Orthopedic specialists see it happen all the time. An individual decides to get in better shape or start to work out, when unfortunately he or she gets temporarily sidelined by an injury. Treatment for sports injury is important to keep your joints and bones healthy for your lifetime.
While an injury should not keep you from trying to get in shape, it does sometimes require the specialized skills of an orthopedist and/or sports medicine specialist to heal properly. Fortunately, the providers at Hampton Roads Orthopaedics Spine & Sports Medicine are both. If you have ever sustained a sports injury and wondered, “Should I see an orthopedist for this?” HROSM is ideally qualified to answer that question.
Your Body Provides Answers
Knowing your body helps you decide when pain is really an injury, or just the normal aches and pains that accompany increased physical activity. If you feel sore, that’s one thing; but to have severe or persistent pain indicates you have sustained an injury. Here are a few options that lessen your chances of aggravating an injury:
- Stop the physical activity. You have probably heard the phrases “Just walk it off” or “Walk through the pain,” but that is not good advice when it comes to a sports injury. By continuing with physical activity, you risk making the injury more severe than it already is.
- Use the “RICE” method. The “RICE” method stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. If you have an injury, make sure you rest the area (such as a foot, ankle, etc.), apply ice to it to reduce swelling, compress it with an ACE bandage or other elastic bandage and elevate the injured area.
Signs of injury requiring orthopedic attention include:
- Joint instability.
- Joint swelling that persists.
- An injury that does not get better.
- Decreased range of motion.
- An obvious deformity.
Avoiding Sports Injuries
While sports-related accidents will happen no matter what you do to prepare, these tips will help you minimize the chance of an injury and better prepare you for increased physical activity:
Warm up; cool down. Before engaging in strenuous (or even not-so-strenuous) activity, always take time to stretch and warm up before you start. After you have completed your workout or physical activity, take the time to cool down and stretch again.
Age matters. While we would like to think that age is just a number, it does make a difference when it comes to exercise. If you are starting a new physical fitness routine, keep in mind that if you are a little older, you may not perform as if you were still in your 20s.
Acclimation. When starting a new fitness routine or ramping up your level of physical activity after being sedentary for a while, the kindest thing to do for your body is to start slowly, letting your body gradually acclimate to your new activity level.
Total body conditioning. It is a good idea to work on core stability and total body conditioning to prepare yourself for increased flexibility and shore up your joint stability.
If you do need treatment for sports injury, or any type of injury requiring the specialized skills of an orthopedist, please contact us at Hampton Roads Orthopaedics Spine & Sports Medicine in Newport News by requesting an appointment online. Our board certified providers have a wide range of experience in both orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, and our team is eager to help you get back in the game properly healed and raring to go!
