Prevention and Treatment of Sports Injuries

Overview

Sports injuries can be considered as inevitable when doing a strenuous physical activity. While doing an exercise or participating in a sports activity, a sports injury could occur especially if you play contact sports, don’t do proper warm-up exercises or haven’t been actively exercising recently.

Risks in Sports Injury

One still may find himself or herself coping with a sports injury. But there are factors that may put an inpidual in high-risk of it like:

Weight – a physical examination may be needed for people who are overweight or obese before participating in physical activity or sports. This is due to the excess weight that may put too much pressure on the joints which will be magnified while playing a sport.

Age – children are known to be active thus more prone to an injury. As you grow older, you are more likely to aggravate past injury with new ones. Physically demanding sports may not be recommended to old people for the bones tends to weaken as one grows older thus are more prone to fracture.

Untreated injury – you should never be complacent with a minor sports injury for it may develop into a serious injury.

Types of Sport Injuries

Sprains – This is caused by overstretching and tear of the ligament.

Strains – This is caused by overstretching and tear of the muscles or tendons.

Knee Injuries – It could be due to an overstretch or a tear to the muscles or tissue in the knee that interferes with the movement of the knee joint.

Swollen muscles – this is a natural reaction to a nearby injury.

Achilles tendon rupture – This refers to the breakage or rupture of the thin, powerful tendon at the back of the ankle. It can be sudden and severely painful.

Fractures – refers to broken bones.

Dislocation – refers to the dislocated bone in the body due to a sudden force that moves it from the sockets.

Rotator cuff injury – refers to the injury or tear on the four pieces of muscle work together that form the rotator cuff.

How to Prevent Sports Injuries?

Warm-up exercises are a must before doing any physical or sports activity. This is due to the fact that cold muscles are more prone to tears and overstretching while warmed up muscles are more flexible to sudden and vigorous movements that a sport may bring. It is the best way to prevent a sports injury for the muscles that can be quick in absorbing and adapting to dire body movements, bends, and jerks. Here are more steps you can take to avoid sports injuries:

Don’t push yourself. Don’t overdo a sports activity or an exercise after a long period of inactivity for it might strain the muscles.

Use proper equipment. Avoid using or wearing ill-fitting gears or shoes that may increase your risk of injury.

Always cool down. Cooling down after a sport involves the same stretching and exercises while warming up.

How to Treat Sports Injuries?

For mild sports injuries, the most commonly recommended treatment is the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) method to be done within the first 24 to 36 hours after the injury: The RICE method can help in reducing the swelling and bruising and can also help prevent additional pain in the first few days after the injury. There are also available over-the-counter and prescription medicines to treat sports injuries by providing relief from the pain and swelling. Talk to your healthcare provider for prescribed pain medication or if your sports injury looks or feel severe. Seek immediate emergency care if you experience the following after being injured:

Fever

Dizziness

Difficulty in breathing

Talk to a doctor

Contact your healthcare provider is the sports injury doesn’t heal within 2 weeks. There are some sports injury that might require surgery, physical therapy or rehabilitation. Don’t take any sports injury lightly for a tissue injury might be a fracture. The sooner you get the right treatment for you, the sooner you can get back in the game.

Dr. Ronak Patel is one of the best pain management doctors in New Jersey. Seek medical advice or book an appointment by calling 609-269-4451. Why wait? Have yourself checked up today!