tendonitis
The five tendons that stretch across the top of the foot are collectively known as the extensor tendons, and like other connective tissue, if these tendons become inflamed, it can cause pain and swelling, and this condition is known as extensor tendonitis. The extensor tendons help pull the foot upward into an "L" shape, working as a team with the calf muscle, which pulls the foot downward. Athletes...
Footballer’s Ankle
As every athlete knows, repetitive motions can lead to wear and tear which can give way to painful injuries over time. The movement of kicking--such as in sports like soccer, also known as football--is no different. The repetitive strain kicking a ball can place on the connective tissue, or ligaments, in the front of the ankle, can lead to the painful condition known as footballer's ankle. Because...
Myositis Ossificans
A muscle contusion, when the skin and underlying tissue become bruised, can be a painful condition. But infrequently, this injury can give way to myositis ossificans: the growth of bony protrusions within the bruised muscle. After six or seven weeks, this bone growth stops and is slowly reabsorbed; still, the bone itself remains and can be felt through the muscle and skin. Even after this resorption,...
Snapping Hip Syndrome
If you experience a snapping or clicking sensation when you flex or extend your hip (by bringing your knee towards your waist or by straightening the hip joint), you may have snapping hip syndrome, also known as clicking hip. This condition is harmless unless it is accompanied by pain, which can persist for months or even years if untreated.
Snapping hip syndrome is most common among athletes whose...
Winged Scapula
When the shoulder blade, or scapula, sticks out, sometimes causing pain or pressure, the condition is known as winged scapula. The scapula sticks out most when you lift your arms or when you push against something with your arms, and you might have stiffness or trouble elevating your arms all the way. It may also be difficult to lift objects that ordinarily are not too heavy for you.
Winged scapula...
Clavicle Fracture
If you fall onto your outstretched arm or you shoulder, or are directly hit on your collarbone, this can cause a fracture of the collarbone, or clavicle. Symptoms commonly include pain and swelling around the collarbone, and you may also be able to feel the fracture through the skin. You may feel sharp pain whenever you make a movement that disturbs the clavicle.
Sports that increase the risk of...
Frozen Shoulder
When the joint between the shoulder blade, or scapula, and humerus, or upper bone of the arm, becomes stiffened or less supple, it causes a condition known as frozen shoulder. When this occurs in athletes, it's often due to trauma to the shoulder joint and is also called post-traumatic stiff shoulder. Sports that increase the risk of frozen shoulder include those that may cause you to fall, such as...
Rib Stress Fracture
The serratus anterior is a muscle in your back that helps you perform pull-ups and push-ups. But when this muscle contracts repeatedly, it can batter the rib bones. One possible result is an overuse injury: stress fracture of the rib.
Sports that involve a lot of overhead motion, such as tennis or baseball, increase the risk of a stress fracture of the first rib when a muscle in the neck pulls...
Groin Strain
When you tense or tighten the muscles that stretch from the inner thigh bone to the inside of the pelvic too quickly or forcefully, it can result in a groin strain, also known as a groin pull. These muscles, known as the adductor muscles, pull the legs together. This injury is most common among athletes who run and jump a lot or who close their legs forcefully, such as in hockey, swimming, football,...
Elbow bursitis
The tip of your elbow may seem bony, but there's actually a sac called a bursa that sits between the bones that make up the elbow. Elbow bursitis, also known as students elbow, occurs when this sac becomes inflamed or irritated, resulting in pain during activity and while at rest, swelling, difficulty in moving the elbow, and sometimes a feeling of warmth around the elbow.
Elbow bursitis can be...