Library

Conditions

How research describes common conditions, who they affect, and what studies of them found.

Across the body

• Bursitis

  Inflammation of a bursa, a fluid-filled sac that cushions tissues where they rub. How sources define it, who studies found it in, and what reviews of the elbow, knee, hip, heel and shoulder found.

• Delayed-onset muscle soreness

  Muscle soreness that starts hours to days after hard or unfamiliar exercise. How reviews define it, who reports it, how one bout protects against the next, and what reviews of cold, massage, stretching, drugs and supplements found.

• Growth-plate injuries

  Sudden fractures and stress injuries of the growth plates in children's bones. How reviews describe them, how often studies found them, how often growth was disturbed, and what reviews say about youth weight training.

• Muscle cramps

  Painful, involuntary muscle contractions during or soon after exercise. How reviews define them, who reports them, the two competing explanations, and what small laboratory studies of drinks and stretching found.

• Muscle strain

  An overstretched or torn muscle, the general case behind hamstring, calf and hip flexor strains. How reviews define and grade it, who it affects, how long elite players were out, and what reviews of injections found.

• Relative energy deficiency in sport

  Harm to health and performance linked to too little energy from food for the training an athlete does. How consensus statements define it, who studies found it in, what trials found, and the debate over the model.

• Tendinopathy

  Lasting tendon pain and loss of function linked to load. How a 2019 consensus names it, who it affects, and what reviews of exercise, injections, shockwave and surgery found across tendons.

Neck

• Concussion

  How the international consensus statement defines sport-related concussion, how often it happens in which sports, how long recovery took in studies, and what that statement and trials say about rest and return.

• Neck pain

  How research and guidelines define and sort neck pain, who it affects, how episodes tend to go, and what reviews of exercise and hands-on methods found.

• Stinger

  A short-lived injury of the brachial plexus or neck nerve roots in contact sport, also called a burner. How sources define it, who it affects, and what studies of its course, canal width, neck collars and return to play found.

• Thoracic outlet syndrome

  How surgeons' groups define the squeezing of nerves or blood vessels between the base of the neck and the armpit, where they disagree, who it is reported in, and what trials and series found.

• Whiplash

  How research defines whiplash and whiplash-associated disorders, who they affect, how symptoms change over time, and what trials of different approaches found.

Shoulder

• AC joint dislocation (AC separation)

  An injury to the ligaments that hold the collarbone to the shoulder blade. How studies grade it, who it affects, how low-grade injuries fare, and what trials of surgery against a sling found.

• Frozen shoulder

  A painful shoulder that stiffens over months. How guidelines define it, who it affects, the two accounts of how it changes over time, and what trials of injections, exercise, joint distension and two operations found.

• Shoulder dislocation

  The upper arm bone forced out of the shoulder socket, most often forward. How a care pathway and reviews define it, who it affects, how often it recurs, and what trials of slings, exercise and surgery found.

• SLAP tear

  Damage to the top of the shoulder labrum, where the long head of biceps attaches. How studies define it, what arthroscopy and insurance records count, and what a sham-surgery trial and reviews of surgery and of care without surgery found.

• Subacromial shoulder pain (shoulder impingement)

  Pain around the bony point at the top of the shoulder, long called impingement. How guidelines define and name it, who it affects, and what trials of surgery, exercise and injections found.

Upper arm

• Humeral shaft fracture

  A break in the long middle part of the upper arm bone. How reviews define it, who it affects, and what trials of surgery against a brace found.

Elbow

• Cubital tunnel syndrome

  Squeezing of the ulnar nerve at the inner elbow. How a 2025 expert panel defined it, who it affects, and what studies of splints, injections and operations found.

• Elbow dislocation

  The bones of the elbow forced out of place, with or without a fracture. How reviews define it, who it affects, and what trials of early movement, plaster and ligament surgery found.

• Elbow stiffness

  Lost elbow motion, most often after an injury or surgery. How reviews define it, who it affects, and what studies of stretching, splints, surgery, machine-driven movement and drugs found.

• Elbow UCL tear

  A tear of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow, described most often in throwing athletes. How studies grade it, who it affects, and what studies of care without surgery, reconstruction and repair found.

Wrist & hand

• Carpal tunnel syndrome

  Squeezing of the median nerve where it passes through the wrist. How guidelines define it, who it affects, and what studies of splints, injections, nerve-gliding exercise and surgery found.

• De Quervain's tenosynovitis

  A painful condition of two thumb tendons where they pass the thumb side of the wrist. How reviews describe it, who it affects, and what studies of injections, splints, exercise and surgery found.

• Distal radius fracture

  Breaks of the lower end of the radius, the forearm bone on the thumb side. The patterns sources name, who they affect, the first year afterwards, return to sport and work, and what trials of wires, plates, casts and bandages found.

• Scaphoid fracture

  A break of the scaphoid, a wrist bone on the thumb side. Where it breaks, who breaks it, what follows when it does not join, and what trials of surgery against a cast and studies of return to sport found.

• Skier's thumb

  A partial or complete tear of the ulnar collateral ligament at the base of the thumb. How papers define and name it, who it affects, and what studies of splints, casts, operations and return to sport found.

• Wrist sprain

  A label for a wrist injury whose X-rays show no break. How studies define it, what MRI finds behind it, who it affects, and what studies of casts, wrist guards and ligament surgery found.

Trunk

• Pectoralis minor syndrome

  How sources describe squeezing of the arm's nerve network beneath the pectoralis minor, a chest muscle, and where they disagree; who it is reported in; and what series of tendon-cutting surgery and other studies found.

Spine

• Disc herniation

  Disc material pushed out past the edge of a disc in the spine. How a guideline and reviews define it, who it affects, how it changes on scans, and what trials of surgery and non-surgical care found.

• Low back pain

  How research and guidelines define low back pain, who it affects, how episodes tend to go, and what studies of scans, exercise and the back muscles found.

• Sacroiliac joint pain

  How research defines pain from the sacroiliac joint, how studies confirm the joint as the source, who has been counted with it, and what trials of exercise, injections and fusion surgery found.

• Sciatica

  How guidelines and reviews define sciatica, leg pain that starts at a nerve root in the lower back, how common it is, how it tends to go, and what trials of rest, exercise, medicines, injections and surgery found.

• Spondylolysis

  A fracture of the pars interarticularis, a small part of a lower-back vertebra. How reviews define it, who has it, how often the bone united in series by stage, and what trials and long follow-ups found.

Hip

• Athletic groin pain

  Groin pain in people who play sport, often long-standing. How expert agreements name and sort it, who it affects, and what trials of exercise and surgery found.

• Femoroacetabular impingement

  Early contact between the thigh bone and the hip socket that comes with symptoms. How consensus groups define it, how common it and its bone shapes are, and what trials of surgery and exercise programmes found.

• Hip flexor strain

  An overstretched or torn muscle at the front of the hip. How studies label it, which muscles are injured, who it affects, how long it kept athletes out, and how little has been compared in trials.

• Piriformis syndrome

  A disputed label for buttock and leg pain blamed on the piriformis muscle pressing on the sciatic nerve. How reviews define it, why they disagree, and what studies of injections, stretching and surgery found.

Thigh

• Hamstring strain

  How research defines and grades a hamstring strain, how often it happens in the sports that have counted it, how long athletes were out, and what trials of exercise, injections and surgery found.

• Quadriceps contusion

  A bruise of the front thigh muscles from a direct blow. How reviews define and grade it, which sports have counted it, how long players were out, and how often bone formed in the muscle afterwards.

Knee

• ACL tear

  A tear of the anterior cruciate ligament inside the knee. How reviews and guidelines describe it, who it affects, how it changes over time, and what trials comparing surgery with an exercise programme found.

• Iliotibial band syndrome

  A common cause of pain on the outer side of the knee in runners and cyclists. How reviews define it, who it affects, and what studies of its course, of exercise, injections and surgery found.

• Knee osteoarthritis

  A long-term disease of the knee joint, in which the cartilage lining the joint wears away. How guidelines define it, who it affects, how it changes over time, and what trials of exercise, weight loss and surgery found.

• Meniscus tear

  A tear or degenerative split in one of the two cartilage pads inside the knee. How consensus reports define it, who it affects, and what trials comparing surgery with exercise found.

• Osgood-Schlatter disease

  Pain at the bony bump below the knee where the patellar ligament attaches, in growing children and teenagers. How reviews define it, who studies found it in, how it changes over the years, and what trials and reviews found.

• Patellar dislocation

  The kneecap coming fully out of its groove on the thigh bone. How a European consensus defines it, who it affects, how often it happens again, and what trials of surgery, braces and exercise found.

• Patellofemoral pain

  Pain around or behind the kneecap, also called runner's knee. How consensus statements define it, who it affects, how it changes over time, and what trials of exercise, foot orthoses, taping and surgery found.

Lower leg

• Calf strain

  An overstretched or torn calf muscle. How consensus statements and reviews describe it, which muscle is injured, who it affects, how long it kept athletes out, and how little has been compared in trials.

• Chronic exertional compartment syndrome

  Exercise pain and tightness in a muscle compartment of the leg or forearm that eases after stopping. How reviews define it, the debate over pressure tests, who studies include, and what studies of surgery and running-style programmes found.

• Medial tibial stress syndrome

  Exercise pain along the inner edge of the shin bone, often called shin splints. How studies define it, the two accounts of its cause, who it affects, how long it lasts, and what trials comparing approaches found.

• Stress fracture

  An overuse injury to bone, from a stress reaction to a crack. How reviews define it, which athletes and recruits were studied, how long return to sport took by site, and what trials found.

Foot & ankle

• Achilles tendon rupture

  A sudden tear of the tendon that joins the calf muscles to the heel bone. How reviews define it, who it affects, how recovery runs over time, and what trials comparing surgery with no surgery found.

• Ankle sprain

  An injury to the ligaments on the outer side of the ankle, usually from rolling the foot inward. How research defines it, who it affects, how it tends to go, and what trials of casts, braces, exercise and surgery found.

• Plantar heel pain

  Pain under the heel, often called plantar fasciitis. How a guideline and reviews describe it, who it affects, how it changes over years, and what trials of stretching, exercise, orthoses, shockwave, injections and surgery found.

• Sever's disease

  Heel pain at the growth plate of a child's heel bone, also called calcaneal apophysitis. How a Cochrane review describes it, which children studies found it in, how it changes over time, and what trials found.

• Turf toe

  A sprain of the joint at the base of the big toe. How studies define and grade it, who gets it, what is known about playing surfaces and shoes, and what the small body of outcome research found.