Participating in sports or staying physically active is essential for your overall well-being. However, it comes at a cost by increasing your risk for injuries and other physical complications, but injuries should not stop you from enjoying your activity. All you need is a medical expert who can help you get back to your healthy physical state. Tony George, DO, FAAPMR, is a physical medicine specialist in Monroe Township and can help you get well after an injury together with other pain management physicians at University Pain Medicine Center. The following is more information about sports injury treatment.
Common Causes of Sports Injuries
Prevention is the best cure for any medical complication. Understanding the common causes of sports injuries can help you avoid them where possible. You can incur an injury due to:
- Pushing yourself too hard either during training or during the actual event
- Using inappropriate equipment
- Using a poor technique during your activity
- Insufficient warming up before exercising
- Accidents such as falls or taking a heavy blow
to All these can cause injuriesany part of your body. However, connective tissues, joints, bones, and muscles are mainly affected. Besides, your ankles and knees are more susceptible to injuries than other parts of your body.
What you Ought to Do if You Notice an Injury
It is critical to understand what to do after incurring an injury, as it can significantly affect your treatment. You may notice you are injured immediately or several hours later by experiencing pain, swelling, bruising, tenderness, stiffness, or restricted movement in the affected area.
Please stop exercising or playing when you experience such symptoms, even if you notice them later. You can induce further harm if you continue with your activity slowing your recovery. Although you might not require a doctor for minor injuries, it is critical to consult your provider to ensure that there is nothing more underlying. However, do not wait for your pain to go away itself, especially if it does not get better over time.
Self-Care Treatment Tips
Some common minor injuries can be treatable at home. You can rest the affected part of the body for about 48-72 hours to avoid further damage and improve the symptoms. You can also employ ice packs to the affected area to reduce swelling, particularly during the first 48-72 hours. For mild pain, you can use some painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen but be assured to consult your physician for guidance.
Treatment Options
Several treatment options are available for common sports injuries, depending on your condition’s severity and the affected part of your body. However, any treatment will begin with a comprehensive examination to assess your individual needs. Your provider may recommend imagery tests such as MRIs, x-rays, or arthroscopy to gather more information about your internal structures in the affected area.
After understanding your unique needs, your provider then designs a treatment plan which can include:
- Trigger point injections
- Cold laser therapy
- Physical therapy
- Bracing and splinting
- Ultrasonic tendon scar tissue removal
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Joint aspirations
- Joint injections
- Spinal injections
- Regenerative therapies
- Anti-inflammatory medicine
The Right Treatment Option for You
The only way to know the proper treatment for you is to reach out to the University Pain Medicine Center today for the experts to examine your condition and discuss with you what you can expect for your treatment. Remember never to ignore any injury or pain.