Common Injuries

By The DAHLC • January 31, 2017


Our staff at the Healthy Living Center stress the importance of a well-balanced exercise routine, including proper warm-up and cool-down, to promote injury prevention. However, we do know that injuries happen. Listed below are the most common injuries our staff receive questions on and suggestions from Mayo Clinic experts to help address them. Click the link to get the recommendations.

  1. Tendinitis (such as tennis elbow): The pain of tennis elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on the outside of your elbow. Pain can also spread into your forearm and wrist.
  2. Muscle Pull or Strain: A sprain is a stretching or tearing of ligaments — the tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect two bones together in your joints. The most common location for a sprain is in your ankle. A strain is a stretching or tearing of muscle or tendon. A tendon is a fibrous cord of tissue that connects muscles to bones. Strains often occur in the lower back and in the hamstring muscle in the back of your thigh.
  3. Sprained Ankle: A sprained ankle is an injury that occurs when you roll, twist or turn your ankle in an awkward way. This can stretch or tear the tough bands of tissue (ligaments) that help hold your ankle bones together.
  4. Shoulder Injury: The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder. A rotator cuff injury can cause a dull ache in the shoulder, which often worsens when you try to sleep on the involved side.
  5. Knee Injury: Knee pain is a common complaint that affects people of all ages. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage.
  6. Shin Splints: The term "shin splints" refers to pain along the shin bone (tibia) — the large bone in the front of your lower leg. Shin splints are common in runners, dancers and military recruits.
  7. Wrist Pain: Wrist pain is a common complaint. It's often caused by sprains or fractures from sudden injuries. But wrist pain can also result from long-term problems, such as repetitive stress, arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

If you have any concerns about your injury or if you're experiencing unusual pain, please consult your physician.