Sports is one of the exercises that help us keep our body healthy and strong. It is quite devastating when you get an injury and you cannot participate in a game that you love so much. Your Houston sports medicine specialist, J. Michael Bennett, MD PA, is dedicated to ensuring you go back to the field to enjoy your favorite game.
Causes of Sports Injuries
When you are playing sports, you can have weak muscles. You can overuse some joints. You can have muscle imbalances. You can make sudden movements that can tear your tissues. These and other issues will cause injuries while playing.
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Reasons For Seeing Sports Medicine Specialist
Some of the injuries you might get while exercising or participating in a sport includes:
- Tennis elbow
- Ankle sprains
- Hamstring strains
- Patellar dislocation
- Knee and shoulder injury
- Cartilage injury
Diagnostic Tests
Before your doctor fixes any problem, a physical examination will be carried out to check how your motion is. Your doctor will also check where the pain is coming from and how severe it is.
Your doctor can also request more tests such as MRI and X-ray if more information is needed to determine your injury level. The results will be used to guide your doctor to come up with a treatment plan.
Sports Injuries Treatment
Your doctor can use different types of treatments, depending on your injuries. These include:
Pain relief
Over-the-counter painkillers may be recommended to help alleviate mild pain. Your doctor can recommend using tablets or creams on the injured area to reduce swelling and reduce pain.
Immobilization
Your doctor can recommend immobilization to prevent further damage which can occur if the affected part is not immobilized. Immobilization also helps reduce swelling, muscle spasm, and pain.
Physiotherapy
Your doctor may recommend physiotherapy to help you recover from a long-term injury. This treatment option involves manipulating the muscles through exercise to help increase range of motion, strengthen muscles, and restore normal function in the affected site.
Ice
Your doctor may recommend you apply an ice pack onto the site of injury after every 15-20 minutes for around two hours. Wrap the ice pack in a towel to prevent your skin from suffering an ice burn.
Rest
Your doctor may recommend you minimize exercise and physical activity during treatment. A walking stick or crutches may come in handy to help avoid overburdening your injured body part with your body weight. If your shoulder has been injured, a sling may be useful.
Surgery
Your doctor can recommend surgery being the last option for your injury. Some of these surgeries may be minor or major.
You may require a minor surgery like an elbow arthroscopy, where your doctor will use smaller incisions to lower the risk of bleeding and infections.
For severe injuries that require something like a hip replacement, your doctor will recommend a major surgery. The procedure involves making large incisions.
Do not allow an injury to separate you from your favorite game. Book an appointment with Dr. J. Michael Bennet, MD PA to embark on your healing journey.