Soccer (also known as football) admittedly is one of the most exciting games played throughout the world. The World Cup competition excites both soccer and non-soccer enthusiasts watching their favorite team score a goal. The game is fast-paced and physical contact while attacking the ball sometimes results in an injury. Not surprisingly, they mostly concern the legs of players.
Every sport has injuries that are typical for the movement and action involved. The vast majority of injuries in soccer are minor to mild – muscle contusions (bruises) and joint sprains are the most frequent types of injury.
While it is obviously best to prevent injuries in the first place, you may find some facts on the most common soccer injuries below as they might occur to you:
- Ankle injuries: An ankle sprain is the single most common injury in soccer. Ankle sprains usually follow a typical pattern. Most happen when the sole of your foot rolls under, damaging the ligaments on the outside of the ankle, for example when hitting a bump on the field or another player’s foot when running or landing. A typical mechanism in soccer is when your opponent slides in and hits the inside of your lower leg, forcing the foot to roll under.
- Knee injuries: One of the most severe injuries in soccer is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear of the knee. Next to the ankle, the knee is a commonly injured joint in soccer players. Direct (being tackled or blow) or indirect (pivoting, twisting) impact to the knee may affect the ligaments (particularly the anterior cruciate ligament), tendons or cartilage.
- Hamstring injuries: The hamstrings are the muscles at the back of your thigh. They get rather frequently injured with sprinting or sudden moves. Symptoms vary according to the severity as you can tear or rupture the whole muscle or only parts of it. Hamstring injuries occur more often with a previous hamstring injury and weak thigh muscles.
- Symptoms and signs:
- Popping or cracking at the time of injury, sudden pain down the back of the leg.
- Pain, swelling and bruising of the posterior thigh
- Walking is affected, and flexing (bending) the knee causes pain
- Symptoms and signs:
- Head injuries: The most important issue in a head injury is to exclude a concussion. Learn here how you may recognize this particularly troubling injury.
If you are suffering from sports-related injury, call ProOrtho and schedule an appointment with one of the physicians at 425-823-4000 or email them at ProOrthoAppointment@proliancesurgeons.com.
