Sports injuries not only happen to athletes who play professional sports but also occur in any individual who is actively involved in some kind of sports daily. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that almost 8.6 million sports injuries occur yearly.
Suppose you are injured while playing your favorite sports. In that case, you can visit a physical therapist of sports injury clinic Brockville ON who will help in your rehabilitation process and assist you in returning to your sports as quickly as possible.
The typical sports injuries include
- Strains and sprains – common in ankle and hamstring, causing pain, swelling, and inability to move the affected joint.
- Bruising – a blow to the body part that results in small bleeds into the skin.
- Knee Injuries – affecting the ligaments, tendons, or cartilage, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.
- Shoulder injuries – fractures, dislocations, or rotator cuff tears that cause swelling, inflammation, and limited movements.
- Achilles Tendonitis – a repetitive stress injury at the back part of the ankle, causing pain and stiffness.
- Concussions – mild traumatic brain injury occurring due to sudden blow to the head while playing contact sports.
1) Reduce Pain and Control Inflammation
During the initial stage of an injury, sports injury clinic Brockville ON suggests the PRICE principle that minimizes pain, inflammation, and swelling in the affected areas. People with mild strains and sprains can carry out this therapy from the comfort of their homes.
It should be performed for the first 72 hours immediately after the injury to prevent further damage. Following this therapy can effectively reduce swelling in the injured area and speed up the healing process.
P-Protection
The first step is to protect the injured area from getting damaged further. Hence, sports injury clinic Brockville ON recommends using an ace bandage, over-the-counter brace, splint, or sling to immobilize the injured area partially. Immobilization can reduce movements and minimize pain, muscle swelling, and muscle spasms.
R-Rest
The next step is to rest and limit movements to allow the body to heal itself naturally. An increase in blood circulation may occur to the injured area due to movements, leading to further damage to the injured tissue and swelling.
Stopping those activities that may add stress to the injured area is crucial to prevent the slowdown of healing. Physical therapists also advise avoiding rest for a prolonged period and gently moving the affected area as soon as the athlete can proceed without any pain.
I-Ice
The next step is cryotherapy or cold treatment that helps reduce swelling and pain by slowing down blood circulation. It can be carried out in several ways. Applying crushed ice placed over a towel is the most common method of performing ice treatment, and it should be done for 20 minutes at a time every two hours while the athlete is awake. Hypersensitive to ice or allergic to ice can cause redness, and if this occurs, it is advisable to remove the ice pack.
C-Compression
Sports injury clinic Brockville ON suggests the following procedure to apply a compression wrap such as an elastic or ace bandage over the injured area to provide mild support and minimize swelling. The size of the bandage should be selected according to the affected body part. Athletes can remove the bandage while sleeping and reapply it the following day.
E-Elevation
Physical therapists recommend the elevation method to prevent blood pooling in the injured area. The athletes need to raise their injured body part above the heart level in order to reduce swelling and bruising and make it difficult for blood to reach the injured site.
2) Pain-Relieving Techniques
Sports injury clinic Brockville ON uses pain-relieving modalities to help athletes experience a reduction in pain to actively participate in the exercise program of their rehabilitation process. The treatment methods include
- TENS – Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, one of the effective methods of electrical stimulation, uses electric impulses to stimulate the nerves and block pain signals to the brain, helping with immediate pain relief and increased endorphins.
- Ultrasound Therapy – One of the effective pain-relieving modalities uses sound waves to increase heat in the deep tissues like ligaments and tendons to reduce pain, muscle spasms, and inflammation.
3) Manual Therapy
Manual therapy performed by trained physical therapists of sports injury clinic Brockville ON is a hands-on method to manipulate the tissues and promote pain relief. The various manual therapy techniques utilized by practitioners are
- Massage – increase blood flow, promote relaxation, and relieve spasms
- Joint Mobilization – improve mobility and normalize joint function.
- Myofascial release – release muscle tightness and relieve pain.
4) Exercises
Physical therapists develop a specific exercise program to stabilize the affected body part and reduce the risk of further injury. They suggest stretching exercises to relax the muscles and increase flexibility, strengthening exercises to provide support to the weak muscles and repair them, and range of motion exercises to improve affected joint mobility and restore normal function.