Foot and Ankle injuries include any injuries that occur below the knee. These types of injuries occur whilst playing sports such as football, hockey, skating among many other activities.

Common injuries include sprains and strains, fractures in the ankles, and Achilles tendonitis. These can be treated by the use of orthotics, braces, completing physiotherapy or having injection treatment.

Shoulder injuries occur whilst playing sports such as tennis, basketball and gymnastics due to possible tearing of ligaments or dislocation.

These happen when the shoulder has been overused whilst playing the sport. Simple pains or acute injuries can be treated using conservative treatments. Chronic injuries will often require surgery.

Hip injuries occur due to the hip bearing more weight than other joints, meaning that it is more susceptible to injury whilst participating in sports.

Common injuries vary from fractures in the femur, labral tears or hip dislocation. Immediate medical intervention is required when sustaining a hip injury to avoid further complications from occurring. Physiotherapy and rehabilitation is required after medical treatment to help strengthen the muscles and improve the joint.

Common knee injuries include knee and cartilage damage, meniscal tearing and the most frequently occurring injury is the tearing of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

The ACL is the major stabilising ligament in the knee and is difficult to heal, leading to instability of the knee. Injuries to the knee may require surgery that can be either minimally invasive, such as arthroscopy, or open surgeries. Physiotherapy and rehabilitation is required after medical treatment to help strengthen the muscles and improve the joint.

Basic prevention for injuries before they occur include, not pushing too hard too fast, wearing the correct equipment, avoiding overuse caused injuries, allowing your body time to heal after an injury or hard game and inspecting the playing area prior to activity.

Home prevention is also important when looking to prevent sport injuries. These include stopping immediate activity if an injury has been caused, RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate), support the injured area with a sling, splint or bandage if immobilisation is required, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen can be a good way to assist in reducing pain and inflammation.

There are quite a few factors that you should consider in order to prevent injury when taking part in sports activities. Personal risk factors include gender, age, weight, body fat and height.

One should also take into consideration congenital irregularities (such as flat feet, high arches, knocked knees, bow legs), lack of muscular flexibility, coordination, balance, speed, strength, and endurance.