2 min read • November 13, 2022
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Acute injuries are more likely to occur among football players because they are continuously at risk of being tackled, tumbling, and making sudden changes in running direction. Here is everything you need to know about football leg injuries.
In the United States, football continues to be a major sport to watch. Football is a high-octane, fast-paced activity. Thus, football injuries occur, even with the correct protective gear, and can range from small aches and pains to catastrophic trauma. Overuse injuries are common in football, just as in other sports like jogging.
Helmet-to-helmet collision is a leading source of serious injuries in football, including concussions and spinal cord fractures. Even though there is a growing drive to safeguard athletes, this collision still frequently results in serious injuries that necessitate prompt medical attention.
However, these kinds of injuries are less common. On the other hand, the most common injuries in football are lower-body injuries. Popular leg and knee injuries in football include the following:
The anterior cruciate ligament ACL and posterior cruciate ligaments help to stabilize the knee. Injuries to the knee often occur due to a direct impact on the leg or a sharp turn made when jogging. A torn anterior cruciate ligament may take eight to 12 months to heal.
A blister is a fluid-filled sac on the skin's surface, typically found on the hands and feet due to excessive friction. This is commonly found in football players.
One of the most typical knee injuries is a torn meniscus. A torn meniscus can be caused by any activity that requires you to twist or rotate your knee with force, especially when putting your whole weight on it. The symptoms can be similar to that of a torn rotator cuff.
A painful Achilles injury can severely restrict a player's movement or possibly prevent them from playing.
The pain of Achilles tendonitis, a chronic overuse injury, is felt at the foot's heel. Putting yourself at risk of an Achilles tendon rupture if you disregard this.
The discomfort can be felt everywhere, from the hip to the shin, resulting from an overuse injury.
The muscles inside your thighs might get strained if you make a quick directional change while running.
A person's hamstrings can be found near the upper back of the thigh. As a result of the repetitive strain of running, hamstring strains or hamstring injuries are typical running injuries.
Ankle sprains and strains occur when ligaments around the ankle joint stretch and tear. These injuries happen due to playing surfaces and cutting motions and are the most prevalent ankle injuries. Ankle sprains and strains to tendons and ligaments are usually mild, moderate, or severe, with the worst instances taking four months to recover. This injury can be prevalent in offensive and defensive linemen.
This is another running-related injury caused by a quick start-up or a shift in direction.
The injury is located at the bottom of the big toe. When you take a step, and your toe is jammed or bent backward, you may experience this.
Soreness in the shins usually results from not being physically prepared for the activity. Football-related injuries of this nature can be prevented by proper practice.
This is a hip injury that usually results from being struck and is one of the more common football injuries in players who play contact sports.
Just as there are various types of football injuries, there are also various treatments for these injuries, usually preferred by sports medicine experts. Typically, the type of treatment to use will depend on the nature of the football injury and the opinion of a medical professional. Here are the popular treatments for football injuries:
In some cases, limiting mobility by immobilizing the patient can prevent additional injury. A reduction in discomfort, edema, and spasms in the muscles is another benefit.
To facilitate healing, sports medicine professionals may immobilize your wounded limbs with slings, splints, or casts, among other devices
RICE therapy, which entails rest, ice, compression, and elevation, can typically be used successfully for a few days at home to treat minor sports injuries such as sprains and strains.
The tenets of RICE therapy include rest, ice, compress, and elevate. Here is what they mean.
Rest: Cut back on your regular physical routine. Use crutches, a walking stick if your ankle or knee cannot bear weight, or a sling if you have a shoulder injury.
Ice: Using an ice pack on the injured area for about fifteen to twenty minutes every three hours helps reduce swelling and pain. What you need is something like a bag of frozen peas. To avoid an ice burn, wrap the ice pack in a towel before applying it.
Compression: Wearing elastic compression bandages during the day can help reduce swelling.
Elevation: Whenever possible, keep the affected section of your body elevated over your heart. This could also potentially help bring down the inflammation.
Paracetamol and other painkillers may be taken to relieve the discomfort. Pain can also be managed and swelling reduced with the help of ibuprofen or another NSAID in tablet or cream form.
Physiotherapy can be helpful for some people who have been injured for a long time. Physical therapists utilize massage, manipulation, and therapeutic exercises to restore mobility, strengthen the injured area's supporting muscles, and restore the body part's normal range of motion and function.
In addition to treating the injury, a physiotherapist might prescribe an exercise regimen to strengthen the harmed area and lessen the likelihood of further harm, allowing the affected player to play football again.
While surgery is not usually necessary to treat sports injuries, it may be necessary to treat more severe injuries like fractured bones. Wires, plates, screws, or rods may stabilize the bones after manipulation or surgery.
There are situations where bone dislocations can be corrected without surgical intervention. Surgery may also be necessary in rare cases to treat other types of injuries. For instance, a ruptured knee ligament may necessitate surgical intervention.
A corticosteroid injection may be suggested when inflammation is particularly severe or long-lasting. Some people may get slight or temporary relief from their injury-related pain while using it, but it can still be helpful.
You may receive further corticosteroid injections if necessary, but typically no more than twice or thrice annually. This treatment could have certain adverse effects. You can discuss with a medical professional the possible adverse effects.
Wearing protective gear and sturdy shoes will help you move safely and confidently on the field and prevent the most common football injuries. You should also ensure that you regularly do exercises that strengthen your lower limbs. Be sure to warm up before and cool down after every match to reduce your risk of football injuries.
Finally, you should eat healthily, stay hydrated, and get enough rest to keep you energized for each match.
The most important thing a player can do to avoid injury is to prepare their body so it doesn't have to do more than it can handle. If you notice symptoms of any of these injuries, be sure to contact a medical professional for help.
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