Omaha, NE (August 10, 2015) - Summer is here, which means that many kids and adults are heading out on the field or court to play their favorite sports. Travel therapy jobs leader, Aureus Medical Group, discusses the most common sports injuries in travel therapy.

In travel therapy, you want to encourage physical activity for all of your patients, and sports are an excellent (and fun) way to fit fitness into your life.

Whether it's baseball, basketball, soccer, or football, sports can definitely help improve cardiovascular health. However, these games, and especially contact sports, don't come without risks. Chances are the last time you watched a sporting event, a player got hurt or the game had to be stopped due to some kind of physical ailment.

Fall is right around the corner, which means that another sports season is on its way. In order to help your patients stay healthy and enjoy these games and matches in a healthy way, prevention is key. Here are the most common sports injuries that you should be aware of during your travel physical therapy jobs:

Knee injuries, including torn ACLsThe knee is one of the most important joints in the entire body, but it is also one of the more complex ones, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. There are a lot of ligaments and bones that connect the knee together, including the kneecap, shin bone, thigh bone, and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), which is a small but important and highly sensitive ligament.

Many famous athletes have endured knee problems over the years, including soccer legend Pele, NFL quarterback Tom Brady, New York Yankees star Mickey Mantle, and Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (among numerous other NBA players). Because many sports rely on a lot of running, numerous repetitive motions, sudden sprints, and abrupt stops, the knee often works overtime and bears the brunt of physical activity.

As such, ligaments tear and joints wear down – which can be very painful. Physical therapists employ several exercises to help strengthen the muscles around the knee once a doctor has determined it's safe to do so. However, in severe cases, such as an ACL tear, surgical treatment may be necessary.

Shin splintsRunning is a common activity in many sports, which can contribute to medial tibial stress syndrome (more commonly known as shin splints). In many cases, shin splints develop when a workout or training plan for a sport intensifies or changes suddenly, causing the shin to become overworked, according to the Mayo Clinic. Pain, tenderness, and swelling are common symptoms of shin splints, and athletes who have flat feet or train on uneven surfaces are more prone to this condition. In most cases, rest, ice and changing a workout routine can reduce the occurrence of shin splints.

Read the full article for more common sports injuries in travel therapy.

About Aureus Medical Group:

Aureus Medical Group is a national leader in healthcare staffing specializing in the successful placement of Nursing, Advanced Practice, Cardiopulmonary, Diagnostic Imaging, Medical Laboratory, Neurodiagnostics, Radiation Oncology, and Rehabilitation Therapy professionals, as well as Physicians, in hospitals and medical facilities nationwide. With more than 30 years of experience, Aureus Medical offers a full range of staffing options, including national contract (travel), local contract, and direct hire.  Aureus Medical is the largest affiliate of Omaha-based C&A Industries, a leading provider of human capital management solutions for more than 45 years.