Few things are more damaging to a dedicated athlete's motivation and confidence than a sports injury. No matter what level of athletics you compete at or what sport you participate in, an athlete is never immune to injuries.
Hockey is regarded as a hard-hitting, collision sport. Players risk injury from high-impact collisions with each other, and the rigid boards that mark the boundaries of the rink.
Impact with a skate blade, hockey sticks, and pucks traveling at high speed are also common causes of injury.
Common Acute Injuries
Ankle sprains/strains
Ankle sprains are the most common type of ankle injury among athletes.
The ligaments of the ankle keep the anklebones and joint in the correct position. They protect the ankle joint from abnormal, unnatural movements- especially exaggerated twisting, turning, and rolling of the foot.
A ligament is a flexible, elastic structure. A healthy ligament usually stretches within its limits, and then returns to a normal position. A sprain occurs when a ligament is forced to stretch beyond its natural range of movement.
A severe sprain can cause actual tearing of the elastic fibers of the ligament.
Ankles sprains are often the result of landing from a jump on an imbalanced foot, or on an uneven surface such as another player's foot.
People who have had an ankle sprain or strain are at further risk while in the recovery stage. In an effort to provide greater support the ankle should be supported with a properly designed shoe and a correctly fitted ankle and foot wrap.
Dr. Roth's Ultimate All-Purpose Wrap is engineered to provide maximum support, compression and comfort. When a strain or injury has occurred and support is required; a wrap that will perform and can be adjusted to the desired tension is an absolute must.
Hamstring injuries
The hamstring muscle runs the length of the posterior thigh and is prone to both acute and chronic injuries.
Intense physical activity subjects these muscles to high-tension stresses and sudden, painful tears can occur.
Risk factors that predispose to acute hamstring injury are:
- Inadequate stretching, and warm-up
- Poor flexibility
Chronic hamstring injuries often occur as the result of an inadequately rehabilitated acute injury, but may arise as the result of small amounts of repeated trauma over an extended period.
Poor hamstring flexibility greatly increases the likelihood of small tears in the fibrous tissue, which can cause the muscle to shorten and get tighter
Knee injuries
Dislocation of the kneecap
A dislocated patella is a serious, painful, and often debilitating injury of the knee. Dislocation of the kneecap occurs when the patella slides out of alignment with the rest of the knee.
Dislocations are commonly caused by poor leg alignment, and lowering to a kneeling position too swiftly, or with excessive force.
Knee tear
Tears and ruptures of the ACL, and PCL ligaments are a painful and unfortunately common occurrence in athletics. They often occur when athletes decelerate rapidly, followed by a sharp or abrupt change in direction- a common maneuver in many sports.
Dr. Roth's Ultimate All-Purpose Wrap is engineered to provide the necessary support, compression and comfort to help aid in the healing of a serious knee injury.
Patellar tendonitis
Patellar tendonitis, also known as jumper's knee, is the painful inflammation of the patellar tendon where it connects to the patella.
It is an overuse injury from repetitive overloading of the extensor mechanism of the knee. The micro-tears exceed the body's healing mechanism unless the activity is stopped.
The injury occurs in many athletes, but is most common in sports such as volleyball, or basketball, which require sudden, explosive upward movements.
Stress fractures
A stress fracture, also known as a hairline fracture, is an incomplete fracture of the bone- manifesting as a very small sliver or crack.
Stress fractures typically occur in weight-bearing bones, such as the tibia and metatarsals.
Dr. Roth's Ultimate All-Purpose Wrap is engineered to provide the necessary support, compression and comfort to help alleviate pain associated with stress fractures.
Common Overuse Injuries
Achilles tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis is a painful condition caused by the inflammation, and irritation of the Achilles tendon.
The Achilles tendon runs the length of the posterior leg, extending to the heel.
Excessive shoe stiffness, caused by improperly fitted footwear and tying laces too tightly, is a common contributing factor to Achilles tendonitis.
Dr. Roth recommends FABS or MAGFABS to help alleviate pain associated with Achilles tendonitis.
Plantar fasciitis
The plantar fascia is the thick, connective tissue that supports the arch of the foot. It originates at the heel and extends to the base of the toes.
The plantar fascia tightens and stretches each time the foot is used, and is highly prone to overuse- especially if the arch is not supported by proper footwear.
Pain is usually experienced on the inside of the heel and along the arch.
Flat feet, also known as overpronation, are the leading cause of plantar fasciitis.
Dr. Roth recommends FABS or MAGFABS to help alleviate Plantar Fasciitis pain caused by pronation.
Shin splints
Shin splints is the term used to refer to a painful condition of the shinbone, also known as the tibia, caused by small tears in the connective tissues that attach the muscles to the bone.
The overworking of the shinbone, and the affixed connective tissues that attach your muscles to the bone, is a major cause shin splints.
Supportive compression wraps, such as Dr. Roth's Ultimate All-Purpose Wrap, assist in healing by reducing strain, and providing essential support to the affected area.
Pronation is also a common cause of shin splints. Pronation is the rolling motion of the foot from heel to toe while walking, jogging, or running. Too flat of a foot or too high of an arch can bring on a number of leg and knee injuries.
Dr. Roth recommends FABS or MAGFABS to help alleviate shin splints caused by pronation.
Common Foot Conditions
Athlete's foot
Athlete's foot is a common fungal infection, which grows in dark, moist conditions. A perspiring foot in tight, closed shoes provides the perfect environment for the athlete's foot fungus to thrive.
Athlete's foot can be transmitted from person-to-person in moist environments where people walk barefoot, such as a shower or locker room.
Dr. Roth suggests the use of the Foot Fixer Kit to help resolve the fungus problems associated with athlete's foot.
Blisters
Blisters can be caused by the repeated rubbing of skin against the inside of the athletic shoe. Shoes that fit incorrectly can cause blisters, as can the process of breaking in a new shoe.
Blisters can be prevented or lessened by carefully wrapping the athlete's toes with medical tape, or using some type of thin padding.
Calluses
Calluses are thickened areas of skin, which form on the bottom and sides of the feet. Too much callusing can indicate poorly fitted shoes.
Thick calluses may crack or bleed and can often become quite painful.
Dr. Roth recommends TABS arch supports to help cushion, support and protect areas of the foot sensitive to excessive callus formation.
Corns
Corns can result from improperly fitted shoes and generally form in places that do not usually bear weight.
Heel spurs
Heel spurs are caused when calcium deposits are formed in response to the plantar fascia pulling away from the heel. Excessive stretching of the plantar fascia can lead to heel and arch pain, and heel spurs.
Dr. Roth recommends the use of FABS or MAGFABS to help alleviate pain associated with heel spurs.
External Links
- American Collegiate Hockey Association
- CBC Digital Archives - The Spirit of Hockey
