In the midst of a high-intensity game, you are running towards the goalpost, seconds away from scoring a goal, and suddenly, you buckle over with excruciating pain. Not only does the opportunity go begging, but it also puts an ugly question mark on the future of your career as a sportsman.
All is not always lost in the case of a sports injury. A decade or two ago, it might have meant the end of a sportsperson’s career or dashed a prospective player’s hopes. However, with the advancement of medical sciences, many athletes are now recovering from some of the most severe sports injuries.
This article will examine the treatment of the seven most common sports injuries.
1. Sprains and Strains
Pain, tenderness, or swelling often characterize sprains and strains around the ankle, wrist, knee, leg, or back. It is difficult and painful to put weight on the area that has a sprain or a strain. Ligament injuries or sprains are among the most common sports injuries. Over-stretching also causes strains. Sudden onset of strenuous exercises or stretching without properly preparing your muscles can cause both strains and sprains.
How to treat Sprains and Strains?
You can usually heal from strains and sprains with self-care and without professional help. Sometimes, however, you may need to seek help from a physiotherapist. RICE therapy is the most commonly used treatment for sprains and strains.
Rest: The most logical step in this therapy is to stop any strenuous physical activity and avoid putting weight on the sprained area.
Ice: Applying an ice pack (such as a bag of frozen vegetables) to the sprained area can help reduce inflammation, bleeding into the tissues, and pain. The sprained or strained area should not be iced for more than 30 minutes, and keep the pack moving to avoid ice burns.
Compression: A bandage around the injured area also helps with the healing process.
Elevation: Elevate a sprained leg or arm with pillows above heart level to drain excess fluid from the injured area. Alternatively, consult a physiotherapist, who can recommend specific exercises to accelerate the healing process.
For more extensive injuries, you may want to use a sports massage therapist, such as a sports massage Jacksonville fl, to target the injured area. A sports massage therapist can focus on addressing sports injuries, including muscle soreness, soft tissue injuries, and overuse injuries that occur during sports participation.
2. Heel pain
Heel pain, also known as plantar fasciitis or plantar heel pain, is caused in athletes by a number of factors that include but are not limited to;
- Poor biomechanics in movement
- Slipping when running or landing too hard on a floor
- Playing on hard surfaces for a long period of time
- Muscle tightness and muscle strength imbalance
- Increased body weight and pronation
How to treat heel pain?
The choice of shoes is crucial when dealing with heel pain. So opt for wide, comfortable shoes with soft soles. Use a heel brace to reduce swelling and pain. Using an ice pack 2-3 times a day can significantly help alleviate pain and inflammation. Also, CBD can be very beneficial for pain like this as it has been found to have pain-relieving properties. Here is a list of the best CBD gummies you can buy if you want to check them out. Additionally, rest and elevation of the foot are equally beneficial in such a scenario.
3. Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a muscular strain that typically resolves on its own. It is common amongst tennis and golf players due to the use of the same muscles for gripping for long periods of time. It can linger for many months, even with regular therapy, because tendon injuries tend to heal slowly. Surgical intervention to treat tennis elbow is rare; however, in extreme cases, athletes may need to undergo surgery to manage the condition.
How to treat tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is treated both with invasive and non-invasive strategies. They include
- Avoid activities that require the use of those muscles that have been strained.
- If some activities are necessary, then modify the way that they are performed.
- Painkillers or creams and gels containing NSAIDs are used to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Massage and exercise, as suggested by physiotherapists, also help alleviate tennis elbow.
- In very painful cases, steroid injections are used to manage the pain.
- Shockwave therapy is another treatment option for tennis elbow, where high-energy waves are passed through the skin to help with movement and pain.
- Surgery is performed in extreme cases where the injured part of the tendon is removed to alleviate pain.
Massage can be an effective treatment for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) by targeting the muscles and tendons of the forearm to reduce tension, improve blood flow, and promote healing. Techniques like deep tissue massage and cross-fiber friction can help break down adhesions and scar tissue, easing pain and restoring mobility. Regular massage sessions with a professional found by searching for Massage Near Me online can also help prevent further strain by improving flexibility and muscle balance. It’s important to work with a trained massage therapist who understands the condition and can tailor treatment to your stage of recovery.
4. Dislocated Shoulder
A dislocated shoulder occurs when the upper arm pops out of the shoulder socket. This typically occurs in sports where players employ a throwing action with considerable force, such as in baseball, disc throwing, and rugby.
How to treat a dislocated shoulder?
Never attempt to put the arm back in the socket, as it can damage nerves, tissues, and blood vessels. Keep the arm still and place a soft blanket between it and the side of the chest. A healthcare professional performs a procedure called reduction to restore the arm’s position, rotating it around the shoulder joint until it returns to the socket. Surgery is often required to repair a shoulder dislocation that has tears of the ligaments and tendons.
5. Concussion
A concussion can be best described as a mild injury to the head/brain due to a sudden jolt or bump to the head. It is common in many sports and affects both young school players and professionals. The healing time for youngsters, however, is longer than that of adults. A concussion does not cause any lasting brain injury, but it does interfere with certain brain processes, such as speech, memory, balance, and coordination.
How to treat a Concussion?
The symptoms of concussion usually resolve on their own, but it requires serious medical attention in case of persistent headache, constant vomiting since the injury, behavioral changes, and memory problems. After the serious injury has been ruled out through CT and MRI, healing from a concussion requires complete mental and physical rest. Once you believe you have healed from the concussion, return to normal activities gradually. As advised by sports injury Brooklyn Center, an evaluation is necessary before going back to sports.
6. Back pain
The incidence of back pain is common among almost all individuals; however, if you play a sport, certain body movements can put a strain on your back muscles, resulting in back pain. Back pain intensifies over time for athletes, often causing persistent stiffness and fatigue. A physical examination of the bones, spinal cord, and nerves helps in diagnosing the severity of back pain.
How to treat back pain?
Back pain management requires an exercise regimen to strengthen back and core muscles. Movement and posture improvement therapy also plays a significant role in treating back pain. Biostimulation is a back pain treatment strategy that is a non-invasive light source treatment. This treatment method generates a single wavelength of light without producing heat, sound, or vibration. It accelerates the repair of connective tissue and reduces inflammation.
Massage therapy can be a helpful tool in treating back pain by promoting circulation, reducing swelling, and alleviating muscle tension in the affected area. Once the initial inflammation has subsided, gentle massage can help break up scar tissue, improve flexibility, and accelerate the healing process. It also encourages the release of endorphins, which can naturally reduce pain and promote relaxation. To locate a massage therapist near you, do a Google search with the key phrase: Massage Near Me.
7. Hamstring Injury
Athletes who frequently sprint, jump, and lunge are at a higher risk of hamstring injuries, making them one of the most common injuries in sports. It has three grades of severity: mild, moderate, and severe. This kind of injury involves a tear to the thigh muscles or the tendons connecting these muscles to the bone. The treatment time of a hamstring injury depends on the severity of the muscular or tendon tear.
How to treat a hamstring injury?
Since this injury, in fact, is a muscular strain, the treatment strategy is similar. Use RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) to promote healing for a leg strain. This will help in the healing of the injured tendons. NSAID gels and creams also provide pain relief and help reduce inflammation.
When you are a sports player, you should be aware of your body’s limitations to effectively exercise all the preventive measures that will help you avoid injuries that can affect your sporting career. Most professional athletes have a personal trainer who helps them reach their maximum potential without any long-lasting adverse effects on their bodies. A positive mindset is also crucial in combating sports-related injuries.
Cover Image credits: Photo by Pixabay from Pexels