Sports Injuries

What are sports injuries?

There’s no denying that participating in sports can benefit your physical, mental, and social wellness. Staying in shape by playing sports helps you keep your muscles and joints strong while benefiting your cardiovascular health. However, many injuries can happen while participating in these activities. 

Sports injuries often occur because of improper warming up or stretching before play, misuse of equipment, or avoiding protective measures like helmets and padding. However, even if you do everything correctly, you can still get an injury from an impact or an unusual movement. 

The team at Premier Foot and Ankle Center & Elite Upper Extremity and Plastic Surgery uses state-of-the-art technology to diagnose and assess musculoskeletal sports injuries of all kinds. 

You’ll need an individualized treatment plan to make a full recovery, and the providers work with you through rehabilitation so you can get back to your favorite sport or activity. 

What are the most common sports injuries?

Musculoskeletal sports injuries usually happen in the legs and upper extremities. They can affect soft tissue like muscles and ligaments, hard tissue like bone and cartilage, or both types at once. 

Premier Foot and Ankle Center & Elite Upper Extremity and Plastic Surgery can diagnose and treat some of the most common types, like:

• Sprains (ligament injuries)
• Strains (muscle and tendon injuries)
• Fractures (broken bones)
• Joint dislocations

Different injuries produce different symptoms and complications. For example, some injuries might place pressure on nerves which leads to widespread numbness or tingling. Other injuries can cause weakness or stiffness, so you have trouble using your muscles and joints. 

Premier Foot and Ankle Center & Elite Upper Extremity and Plastic Surgery addresses your symptoms and considers them while personalizing your sports injury treatment plan. 

What treatments are available for sports injuries?

There are numerous treatment options for musculoskeletal sports injuries, and there’s a high chance that you’ll make a full recovery as long as your injury is mild or moderate. Even severe injuries can heal remarkably with advanced surgeries like tendon and ligament repair. 

When a sports injury first happens, you should follow the rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) method leading up to your office visit. These approaches can relieve some of the swelling and pain before your professional treatment begins. 

At Premier Foot and Ankle Center & Elite Upper Extremity and Plastic Surgery, your sports injury treatment might involve:

• Extracorporeal shockwave therapy
• Physical therapy
• Medications for pain management
• Medications for inflammation
• Immobilization (e.g., braces, casts, and splints)
• Surgery

You should come in for any scheduled follow-up visits so your providers at Premier Foot and Ankle Center & Elite Upper Extremity and Plastic Surgery can track your healing and adjust your treatment plan as necessary. 

To schedule an evaluation for a sports injury, call Premier Foot and Ankle Center & Elite Upper Extremity and Plastic Surgery or book an appointment online today.