Sprained Ankle! ugh

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A Sprained Ankle is one of the absolute most common injuries in almost all sports. A sprained ankle can range from a small strain to a complete rupture but hopefully shouldn't keep you out of action for too long. Here's how to speed up your recovery though :)


Symptoms: The symptoms of a sprained ankle depend on what "degree" of injury you have suffered. There are 3 different degrees... so here they are

1st Degree ~ is a stretching or tearing of the ligament, characterized by little or no instability, little pain, little swelling, and only some joint stiffness

2nd Degree ~ involves some tearing of ligament fibers, characterized by moderate instability, moderate to severe pain, and swelling and stiffness

3rd Degree ~ is a total rupture of the ligament, characterized by gross instability, sever pain followed by no pain, and severe swelling


Anatomy: Your talo-fibula ligament, sometimes the calcanao-fibula ligament too, depending on the degree of your injury


Treatment: Try to reduce the swelling ASAP with RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation), protect the ankle with tape and support such as a brace (don't rely on support for too long though because that is counter-productive for the rehab of your ankle), extra rest, use crutches if necessary
~ A sports injury specialist can prescribe anti-inflammatory medications, use compression devices, use ultrasound/laser therapy, use cross-friction massage techniques, and give you a full rehab program.


Prevention: Wear stable shoes, stretch so that any tight muscles in your calf don't put extra stress on the Achilles, strengthen your ankles, walking on your heals for 3-5 minutes is a good exercise, avoid shoes that throw your foot off balance, make sure you have a healthy diet

The Dreaded Patella Tendonitis

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Patella Tendonitis, also known as Jumpers' Knee, is very common with volleyball players. It is usually caused by extreme stress such as repetitive jumping, which could create partial ruptures and lead to inflammation and degeneration. It is mostly the result of overuse. It can get pretty ugly here is what you need to know, hopefully to keep you from an advanced stage of the dreaded patella tendonitis.


Symptoms: Go figure, the only symptom is pain just below your knew during or after a workout, usually becoming more acute when you place direct weight on your knee while running or jumping etc.


Anatomy: Patella tendon, connecting kneecap to tibia


Treatment: *Depends on the extent of the injury. There are 4 "grades" of injury, getting progressively worse. Each one requires a little more proactive treatment.

Grade 1 ~ Characterized by pain after exercise. Continue training but apply ice after each session, wear a heat retainer/support, a sports injury specialist can use sports massage techniques

Grade 2 ~ Characterized by pain before and after exercise. Modify your training sessions (shorten them or try an exercise that puts less stress on the knee. Try swimming or biking instead of running and jumping), stop jumping, a sports injury specialist can apply sports massage techniques and give you uniques exercises for rehab.

Grade 3 ~ Characterized by pain before, during, and after exercise. Rest completely from aggravating activity, a sports injury specialist can use sports massage techniques and give you a complete rehab program.

Grade 4 ~ Characterized by constant pain even during everyday activities. Rest (for at least 3 months!), a sports injury specialist can still use sports massage techniques and get you a rehab program, as well as prescribe medication, use ultrasound/laser treatment, use cross friction massage techniques. If need does not respond adequately to these treatments, you need to see an orthopedic surgeon who could operate.

Surgery ~ techniques include detachment of the patella tendon from the inferior pole, excision of the degenerative nodule, drilling, or excision of the inferior pole
~Successful 60%-90%
~patient must usually wear a straight brace for 2-4 weeks
~Risks include infection (as with all surgeries), stiffness of the knee, suture reaction, failure of satisfactory healing, all normal risks of anesthesia, phlebitis (inflammation of a vein), pulmonary embolus (blood clot in the lungs), and persistent pain or weakness even after surgery and repair.


Prevention: Strengthen legs and keep muscles balances so that your upper leg muscles aren't pulling harding on your tendon than your lower leg muscles, stretch, and give your body enough recovery time between workouts, practices, games, etc.

Hand Injuries (Thumb Sprain)

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Hand injuries and finger sprains are extremely common while playing volleyball. When blocking or hitting it is easy to contact the ball awkwardly and hurt fingers. It happens to the best of us. Here's how to deal with it. :)

Symptoms: Pain when the thumb or finger is bent backwards, pain in the web of the finger when it is moved, swelling, muscle weakness


Anatomy: Metacarpo-phalangeal joint (the lowest joint of the finger where it connects with the hand)


Treatment: Rest, a proper tape technique to support the joint, ice, compression, and mobilization exercises to keep the muscle from atrophying


Prevention: the only "prevention" really is to work on strengthening exercises to prevent re-injury and increase stability

That was easy! A hand injury shouldn't keep you out too long, if at all :)

(Volleyball Shoulder)

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A common injury for avid volleyball players is... *drum roll please* Volleyball Shoulder! Go figure. The medically correct name for this is Suprascapular Neuropathy. It is thought to be caused by float serving because a player must stop their follow through directly after contact for the best effect.


Symptoms: Common symptoms include a report of deep, dull, aching pain, weakness or lack of endurance when preforming overhead sports specific activities, pain when stretching your arm across your body, and pain caused by pressure. It often seems at first like a rotator cuff problem and can sometimes be mistreated.


Human Anatomy Involved: The suprascapular nerve in the Brachial Plexus of your shoulder. The brachial plexus is a group of nerves running out along the shoulder and down the arm a little past the shoulder.


Treatment: Rest and ice is all you can really do for it. A sports injury specialist though can put you on a rehab program involving exercises for shoulder stability and rotator cuff strength. They can also help you modify your activities to decrease symptoms and pain.


Prevention: There is no solid evidence as to what could prevent this injury. Medical experts are not even sure exactly what causes the injury. The only thing to do really is to stop float serving. Try using a top spinning serve with a full follow through.

Rotator Cuff Tear

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A rotator cuff tear is very common in many sports where your arm is above your head a lot. "Wow! My arm is above my head a lot in volleyball!" Yeah... it happens a lot to volleyball players. :) Here is some basic information to help you identify, treat, and prevent rotator cuff injuries.


Symptoms: Pain on the outside of the shoulder and upper arm, pain when lifting the arm above your head, and general pain in the evening and night. Decreased strength when pushing outward and raising the arm. A doctor would be able to target the location of your tear based on where your weakness is centralized. People who have torn their rotator cuff often complain that combing their hair and reaching behind their back is especially difficult.


Muscles involved: Infraspinatus, teres minor, and supraspinatus


Treatment: Rest and ice for 2-4 days during the acute stage of the injury. Apply heat later. A sports injury specialist might prescribe anti-inflammatory medications, apply ultrasound or laser treatment, and use massage and stretching techniques. They would also be able to put you on a rehab program that incorporates stretches and exercises for quicker recovery.


Prevention: Proper strength training is key here. Make sure you incorporate outward rotation exercises using elastic or light weights. Always make sure you stretch adequately before playing as well.