What Do I Have?

Introduction

If you’re on this website, you probably have one of the big five running injuries: Achilles tendinitis, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, patellar tendinitis, or IT band syndrome.

Sports injuries are like uninvited guests at a party—they come in many forms, show up suddenly or creep in quietly over time, and require different strategies to handle. From minor sprains to serious fractures, the causes, presentations, and treatments of sports injuries are diverse. Even defining what counts as a sports injury can be tricky, as there isn’t a single universal definition.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) defines a sports injury as damage to the tissues of the body that occurs as a result of sport or exercise. However, this definition, while simple, doesn't cover the full picture, especially in clinical and research settings. Some researchers have tried to frame injuries in theoretical or operational terms to suit data collection and injury surveillance across various sports.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is considered the gold standard in medical classification but is not commonly used in sports medicine. Instead, simpler, more practical systems have been created to consistently define and track injuries across different sports. Injuries are often classified based on:

• How quickly they develop (acute vs. overuse)
• The type of tissue involved
• The severity of the damage
• The specific condition or diagnosis

Injury Classification

Injuries can be sorted by the site and whether they are acute (sudden) or overuse (gradual). Here are a few examples: