Soccer injuries are very common. They can happen almost instantly and you have no control over it. When a player makes a bad challenge or the timing of a tackle is off, players can get serious hurt or injured.
Overuse of the leg muscles can also cause injuries over time as the stress builds up and the legs do not have enough time to recover. Something as simple as a muscle ache or joint ache can soon lead to a more serious injury if not properly healed and taken care of.
Here are some of the the very common injuries that occur in soccer.
Ankle sprain
The most common of them all. This happens when there is a tear in the ligaments surrounding the ankle joint.
Muscle Cramp
A muscle cramp is very sudden and can be really painful. This happens when a forcibly contracting muscle does not relax.
Concussion
This happens when there is a sudden knock or impact to the head. Can be very painful and dangerous.
Metatarsal Injury
Often reffered to as a broken foot. The matatarsal bone in the foot becomes fractured or broken.
Hamstring pull, strain or tear
Common among runners. This can happen if the runners have not properly warmed up and stretched muscles properly or overuse of the muscle.
Knee Injury – Meniscus Injuries
Knee injuries can be some of the worst. These can sometimes be career threatening.
Sprained Wrist
Goalkeepers can suffer this when making saves. People are constantly blasting the ball at them so it can happen.
Broken Finger
Can occur when the ball clips the fingers as the keeper is trying to make a save.
Of course you cannot stop an injury completely but they can be reduced. With proper training and conditioning, injuries such as muscle cramps and muscle pulls can be reduced. Impact injuries cannot be helped but by strengthening certain muscles, they can make you stronger and therefore reduce the injury.
Soccer warm-up excersises are particulary important to help prevent injuries. By warming up, players can also stretch their muscles to make sure they are flexible when they are running, that way they can reduce the risk of muscle cramps, pulls and tears.