Most injuries caused by stress and overuse are the result of excessive wear and tear on the body. Areas and muscles like your ankles, shoulders, and joints are prime targets for these ailments. Most of these injuries are minor and just a nuisance but others are signs of more serious damage done.

There are certain types of injuries that sometimes there just is no getting around. If you are physically active, then you may have experienced one or two of these at some point of your life. Knowing the early signs, symptoms and what to do can help prevent them from becoming nagging chronic pain problems. Here are some of the most common types of sport injuries and some warning signs of each.

• Achilles tendonitis - This running injury typically occurs from abnormal foot stroke when pushing off on your foot and too-tight calf muscles. For example, if you are pushing off on your foot and turning it towards its side pulling at an improper angle, the tendon will become stressed and inflamed. That's why getting an important to correct your balance and footwork bio-mechanics of your stroke at push off.

• Muscle Pulls – Nothing hurts more than a muscle pull no matter if it’s you hamstring, quads, or any other muscle. A muscle pull happens from not being flexible and overexerting specific muscles. They usually happen when you don’t stretch enough and you do something physically that you shouldn’t be doing. When you get a pull you’ve torn a piece of muscle either severely or lightly. For an acute pulls, ice works wonders and there are some anti-inflammatory medication available which can be helpful.

• Ankle sprains – Most sufferers of ankle sprains can attest to the fact that they their lack of attention to what they were doing that caused the injury. Take runners for example. Many of their ankle sprains are the result of not watching where they are running and slipping on gravel or a curb and causing your ankle to twist incorrectly. If you do by chance sprain your ankle, the only thing that will cure it is time but Tylenol and ice will help reduce swelling and pain.

• Runner's knee - Runner's knee is pretty painful injury that happens when the cartilage behind the kneecap wears away. It normally occurs because of weak developed quadriceps muscles, or shoes without enough proper support for your forefoot on the inside. The condition is normally treated with full-length sports orthotic and strengthening exercises directed at the inner quad muscle.

• Blisters – Blisters are one of the most common sports related injuries and easily one of the most annoying. They are usually formed on your feet and caused by friction of your shoes and socks combined with the excessive moisture of sweat.

• Dizziness - The best way to avoid dizzy spells during exercise is to not over do it and stay properly hydrated. The key word there was “properly”. A lot of times athletes will drink too much water in order to avoid dehydration but when that happens, the sodium levels in the body are lowered causing the kidneys stress. Some common symptoms of this are nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.

• Plantar fasciitis – This injury is sometimes confused with other types of foot injuries. You’ll first notice a pain in your heel when you take your first steps in the morning or after a period not walking around. It is a common ailment for runners but can happen to anyone else that suffers from an abnormal motion of the foot or too-tight calf muscles.