Being physically active, such as playing sports, is one of the best ways to keep yourself fit and healthy. But these activities also leave you vulnerable to injuries. If you have a painful, disabling sports-related injury, the expert doctors at Restorative Physical Medicine in Livonia and Novi, Michigan, can help. The team provides a comprehensive range of effective treatments for sports-related injuries that can restore function and relieve your pain. Call Restorative Physical Medicine or schedule an appointment using the online booking form today.
What are sports-related injuries?
As the term implies, sports-related injuries are forms of musculoskeletal damage that happen when you’re engaged in sporting activities.
They might occur if you don’t follow the correct warm-up and cool-down procedures, as can using poor-quality equipment like worn or unsuitable footwear.
Failing to use the right methods when playing sports can make you more likely to suffer a sports-related injury. For instance, running, jumping, and landing using poor techniques put excessive strain on your joints and tissues that could result in a sports-related injury.
What are the symptoms of sports-related injuries?
Sports-related injuries typically cause:
- Pain
- Tenderness
- Swelling
- Bruising
Sports-related injuries can also affect how well you move, and if you suffer a severe injury, you might be unable to bear any weight. Without the correct treatment, acute sports-related injuries can evolve into chronic pain problems.
What sports-related injuries might I get?
The types of sports-related injuries the doctors at Restorative Physical Medicine see include tendon strains, ligament sprains, soft tissue tears, and stress fractures. Some of the most common sports-related injuries include:
- Rotator cuff injuries
- ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) tears
- MCL (medial collateral ligament) tears
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
- Meniscal tears
- Achilles tendon injuries
- Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome)
Many of these sports-related injuries happen suddenly, while you’re playing or training, causing acute pain and loss of function.
However, certain types of sports-related injuries develop slowly, for example, stress fractures and some forms of tendinitis. In these cases, minute tears or cracks appear and multiply over time, leading to chronic pain.
How are sports-related injuries treated?
The treatment you need for your sports-related injury depends on your injury and how it happened. In some instances, sports-related injuries require surgical interventions, but for the most part, these types of injuries respond well to conservative treatments like:
- Activity modification
- Rest
- Hot and cold compresses
- Physical therapy
- Manual manipulation
- Massage
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
- Medication
Your doctor also provides a comprehensive range of injectable treatments and other advanced therapies if your sports-related injury isn’t improving using the most conservative approaches. These treatments include:
- Joint injections
- Epidural steroids
- Trigger point injections
- Natural injectables (Traumeel® or Spascupreel®)
- Prolotherapy
- Stem cell therapy
- PRP (platelet-rich plasma) therapy
- Botulinum toxin injections
If you have any sports-related injuries, call Restorative Physical Medicine for expert assistance or book an appointment online today.
