Athletes push their bodies to the limit, which makes them more susceptible to injuries. Whether you’re a sprinter, weightlifter, or weekend warrior, understanding the most common injuries—and how to prevent them—can keep you performing at your best. Here are five of the most frequent sports injuries and the best ways to avoid them.
1. Hamstring Strains
Hamstring injuries are common among athletes who sprint, jump, or make sudden directional changes. These strains occur when the muscles in the back of the thigh are overstretched or torn.
Prevention Tips:
- Incorporate eccentric strengthening exercises like Nordic hamstring curls.
- Consider performing a dynamic warm up that incorporates hamstring loading including SL RDLs, 90/90 active hamstring stretch.
- Use Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) daily to ensure full hamstring and hip function.
- Improve hip mobility and glute activation to reduce strain on the hamstrings, focusing on Progressive Angular Isometric Loading (PAILs) and Regressive Angular Isometric Loading (RAILs) to increase end-range control.
2. Knee Tendinopathy (Patellar Tendinitis)
Often called “jumper’s knee,” patellar tendinitis results from repetitive stress on the patellar tendon, common in basketball, volleyball, and running.
Prevention Tips:
- Strengthen the quads and calves to absorb impact forces better.
- Gradually increase training intensity—avoid sudden spikes in workload.
- Use soft tissue techniques like foam rolling and dry needling to reduce tension in overworked muscles.
- Improve knee joint capacity with kinetic control drills from FRS, including isometric knee extension holds at varying joint angles to develop tissue resilience.
3. Ankle Sprains
A rolled ankle can happen in any sport involving running, cutting, or jumping. These injuries occur when the ligaments around the ankle stretch beyond their normal range.
Prevention Tips:
- Perform balance and proprioception drills (e.g., single-leg stance on an unstable surface).
- Strengthen the muscles around the ankle with resisted dorsiflexion and calf raises.
- Train the tissues that are injured during ankle sprains with eccentric ankle eversion exercises.
- Develop full ankle joint control using CARs and PAILs/RAILs to expand movement capacity and avoid compensation patterns.
4. Shoulder Impingement
Overhead athletes (swimmers, baseball players, weightlifters) are prone to shoulder impingement, where tendons in the shoulder become compressed and irritated.
Prevention Tips:
- Make sure you have adequate shoulder AROM including reaching overhead, behind your head and behind your low back, limitations in functional shoulder motion can contribute to stress on rotator cuff tendons.
- Strengthen the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers (e.g., external rotations and YTWs).
- Maintain proper posture—avoid excessive forward shoulder rounding
- Limit movements that contribute to discomfort, try modifying exercise and decreasing loads
- Improve scapulothoracic and glenohumeral joint function through FRS principles, utilizing shoulder CARs daily and isometric end-range loading drills to build active range control.
5. Hip Flexor Strains
Athletes who sprint, kick, or perform high-intensity movements can overstretch the hip flexors, leading to pain and limited mobility.
Prevention Tips:
- Strengthen the core and glutes to reduce overreliance on hip flexors.
- Avoid prolonged sitting, which can shorten and tighten these muscles.
- Utilize hip CARs daily to maintain hip joint function.
- Increase hip flexor resilience by incorporating PAILs/RAILs at end ranges, ensuring the tissue is strong throughout its full range of motion.
Final Thoughts
Injury prevention isn’t just about avoiding pain—it’s about longevity in your sport. By implementing proper strength training, mobility work, and recovery techniques based on Functional Range Systems principles, you can minimize your risk of these common injuries and keep performing at a high level. If you’re struggling with pain or recurring injuries, consider seeing a sports physical therapist for a personalized treatment plan that integrates joint-specific mobility training and tissue resilience work.