5 Most Common Injuries Females Sustain and How to Prevent Them
There are some obvious differences between men and women and some of these differences can lead to an increased risk of injury. Here we explain our top five most common sports injuries for women and why they affect women more than men. We also look at what you can do to try to prevent them to keep you doing the activities the love.
1. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury
An ACL sprain is a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament in the middle of the knee joint and is the clear winner in terms of female injuries compared to males. The main reason for this is, unfortunately, is an anatomical one where women have wider hips which means the biomechanics of the knee are different. In particular, the angle between the thigh bone (femur) and the shin bone (tibia), which is known as the Q angle (quadriceps femoris angle) is increased. The average Q angle in women is up to 5 degrees higher than in men which can lead to poor knee control and an increased risk of valgus, or sideways forces on the knee, especially when landing from a jump or turning.
You can help to prevent ACL injuries by improving the proprioception (also known as the coordination) of the leg by doing exercises such as the single leg balance. Simply stand on one leg and time how long you can balance. Close your eyes to make it more difficult or use a wobble balance board or cushion. This should be done both in standing and after landing from a jump. The other most effective way to prevent ACL injuries in females is to improve the strength of the quadriceps muscles and ensure that the hamstring and quadriceps muscles are well balanced (equal) in terms of strength.
2. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
This is pain that is experienced around the front of the knee and is often felt around or under the kneecap. It is common in sporty or active girls and is usually due to changes in biomechanics in the legs combined with reduced quadriceps strength, again linked to an increased Q-angle. Another reported cause of pattelofemoral pain is reduced strength of the gluteal (buttock) muscles because one of their main functions is to turn the hip and knee outwards and therefore weakness can lead to both the knee and foot turning in and increasing the Q-angle even further.
To prevent patellofemoral pain syndrome, I typically work on improving the strength of both the gluteal and quadriceps muscles with my clients to improve the overall stability at the knee which reduces the amount of stress on the patellofemoral joint.
3. Stress Fractures in the Lower Leg
Stress fractures are fine hairline cracks or fractures in the bone and are common in the foot and lower leg. They are caused by overuse, resulting in abnormal and repetitive loads or stresses. Stress fractures are more common in female athletes, especially those who suffer from ‘the female triad’ and often occur in the shin bone (tibia stress fracture) and the bones of the foot (metatarsal stress fracture). The female triad is a condition that is characterized by a combination of poor nutrition, lack of a menstrual period during reproduction age and a reduction in bone density.
Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet that is appropriate for the number of calories burned per day is one solution. Another good way to prevent stress fractures from occurring is avoiding overtraining and/or abruptly increasing your training intensity too quickly.
4. Ankle Sprains
Ankle sprains are tears to the ligaments, usually on the outside of the ankle. They are very common in both men and women, but especially in women. Possible reasons for this may be poor lower body strength, in particular ankle stability, causing an increased risk of injury especially when running or changing direction. If there are imbalances between the muscles that support the inside and outside of the ankle, then the ankle might be at risk of injury.
My advice is to improve overall lower leg strength and proprioception (balance and coordination). Exercises to improve proprioception such as single leg balance drills have been proved to be very effective in reducing the chances of sustaining an ankle sprain. Try seeing how long you can stand on one leg with your eyes closed and aim to increase the time each day!
5. Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis is probably the most common cause of heel pain and is due to inflammation or injury to the tissues in the sole of the foot from repetitive stretching or overload to the plantar fascia in the sole of the foot. In women, it is often due to regularly changing footwear, such as from high heeled shoes to flat shoes. The plantar fascia supports the long arch on the inside of the foot and regularly changing shoes affects how much support the tissues can provide, therefore causing excessive strain stress on the foot.
My main but simple piece of advice is to avoid changing from very flat or high heeled shoes, especially if you spend a significant time on your feet during the day. Sneakers, or tennis shoes, are the ideal type of shoe as they provide cushioning in the foot whilst also supporting the arches. It is very important to wear shoes that have an arch in them that can effectively take the stress away from the plantar fascia. If you already have plantar fasciitis there is a lot you can do to cure it including strengthening, stretching, taping, night splints, deep tissue massage, icing, orthotic shoe insoles and more.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr. Garrett Desrosiers PT, DPT
Garrett is the CEO and Co-Owner of ProResults Physical Therapy Inc. in San Marcos, CA (North San Diego County). Garrett has been helping on-the-go active adults and athletes across the south western United States return to a pain-free active lifestyle without medications, injections, surgery or making unnecessary trips to the physician’s office since 2015. He graduated in 2013 with his Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology then went on to receive his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Husson University in 2015. After working for three years in multiple fast paced outpatient orthopedic physical therapy clinics, Garrett quickly realized he was not able to provide the elite quality care he knew his clients deserved. Garrett felt clients were more than just a number or diagnosis and that in order to provide the time, empathy, passion, and high-quality treatment they deserved, starting his own private practice was the only option. Garrett is committed to helping every client make the best decision in regard to their health. His unique, personalized, eclectic, multifaceted approach takes those individuals who have decreased their activities or stopped being active all together to a real solution.