More Americans are participating in sports than ever before. Thirty years ago, only about 15% of American adults and children took part in sports. Today, that number has jumped up over the 20% mark.

This has led to an increase in the number of sports injuries that people suffer each year. Joint pain, in particular, has been on the rise among those who play sports in this country.

Knee and hip pain are two of the most common sports injuries. They force millions of people to seek knee and hip pain in athletes treatment every year.

So, what is it that causes joint pain in so many athletes throughout the country? There are a few things to blame for it. Find out more about them below.

Arthritis

Arthritis affects almost 60 million Americans every year. Many of these people experience severe joint pain that can make it difficult for them to do something as simple as walking around.

As you can probably imagine, arthritis can take quite a toll on athletes. This is largely because there isn't a cure for arthritis, which means that the best athletes can do is try to manage the pain and stiffness that comes along with it.

If you've been diagnosed with arthritis, you should look into some of the potential treatment methods that might be available to you. Something like our hip pain in athletes treatment might help you continue to take part in sports without being in pain all the time.

Tendinitis

There are thick fibrous cords throughout your body that are designed to connect your muscles to your bones. These cords can get inflamed at times and cause joint pain in your knees, hips, shoulders, wrists, and more.

Many cases of knee pain in teenage athletes are the result of tendinitis. These athletes are typically still growing, and it can lead to problems with the cords that are used to attach their muscles to their bones.

Those with a muscle imbalance in their body as well as those with inadequate strength in their muscles might also be at an increased risk of injury due to tendinitis. You should be able to make tendinitis go away by giving your body time to recover from it and working on strengthening the muscles near your joints.

Sprains and Strains

Sprains and strains are some of the most common sports injuries around. More often than not, an athlete who is experiencing joint pain will have that pain because of a sprain or strain.

A sprain refers to the overstretching of a ligament at a joint. A ligament is used to connect two bones together, and when it gets sprained, it'll often cause pain. An ankle sprain is a great example of a sprain that athletes often suffer.

A strain, on the other hand, refers to the overstretching of a muscle or tendon. Many athletes have become far too familiar with hamstring strains and back strains.

Using the RICE method is a good way to treat sprains and strains. But you might also need to take more advanced measures and meet with Arizona pain specialists if this method doesn't do the trick.

Tears

Most sports will call for people to make all kinds of quick movements that can put a real strain on the cartilage and ligaments that are located in their joints. This can lead to these things tearing on them if they aren't careful.

A torn meniscus, for example, is a very common cause of knee pain in teenage female and male athletes. Torn MCLs and ACLs are also pretty common among athletes of all ages.

In most instances, tears like these will need to be treated with surgery. But depending on the severity of a tear, there might also be other advanced pain management methods that can be used to make things right in an athlete's joint.

Dislocation

A dislocation is one of the worst sports injuries that you can suffer. When you dislocate a shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, or wrist, the bone situated in your joint will get moved from where it should be, which can lead to a whole lot of pain.

The good news is that pain doctors can usually put a bone back into place to fix a dislocation. But some dislocations can lead to everything from muscle tears to nerve damage that might not go away for a long time. It's why you will need to set out to get a dislocated joint treated ASAP.

Fracture

There are many bones, both big and small, that make up the joints throughout your body. If you ever get hit hard enough in one of these bones or fall down on one of them awkwardly, it can lead to one or more of them breaking.

When you fracture a bone in one of your joints, you aren't going to be able to continue to play sports at all in most cases. Unlike some of the other sports injuries listed here, it'll put you in a position where you'll need to get immediate medical care. You also will more than likely get stuck on the sideline for an extended period of time.

Bursitis

There are some athletes who will play the same sport and make many of the same movements over and over and over again. This will sometimes lead to them developing a painful condition called bursitis.

Bursitis causes small sacs that provide cushioning for joints to become inflamed. Many young athletes who play just one sport will get bursitis because they'll overuse certain joints in their bodies.

If bursitis isn't treated properly, it can lead to chronic pain that a person will have to live with for life. People should try to avoid bursitis by not making too repetitive motions with their joints and by giving their joints a break as often as they can.

Call Us to Find an Effective Knee and Hip Pain in Athletes Treatment

Is joint pain something that is affecting you and preventing you from playing sports like you normally would? AZ Pain Doctors is here to help.

We can extend different treatments that will help heal your sports injuries. This includes hip pain in athletes treatment as well as treatments designed to eliminate shoulder, knee, ankle, and wrist pain.

Contact us today to learn more about your treatment options at our AZ pain center.