Three of the most common NFL injuries

Football injuries can quickly end some careers of some of the best players in the NFL, and this season it seems many have been plagued with injuries, from minor to severe.

We've seen the Indianapolis Colts start their season with one of the worst records in recent history at 0-4 because of Payton Manning's neck surgeries, and there is a long list of injured players affecting many NFL teams.

Here is a look at three common injuries, some of the current players who are suffering from them, and what they are.

Groin

The Oakland Raiders' Louis Murphy has been out with a groin injury since the season started. The injury turned out to be more than just groin pain. Murphy went into surgery for a hernia back on Aug. 17 in the middle of preseason.

A sports hernia occurs when there is a weakening of the muscles that form the abdominal wall, and initially it is usually diagnosed as a groin strain. The athlete will experience pain that worsens in the area affected. In surgery, a thin surgical mesh is applied to the area for support during an outpatient procedure. It can take at least four to six weeks recovery time after surgery, and in Murphy's case, he's been out for six weeks and is still listed as unable to play.

Concussion

Many NFL players are not out on the field due to a concussion, including the Oakland Raiders' Ricky Brown(notes) and Michael Huff(notes). Any given week in the NFL, there seems to be a large number of players out because they are suffering from a concussion.

The NFL has taken the injury more seriously recently, and players who experience symptoms are required to sit out for the rest of the game or practice until they can be analyzed by a neurologist. Symptoms include headache, confusion, dizziness, nausea, slurred speech and fatigue.

A concussion occurs when the head is accelerated rapidly and then stopped or spun rapidly. The violent act causes the brain cells to fire all of their neurotransmitters at once. It floods the brain with chemicals and deadens receptors that are linked to learning and memory.

Knee injuries

Knee injuries are certainly on the top of the list when it comes to the NFL. They have also ended more than a few football careers. Jerome Boyd(notes), Mike Mitchell(notes) and DeMarcus Van Dyke(notes) are all players on the Silver and Black who've been experiencing this painful injury.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles is done for the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee, a grim diagnosis that players certainly don't want to hear.

Even with surgery, many players who have a torn ACL or knee ligament are unable to return to the game. The injury occurs when the player is hit from the side, and the ligament that is torn is the main stabilizer of the knee, allowing proper movement and function.

K.C. Dermody has been an avid runner, hiker, and yoga enthusiast for twenty years, and as a trained yoga instructor she taught a variety of students from senior citizens to competitive athletes. She enjoys combining her passion for sports, emotional and physical well-being with her love of writing.

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