Sports are a great way of building physical fitness and amping your self-esteem, however it’s also one of the biggest areas that causes both acute and chronic injuries. When people get a sports injury, the first thing that pops up in their mind is surgery. However, that may not always be the best route to take. This blog will go over why surgery is not always the answer to your sports injury.
Sport Injuries
Sport-related injuries can be acute or chronic. An acute injury is when an injury occurs suddenly during an activity. Signs include sudden, severe pain, tenderness in an upper limb, inability to move a joint at its full range, swelling, and a visible dislocation or breakage of the bone. Chronic injuries most of the time result from the repeated overuse of an area while playing a sport or exercising over a long period of time. Signs of this include swelling, a dull ache when resting, and loss of range in motion. Common types of sports injuries include:
Dislocations
Rotator cuff injuries
Tears of the ligaments that hold joints together
Knee injuries
Tears of the tendons that support joints and allow them to move
Shin splints
Dislocated joints
Concussions
Why Surgery is Not Always the Answer
Whether it’s an acute or chronic injury, never try continuing with the sport or exercise. Pain is an indicator that you should stop any activity. While some injuries require prompt medical attention, many require physical therapy. When you face a sports-related injury, you want to start a treatment plan that focuses on non-surgical solutions before seeking surgical treatment. Surgery may not always be the answer since many sports injuries can fully recover with physical therapy. Apart from the long recovery time that comes from surgery, the costs of such procedures can be really high. As a general rule, surgical treatments should be the last resort for healing and recovery.
The RICE Method
The RICE method is a common treatment regimen for sports injuries. It helps relieve pain and inflammation while speeding the healing time of your injury. The RICE method consists of:
Rest – reduce regular activities or exercise if necessary. If you cannot put weight on your ankle or knee, then the use of crutches can help. Resting is an important element to the healing of the injury.
Ice – Apply an ice pack to the injured area for twenty minutes at a time four or eight times a day. You can use an ice bag, cold pack, or plastic bag filled with crushed ice and wrapped in a towel. To avoid cold injury and frostbite, do not apply the ice for more than 20 minutes.
Compression – Compression helps reduce swelling. It can be achieved with an elastic wrap, air casts, splints, or a special boot.
Elevation – Keeping the knee, injured ankle, elbow, or wrist elevated on a pillow, above the level of your heart helps decrease swelling.
Sports Injuries Prevention
The best way to prevent a sports injury by warming up and stretching properly. Cold muscles are more prone to overstretching and tears. Ways of preventing sports injuries include:
Using the proper technique – Make sure to learn the proper way to move during your activity or sport. Different types of exercise often require different postures and stances. For example, in some sports, bending your knees at the right time can help avoid an injury to your spine or hips
Having the right equipment – Wear the right shoes and athletic protection
Not overdoing it – If you do get hurt, make sure you’re healed before you start the activity again. Don’t try to “work through” the pain
Cooling down – Remember to take time to cool down when finishing an activity. This usually involves the same stretching and exercises involved in a warmup
Resuming activity slowly – Excessive rest may delay healing. Take things slowly, and ease back into exercise or your sport
Chiropractic care offers several different methods of pain relief for sports-related injuries. Dr. Rich Doss believes in using the body’s own intelligent systems instead of covering up the pain with prescription painkillers or invasive surgery. He has helped get his patients back to health for many years and plans to help thousands more on their journey towards optimal health. To set up an assessment or appointment for you or your loved one, click here to make an appointment or email us at drrichdoss@gmail.com.
