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The Most Common
Football Injuries:

Sprains and strains — The most-common type of injury, these are typically treated with the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) method.

Factures — These account for a quarter of all serious injuries and usually involve the finger, wrist, or leg.

Turf toe — Turf toe is an injury to the base of the big toe caused by running or jumping on hard surfaces like artificial turf.

Achilles tendonitis — A painful condition of the tendon at the back of ankle, Achilles tendonitis can lead to a rupture if left untreated.

ACL tear — A torn ACL can leave a player sidelined for months or longer.

Torn cartilage — Torn cartilage is another term for a meniscus injury.

Concussions — Concussions result from a severe blow to the head and involve impairment of brain functions.

Burners or stingers — Burners or stingers occur when the brachial plexus, nerves at the end of the shoulder, is stretched or compressed.

Source: http://orthopedics.about.com
/cs/sportsmedicine/a/football.htm

Football is synonymous with Texas, especially East Texas. In fact, high school football teams in East Texas have won 50 state championships in the last 77 years, according to KTBB Sports Talk Radio. But with such a competitive sport comes the risk for injuries.

The very nature of football, with its full contact tackling, is rough. And often times, extensive padding and protective equipment aren’t enough.

According to 2006 statistics from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, football is the leading source of fall sports injuries in people 18 and younger, sending almost one million of them to hospital emergency rooms, doctors’ offices, and clinics.

Since football is a twisting and turning sport, most injuries involve sprains and torn ligaments, particularly in knee joints. Robert Dennis, MD, an orthopedic surgeon for Azalea Orthopedics, recommends that players strengthen and stretch the muscles around joints to help prevent injury.

Another main reason for injury is that athletes fail to wear protective gear properly. And it doesn’t matter if children spend more time on the bench than the field during games, because proper-fitting gear is just as important, if not more, during practices.

Often times, helmets are worn improperly. Dr. Dennis says the head and neck are the areas where catastrophic injuries are most likely to occur. What these young players don’t realize is that even a simple chin strap can help prevent a serious head or neck injury. For a helmet to fit properly, the National Football Foundation says that the eyebrows should be approximately 1 to 1.5 inches below the helmet’s front rim and a gap of a finger width or less should be between the forehead and the padding at the front of the helmet.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, players who tackle by flexing their necks and using the tops of their helmets to strike opponents are at greatest risk for football-related spinal cord injuries. Suggested prevention strategies include educating coaches and participants about tackling techniques, enforcing existing tackling rules, strengthening the neck with proper conditioning exercises, and properly securing helmets.

Shoulder, elbow, and knee pads also should not be overlooked. The shoulder is a relatively unstable joint with higher incidence of dislocations, Dr. Dennis says. Players should take extra precaution securing the straps on shoulder pads and ensuring a snug fit.

STAY HEALTHY

  • Take care of protective equipment and gear, including pads, footwear, and uniforms, to ensure proper function and maximum support.
  • Change up sports throughout the year rather than playing one year round to give muscles and joints a break.
  • Get regular physicals to make sure the body is functioning properly and optimally.