The Importance of Treating Sports Injuries
Do you know what a sports injury is? To put it simply, it’s an injury you sustain while active. Sports injuries impact your tendons, muscles, joints, and bones. They can be incredibly painful and are typically the result of a fall, repetitive overuse, or improper posture.
At Jersey Integrative Health and Wellness, our doctors are experts in diagnosing and treating sports injuries. That’s why they’ve compiled this helpful guide on why it’s important to treat your sports injury early.
When your sports injury is serious
It’s normal to have sore muscles when you're playing sports or working a job that’s physically strenuous. So, how do you know if your sports injury is serious or just everyday pain? We highly recommend you seek immediate care if you experience these problems:
- Physical signs of distress - Bruising, swelling, or redness
- Pain - Either constant or only during physical activity
- Weakness - Unable to bear weight, lack of strength
- Limited range of motion - Can’t contract or flex a limb, stuck or frozen limbs
Usually, if a sports injury isn’t serious, symptoms will subside after a day or two. So, if your symptoms last longer, it’s important to seek medical care right away. What’s especially important is your level of pain. If you’re in pain, even while resting than you should see a doctor.
Preventing sports injuries
While you can’t stop all potential injuries from happening, you can prevent them, and you can take certain precautions that keep them less impactful. Some good tips for preventing sports injuries include:
- Use the right equipment and footwear
- Warm-up and cool down with proper techniques
- Stretch before and after activity
- Strengthen the muscles around your vulnerable joints
If your job or sport requires repetitive motions, be sure to avoid overdoing it. For example, don't over-pitch when you're playing baseball or overswing when golfing.
Treating sports injuries
Our team is well-experienced in diagnosing and effectively treating sports injuries. We’ll order scans to scope out the damage and create a customized treatment plan that will best fit your unique needs.
We can provide you with a range of treatments that can be easily combined to treat your specific sports injury. Our holistic treatments include:
- Physical therapy
- Injection therapy
- Casting, splinting, bracing
- Acupuncture
- Osteopathic manipulation therapy (OMT)
- Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP)
- TENEX Health TX™ (an FDA-cleared minimally invasive procedure)
Are you ready to find effective and lasting pain relief from your sports injury? Make an appointment at one of our locations today.