Exercise is good for your body, but like most things, it is not without its risks. Exercise injuries affect almost everyone at one time or another to varying degrees. Common exercise injuries can often be treated at home if they are minor, but severe pain or bleeding should be attended to immediately by a medical care provider.
Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains that affect your joints and muscles are among the most common sports injuries, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS. Sprains are a condition in which you've over-stretched or torn the ligaments that support your joints, such as your ankle, knee or wrist. Strains are generally less severe than sprains and occur when you've stretched your muscles or tendons more than you should. Both conditions are painful and can occur when you've moved quickly in the wrong way or have not adequately warmed up before beginning to exercise. Rest, icing and pain-relieving medications are the first-line treatment methods for these soft-tissue injuries. Physical therapy and surgery may be required to repair torn ligaments or tendons that do not respond to self-care measures.
Muscle Cramps
Athletes who are not properly warmed up or dehydrated may succumb to the common sports injury of a muscle cramp. Muscle cramps are painful, involuntary contractions of your muscles and can occur just about anywhere on your body. Cramps in your lower legs are especially common among runners. Gently stretching the muscle that's giving you trouble can help relieve the pain. You can prevent muscle cramps by drinking plenty of water before and during your workout, and making sure your electrolyte levels are consistent -- potassium deficiency can be a cause of this exercise injury.
Bruises
If your exercise of choice is a contact sport, you're sure to experience one of the most common exercise -- and general -- injuries: bruising. According to the AAOS, bruising is technically called a muscle contusion, and it's the bleeding that occurs underneath your skin after a direct hit. Bruises can be tender after the fact but in most cases do not require any specialized treatment.
Inflammation
Inflammation is a broad term but encompasses some of the most common exercise injuries reported in the February 2010 issue of "Harvard Men's Health Watch." Bursitis, fasciitis and tendinitis are inflammatory conditions that are common to athletes, brought on mainly by overuse and repetitive motion. Bursitis is the inflammation of the bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that act like shock absorbers for your joints. Fasciitis is the condition of an inflamed fascia, which covers your muscles and tendons. The inflammation of your tendons is called tendinitis. Inflammation as an exercise injury is treated with ice to reduce swelling and dull the pain, anti-inflammatory medications and rest.
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