The Three Most Common Football Injuries and How to Prevent Them

Football is the most popular sport among American athletes. It is a great way to get exercise and pass the time. However, football leads all other sports in the number of injuries sustained. NASA Bone & Joint Specialists believes that preventing sports injuries is essential, so we’ve laid out the three most common football injuries and how to prevent them:

01. Concussions

Football players are extremely susceptible to concussions, due to the high-impact nature of football. It is important to keep in mind that not all those who suffer a concussion will lose consciousness. Keep an eye out for symptoms like headache, dizziness, nausea, and blurry vision, as these indicate that a concussion has been sustained.

How to Prevent: Concussions can be prevented with a few easy steps. Most importantly, always wear proper headgear. This will protect the head from impact and dramatically reduce the risk of head injury. Another key step to preventing concussions is to examine the field before your football game starts. Check to see if there are any uneven areas or holes, and ensure the field’s goal posts are sufficiently padded.

02. Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries are a common and painful problem for many football players. Symptoms include joint pain, swelling, and muscle tenderness. It is vital to watch out for these overuse injury symptoms, as this type of injury can lead to can also lead to overtraining syndrome and prevent the body from being able to recover.

How to Prevent: Preventing overuse injuries begins during a player’s training exercises. Include a warm-up at the beginning of your routine to prepare the body for high levels of physical activity. End your training session with cool-down stretches to slowly bring down your heart rate and relax your muscles.

03. Heat Injuries

Heat injuries are a major concern for football players, especially during the summer. Intense physical activity can result in excessive sweating that depletes the body of salt and water.

The earliest symptom of heat injuries is painful muscle cramping. However, if not treated with fluid replacement and body cooling, this can progress to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. It is important for football players to be aware of the need for fluid replacement and to inform medical staff of symptoms of heat injury.

How to Prevent: To prevent heat injuries, always keep water nearby. When symptoms of heat injury occur, take a break from playing, hydrate, and spend 10-15 minutes in a cool, shaded area. Additionally, wearing light, loose clothing helps sweat evaporate and allows the body to cool itself more easily.

Football can be a great activity, but it is important to understand common injuries and how to prevent them. However, injuries do happen and need the attention of a medical specialist. NASA Bone & Joint Specialists is a leading name in sports medicine in the Clear Lake, Texas area. If you have suffered a football or any other type of sports injury, give us a call at (281) 333-5114.