Regardless of the specific structure affected, sports injuries can generally be classified in one of two ways: acute or chronic.

Acute injuries, such as a sprained ankle, strained back, or fractured hand, occur suddenly during activity.

Signs of an acute injury include the following:
  •Sudden, severe pain
  •Swelling
  •Inability to place weight on a lower limb
  •Extreme tenderness in an upper limb
  •Inability to move a joint through its full range of motion
  •Extreme limb weakness
  •Visible dislocation or break of a bone.

Chronic injuries usually result from overusing one area of the body while playing a sport or exercising over a long period. The following are signs of a chronic injury:
  •Pain when performing an activity
  •A dull ache when at rest
  •Swelling.

Whether an injury is acute or chronic, there is never a good reason to try to "work through" the pain of an injury. When you have pain from a particular movement or activity, STOP! Continuing the activity only causes further harm.