Well, the sun is well and truly out and summer is in full swing! That means going outside and enjoying the best that summer sports. Summer sports, however, can also mean summer sports injuries. 

To ensure you enjoy the best sports summer has to offer, injury-free, your trusted team of Beechboro Physios at Morley Physiotherapy Centre has compiled a list of common summer sports injuries and how to prevent them from happening.

What are the most popular summer sports?

Let’s start off with a snapshot of the most popular summer sports in Australia:

  • Tennis
  • Cricket
  • Surfing
  • Swimming 
  • Golf

Planning on participating in one of these this summer? You may want to be aware of the common summer sports injuries and how to prevent them. Let’s take a look.

Ankle Sprain Injuries

Did you know that one of the most common summer sports injuries is an ankle sprain?

Ankle sprains happen when your ankle ligaments are torn, twisted or overstretched. How does this happen? Usually, it’s when your foot turns inward as you run, turn sharply, fall or land.

Treatment:

The first 72 hours after an injury are the most important. Seek treatment as soon as possible.

Minor ankle sprains can be treated with ice and rest. Severe ankle sprains, on the other hand, may require x-rays and more serious ankle pain treatment from a trusted health professional.

Prevention:

Whilst ankle sprains can’t always be prevented, there are a few things you can do to make them far less likely, such as:

  • Stretching and warming up before sports and other exercise
  • Regular ankle muscle strengthening exercises – your physio can help you with these
  • Taping your ankle before sport and other exercise 

Swimmer’s Shoulder

As the weather heats up, it’s normal to switch your run for a swim. While swimming is generally praised for its low impact benefits, you could still be at risk of developing a nasty shoulder injury. 

In swimming, there is a high volume of repetitive overhead movements (more than any other overhead sporting activity, including tennis or cricket) so the shoulder is at a much greater risk of injury. 

Treatment:

Whatever you do, do not ignore shoulder pain, as it is only going to get worse! Persistent pain can change your stroke mechanics, leading to greater injury and pain. If you are swimming with shoulder pain, we recommend seeking professional help from your physio.

Prevention:
There are a few things you can do to prevent this injury. 

  • Ask an experienced swimmer to assess your technique. Failure to perform each stroke correctly is one of the main causes of shoulder pain.
  • Be careful not to overtrain. Avoid suddenly or drastically increasing swimming frequency, distance, intensity or duration.
  • Maintain and improve flexibility. Ask your physio for stretches to help you work on shoulder flexibility. 
  • Develop shoulder strength. Again, this is one you might need a physio to help assess and provide exercises for. 

Overuse Injuries

One of the other most common summer sports injuries are overuse injuries and it’s not hard to see why.

The weather is warm, the sun is shining, what better way to spend a summer’s day than to be outside being active, or playing your favourite sport? Many of us feel like this in summer, so we tend to overuse our muscles and ligaments. This is exactly why overuse injuries are more common.

Treatment:

There are many different types of overuse injuries, from tendonitis, runner’s knee, shin splints, sprains and strains, and more.

Our treatment approach provides each patient with a personalised plan for recovery, including rehabilitation to recover strength, fitness and conditioning, and sport-specific skills to assist injury recurrence and prevention strategies. 

Prevention:

Prevention of overuse injuries is pretty simple. Whilst we know you want to play your favourite sport more often in summer, it’s important to give your body time to rest and heal. Regular rest and healing time between activities, will result in overuse injuries being less likely.

Are you ready to enjoy the best sports that summer has to offer, injury-free?

At Morley Physiotherapy, your local Beechboro Physio, we are highly experienced in Sports Physiotherapy. Book a consult with one of our highly qualified physiotherapists at Morley Physiotherapy Centre. We can get you back on the field fast with confidence ready to move well and perform well this summer.