How Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel Can Reduce Pain from the Most Common Orthopedic Football Injuries

Football is a great way to stay in shape and maintain good cardiovascular health while sharing the love of a sport with other people, but dedicated players know the risks of injuries. Football players put enormous stress on their bodies through repetitive stress, long practice hours, and limited recovery periods. Read on below to learn the most common types of orthopedic football injuries and how Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel can improve your training experience and recovery time!

 

1. Rotator Cuff Tear

The muscles and tendons that surround and stabilize the shoulder joint are known collectively as the rotator cuff. They help rotate your shoulder and arm away and towards your body. Constant wear and tear from throwing makes this a common quarterback's injury. Symptoms include:

• A dull ache deep in the shoulder.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Shoulder and arm weakness.
• Pain at rest, especially when lying on the injured shoulder.

Rotator cuff tears can be partial (damages the tendon) or full-thickness (separates the tendon from the bone). They can be acute, a sudden tear caused by an accident, but most in baseball are degenerative, happening over a longer period of heavy use. Causes include:

• Gradual tendon damage: small tears in the rotator cuff increase with time and use, breaking down the ligaments and muscle tissue.
• Overuse.
• Lack of recovery time.

2. Dislocated Shoulder

An injury that involves your upper arm bone popping out of your shoulder socket, which can happen completely or partially. This may also involve stretching or tearing the connective tissue that reinforces your shoulder joint. Symptoms include:

• Joint immobility: inability to move the shoulder.
• Intense pain.
• Swelling or bruising.
• Muscle spasms
• Visible deformation, including your shoulder looking out of place.
• Numbness, weakness, or tingling: at the site of the injury or nearby, in places like the neck or lower arm.

It takes considerable force to dislocate a shoulder, but it's the most frequent dislocation to happen. It's a common injury in contact sports like football. Causes include:

• Extreme rotation.
• Strong force applied to the shoulder, such as a sudden blow.

3. ACL Injury

Sprain or tear of the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), a ligament that connects the femur to the tibia through the center of the knee. An ACL injury will likely require an MRI to properly diagnose. Symptoms may vary in intensity but can include:

• A loud popping sound or sensation in the knee.
• Pain: ranging from sore to severe.
• Swelling.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Trouble walking or putting pressure on injured leg.
• Feeling of instability, or "giving way" when pressure is put on leg.

Football puts considerable pressure on the knee, especially sudden motions like pivoting and cutting. The ACL keeps the knee stable in response to the force of a player planting their foot and rotating their body. If the twisting force is too much for the ACL, it can rupture. Causes include:

• Sudden directional changes.
• Pivoting with a planted foot.
• Sudden stops.
• Awkward landings from jumps.
• Direct blows to the knee, such as from a tackle.

4. MCL Injury

Sprain or tear of the MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament), a ligament that connects the femur to the tibia along the inside of the knee. An MCL injury will likely require an MRI to properly diagnose. Symptoms may vary in intensity but can include:

• A loud popping sound or sensation in the knee.
• Pain: ranging from sore to severe.
• Swelling.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Trouble walking or putting pressure on injured leg.
• Feeling of instability, or "giving way" when pressure is put on leg.

Football puts considerable pressure on the knee, especially sudden motions like pivoting and cutting. The MCL keeps the knee stable in response to the force of a player planting their foot and rotating their body. If the twisting force is too much for the MCL, it can rupture. Causes include:

• Sudden directional changes.
• Pivoting with a planted foot.
• Sudden stops.
• Awkward landings from jumps.
• Direct blows to the knee, such as from a tackle.

5. Meniscus Tear

A common injury even among non-athletes, a meniscus tear also commonly accompanies injuries to other parts of the knee. The meniscus comprises a pair of crescent-shaped pieces of cartilage that stabilize the knee joint; one is found on the inside parts of the joint (medial), and the other on the outside (lateral). Symptoms include:

• Pain.
• Swelling.
• A popping sensation during the injury.
• Reduced range of motion: particularly with difficulty in bending or straightening the leg.
• A repeated sensation of the knee getting "stuck" or locked up.

As the meniscus degrades with age, tears are especially common among older athletes. Other causes include:

• Sudden directional changes.
• Pivoting with a planted foot.
• Sudden stops.
• Awkward landings from jumps.
• Direct blows to the knee, such as from a tackle.

6. Achilles Tendonitis

Inflammation of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects your calf muscles to your heel bone. Symptoms include:

• Pain and swelling in the backside of your heel while walking or running, sometimes also accompanied by calf muscle tightness.
• Heel skin is warm to the touch: a sign of inflammation
• Limited range of motion when flexing your foot.

This is often an overuse injury, although specific motions associated with football may contribute as well:

• Excessive exercise
• Lack of warmup
• Poor footwear.
• Sudden directional changes when playing or practicing.
• Sudden stops when playing or practicing.

7. Ankle Sprain

A sprained ankle occurs when you twist, turn, or otherwise move your ankle in an awkward way, stretching or tearing the ligaments, the connective tissue that helps connect your ankle bones. Symptoms include:

• Pain and swelling in the ankle.
• Ankle bruising and discoloration.
• Limited range of motion.

Ankle sprains are a common sports injury. Although overuse can increase their risk, they're typically the result of a sudden accident. Causes include:

• A stretched or torn ligament due to the ankle being moved out of normal position.

 

How Can Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel Help Reduce Pain from Football Injuries?

Injuries are extremely common for athletes and tend to develop gradually due to repetitive stress on the legs combined with poor or limited downtime after exercise. Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel is a unique formulation of high-quality, all-natural ingredients designed to reduce muscle, joint, tendon, and ligament soreness and strain after exercise! Our ingredients have been specially chosen to reduce inflammation and strain after physical activity:

• Menthol: Its cooling sensation numbs pain, providing immediate relief, while it widens blood vessels to improve circulation and deliver more oxygen and nutrients to damaged areas.
• MSM: Prevents breakdown of connective tissue like ligaments and reduces inflammation.
• Spearmint: Soothes pain and muscle contractions, reducing stress on the foot.
• Aloe Vera: Anti-inflammatory plant that promotes faster muscle recovery.
• Camphor: Cooling pain reliever that reduces swelling from injury and increases circulation.
• Vitamin E: Reduces muscle soreness and encourages muscle rebuilding, strengthening the foot's support.
• Green Tea Extract: Powerful antioxidant that reduces the oxidative stress that can cause inflammation.
• Arnica Flower: Relieves inflammation and muscle soreness while improving circulation.
• Turmeric: Inhibits inflammatory response while promoting deep absorption of ingredients, fighting pain at its source.

 

Are you looking for pain relief from football or other sports injuries? Click here to try Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel today to get back on your feet!