See what an NYC orthopedic sports medicine doctor has to say
More than ever, men and women are able to play the same sports, but there is still a big difference when it comes to their risk for injury. Everyone’s bodies are different, but in general, a female athlete’s body tends to have certain characteristics and performs differently than male athletes, even in the same sports.
These characteristics include:
- Less lean muscle mass
- Less calcium and vitamin D
- Narrower ACL space
- Wider pelvises
- Looser ligaments
- More body fat
These factors can increase the chances of a higher risk of certain kinds of injuries for women.
Common sports injuries for women
Understanding common sports injuries for female athletes can help women avoid getting hurt.
Women are more at risk for many common sports injuries, including overuse injuries. With less lean muscle mass than men and ligaments that are looser, the following common injuries can occur:
- Stress fractures: tiny cracks in a bone, commonly found in the lower leg and foot.
- Patellar tendinitis: an injury to the tendon connecting your shinbone to your kneecap.
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome: also known as "runner's knee."
- Lateral epicondylitis: also known as “tennis elbow.”
- Plantar fasciitis: an inflammation of a band of tissue connecting the heel bone to the toes.
- Shoulder injuries: rotator cuff injuries are common.
- Ankle sprain: an injury caused when the ankle rolls, twists, or turns awkwardly.
Although these injuries are common to all athletes, women seem to suffer these injuries more often.
How to avoid getting hurt
Female athletes can take steps to lower their risk of injury.
To stay off the disabled list, you should:
- Properly condition your body and keep in shape
- Wear proper protective gear
- Take plenty of time-outs to rest
- Learn the safe and proper techniques for your sport
- Perform stretching exercises
- Stay hydrated
How common are sports injuries?
You don’t have to be an elite professional to sustain a serious sports injury. All kinds of people get hurt playing a wide variety of sports – skiing, playing basketball or volleyball, or even just walking, hiking, or running.
What matters most is what you do after you’ve been injured. One of the best things you can do is to stop playing if you feel pain, even if the pain is minimal. You don’t want to make the injury worse, so call a timeout and get your injury looked at by a doctor with experience in sports medicine.
If you ignore the pain and let your injury go without proper treatment, it can become more severe later. Even a small injury can get worse if left untreated.
Schedule an appointment with an orthopedic doctor today
We know how serious sports injuries can be. You can suffer an injury that suddenly changes all aspects of your day-to-day living, bringing you pain and discomfort that impacts your overall ability to get around and even your ability to earn a living. Sometimes, surgery may be the best approach for you, or our surgeons may recommend non-surgical medical treatment for your injury, such as physical therapy.
We can help you get back to your active lifestyle and back to living your life to the fullest after your sports injury. Our surgeons have more than 100 years of combined medical experience and we deal with all kinds of sports injuries. We can diagnose what’s wrong quickly and accurately. Then we can come up with a plan to effectively treat and manage your injury.
Schedule an appointment with Island Musculoskeletal Care MD, PC at one of our offices in New York City or Long Island. Same-day, immediate appointments are available. Our offices are all equipped with the latest diagnostic equipment, including MRI. We’ll find out what’s wrong and start treating you right away. Call 1-888-BONE-DOC to book an immediate appointment.
