Sport Injuries Treatment by Dr. Vivek Loomba
Sports injuries are commonly caused by excessive pressure on muscles due to exercise, overtraining, and intensity of physical activity. A sports injury can result in acute (sudden) or chronic pain (develops over time). Sports injuries can be treated at home with proper rest, over-the-counter medications, and compression techniques. Still, if the pain is not healed after a few days at homecare then special attention is required from the Pain management specialists and healthcare professionals to manage the pain.
Types of Sports Injuries
There are several types of sports injuries that can lead to major or minor complications including –
- Bruises – a blow can cause bruises and bleed onto the skin.
- Ankle sprain – when you twist or roll your ankle beyond its limits.
- Dehydration – less amount of water or electrolytes in the body due to excessive physical activity.
- Knee joint injuries – These happen due to sprains and the tearing of tissues.
- Groin strain – It occurs in athletes due to twisting, sprinting, and kicking of football or ice hockey.
- Nose injuries – a broken nose while playing intensive sports such as football, soccer, or basketball.
- Cuts & Abrasions – These are injuries that cause friction between the skin and the superficial surface layer of the body.
- Stress Fractures – These occur from frequent fractures due to partial or complete bone damage.
- Dental Damage – Crown fractures, tooth intrusion, and extrusion are the most common form of dental damage in sports injuries.
Symptoms of Sports Injuries
Sports injuries can occur through various causes. If you’ve hurt yourself then it will cause a sprain or strain in the affected area for a few days. It includes pain such as –
- Aches or tenderness
- Deformity
- Grinding, or cracking of the joints
- Swelling
- Stiffness or weakness
- Reduced flexibility (unable to move a body part to the full extent)
- Inability to bear weight
- Decreased motion
- Redness or warmth of skin
Causes of Sports Injuries
Sports injuries have many causes and it all depends on the sport you play. Listings of all the major and minor forms of sports injuries causes are –
- Accidents such as getting hit, falling, or sprinting of muscles.
- No stretching of muscles before working out
- Lifting heavy weights without any guidance
- No proper gear or equipment for exercise
- Shoes that do not match or support your sports routine.
- Running or jumping on hard surfaces
- Not enough rest in intervals of exercise regimes.
- Overtraining to compensate for the previous plans
- Fatigue or weakness of muscles
- Changing exercises or physical activities too often
Diagnosis of Sports Injuries
Sports injury diagnosis depends on the type, location, and severity of an injury. It is better to check with a Pain management specialist for a physical examination. They will examine the necessary complexions of your pain and create pictures of your body through Ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI scan tests.
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan – It uses strong magnetic fields called radiowaves to examine the structure of the body from bones, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and nerves
- CT (Computed Tomography) scan – It provides a closer look at bones that showcases hairline fractures and small irregular joints.
- Ultrasound – It takes real-time images of tendons to examine the damage in joints.
Treatments
Sports injuries can be treated at homecare or through expert care depending on the severity of the injury.
Home Care treatments for treating acute (minor) injuries are –
- Rest – It means stopping sports activity altogether or considering opting for a sling or crutches for extra support in the following days.
- Ice – It helps in the reduction of swelling and inflammation that can cause discomfort.
- Compress – Compressing the injured part with a bandage for protection and quick healing.
- Elevate – Elevation of injury to reduce pain level.
Chronic injury treatments recommended by doctors are –
- Use a cast, splint, or sling, for walking and moving your body without any load and extra support
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Surgery for major fractures
- Injections for swelling and inflammation reduction
- Physical Therapy exercises or stretches for manipulating the functioning of body parts with severe pain
Sports injuries most likely happen to people while performing an intense activity with poor care, or due to certain miscalculations in the sports activity. It can be treated through home treatments if the injury is not severe and complex. However, if the injured area doesn’t get better in 1 or 2 days with home treatments then you must consult a pain management specialist for effective treatment.