Disclaimer

Most common way to sprain your ankle is an inversion sprain( suddenly twist your foot too far inwards). The ligaments of the ankle could possibly tear. Causes include not raining properly, not warming up properly, bad shoes, landing awkwardly, poor balance and coordination, being underweight and not exercising regularly. After having sprained your ankle you increase risk of spraining it again for the fibers are weaker than they were before. 

Symptoms are pain, swelling, bruising, restricting movement, difficulty putting weight on the foot and being unstable. 

Treatment is using POLICE, avoiding intense physical exercise and over stimulation of the foot. You can take ibuprofen or paracetamol to reduce pain and you can also get ibuprofen gels to reduce swelling and pain. 

Similar to Patellar Tendonitis, Achilles tendonitis is caused when you overuse the achilles tendon. Achilles tendonitis can be caused by a sudden increase in intensity that the muscle is not prepared for, resulting in a tear. It is common for middle aged people and those who only do sports once a week. It is common in football and tennis, It is most painful in the mornings and usually improves over the course of the day. 

If you experience persistent pain then you might have a torn or ruptured Achilles tendon. Causes vary, men have a higher risk of developing tendonitis, and as you age the risk increases as well, bad footwear can also have an influence, obesity and training choices are present as well. 

Some medications that contain fluoroquinolones have been proved to cause tendonitis. Prevention can be strengthening of the calf and achilles muscles (see a physio), not overdoing it and increasing the level and difficulty of your workouts gradually, footwear choices and daily stretching. 

For treatment, apply RICE, orthotic shoes might help and see a physical therapist to get stretching and strengthening exercises.

Shin splints are a very common injury between runners, dancers and soldiers. They occur when there is repetitive stress on the shin bone and the connective tissue that connects the muscles to the bone.

 Causes can be, suddenly increasing the intensity of your runs/exercise, running on an uneven surface or having high arched or flat feet.

Treating shin splints can be improving your running form by recording yourself, avoid overdoing, wear proper insoles or shock absorbers, choose the right shoes ( a runner should change his shoes every 350-500 miles) and perform strengthening exercises for your core, hips, ankles and legs. You can apply RICE and take painkillers (if needed).