Sports injuries range from mild symptoms, which can safely be treated at home, to serious issues that can affect your mobility and even threaten your overall health. If you’re not a sports medicine expert, you may not be sure which symptoms mean a mild injury and which require a prompt trip to the doctor. The following symptoms could be a sign of a more serious condition that requires treatment.
Common Shoulder Symptoms to Watch
If you play basketball, baseball or other sports which can put a strain on your arms and shoulders, look out for:
- Weakening of the shoulder joint.
- Shoulder pain when you lift your arms.
- Grinding, clicking or other unusual sounds when you move your shoulder.
All of these can indicate a serious injury that may not get better on its own. A deep ache in the front of the shoulder, for example, could indicate injury to the biceps tendon, while a popping sound could indicate rotator cuff tears, bursitis or other issues. A sports medicine doctor can evaluate your injury to properly diagnose you and ensure you get the right treatment to get back to your game.
Hip Symptoms to Keep an Eye Out For
Many sports require you to run and this can put stress on your hips. Stay alert for:
- Mobility issues and stiffness around the hip.
- A sensation of weakness around the hip.
- Pain in the hip area, which may spread outward from the hip into the legs and back.
- Clicking or unusual noises from the joint when you walk or run.
- The sense of the hip “locking up.”
Some of these symptoms can indicate a labral tear, which can worsen without correct treatment and can cause the joint to stop functioning correctly. Proper diagnosis and treatment is essential, and it begins with you catching symptoms early and seeking medical attention.
Knee Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore
Soccer, basketball and many other sports put pressure on your knees and can put you at risk of knee injury. These injuries can be caused by direct impact with the knee or overuse or tearing. Symptoms can include:
- Pain or mobility issues which prevent you from doing everyday activities such as walking or bending.
- Swelling of the knee.
- Weakness of the knee, including weakness which makes you feel like you might fall down.
- Popping or other unusual sounds from the knee.
Knee problems can affect your ability to play sports, run, drive or even walk, so a proper diagnosis and early treatment is important for any injuries.
Elbow Symptoms to Look For
Tennis is famous for being hard on the elbows. Squash, baseball, golf and other sports can also cause elbow injuries. Always seek medical attention if you experience:
- Shooting pains in your elbow.
- Swelling.
- Stiffness or difficulty moving your elbow.
Untreated elbow injuries can lead to difficulties carrying out a number of day to day tasks, so it’s a good idea to reach out to a sports medicine doctor for help with these symptoms.
Reach Out to a Doctor Today
If you notice any of these or other symptoms in your elbows, knees, hips or shoulders, book an appointment with Dr. Mufaddal Gombera, a board-certified, fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon in Houston. We are pleased to specialize in sports injury and offer cutting-edge medical surgeries for your injuries.