National Physical Fitness and Sports Month: How Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel Can Reduce Pain from the Most Common Orthopedic Soccer Injuries

Soccer 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. Soccer 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 soccer injuries and how Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel can improve your training experience and recovery time!

 

1. 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. The most common soccer knee injury, 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.

Soccer puts considerable pressure on the knee, especially sudden motions like pivoting and cutting, or quick deceleration from running. 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.

2. 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.

Soccer 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Hamstring Injuries

The most common sports injury, hamstring injuries involve pain and tearing in the muscles on the back of your thigh. These muscles are responsible for hip and knee movements in walking, squatting, bending your knees, and tilting your pelvis, as well as decelerating your lower leg during the "swing phase" (when your foot is off the ground) of the running cycle.

• Symptoms: Straining, tightness, and weakness in your hamstring that develops gradually, which can lead to a sudden tear. An injured hamstring might feel tender to the touch and look bruised at the site.
• Causes: Muscle overload, which causes strains and tears as the muscle lengthens and contracts during use. Can also happen suddenly if the muscle is stretched too far or strained too suddenly. Can be the result of poor conditioning and muscle imbalances, muscle fatigue, or exercising with tight muscles.

7. Stress Fractures

Hairline cracks in your bones that occur with repetitive impact and stress.

• Symptoms: Pain that gradually worsens over time and gets worse during activity, often accompanied by swelling, bruising, or tenderness at the site of the fracture. The bones in the foot are particularly susceptible.
• Causes: An overuse and repetitive stress injury, stress fractures occur with repeated impact or stress on a bone, especially when the intensity, duration, or type of exercise is suddenly changed. Most common among runners or athletes who jump a lot.

8. Shin Splints

Medial tibial stress syndrome, commonly known as shin splints, involves pain in your lower legs along your shinbone.

• Symptoms: Pain and inflammation in the leg between the knee and ankle, particularly along the front of your leg.
• Causes: A cumulative stress disorder, shin splints come from the repeated impact your legs take during running, particularly on hard surfaces. Most common among runners and competitors in stop-start sports like soccer, basketball, and tennis. Left unaddressed this can cause stress fractures.

 

How Can Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel Help Reduce Pain from Soccer 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 vulnerable areas like feet.
• 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 soccer or other sports injuries? Click here to try Mountain Ice Sports Recovery Gel today to get back on your feet!