How to prevent and treat sports injuries
If you participate in sports, a sports injury can happen. Sports injuries can be minor, like bruises, cuts, and scrapes, or they can be major like broken bones and torn tendons. If you are dealing with a sports injury, it’s best to visit your orthopedic doctor for an evaluation and treatment.
The orthopedic doctors at Illinois Orthopedic Institute offer a full range of orthopedic services, including treatment for sports injuries. They have offices in Joliet, Bolingbrook, and Channahon, Illinois to help you.
Early diagnosis and treatment of sports injuries are critical. If an injury goes untreated, there is a good chance it may not heal correctly, leading to a life-long, and potentially disabling problem. Untreated sports injuries can also lead to developing arthritis, loss of mobility, and other chronic medical conditions in the injured area.
If you experience a sports injury, there are some simple therapies you can try including:
- Applying ice packs to the injured area
- Bandaging the injured area
- Taking over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications
- Resting and taking the weight off of the injured area
For moderate to severe injuries, you need to seek out medical care from an expert. You need to see an orthopedic specialist if you:
- Have obviously dislocated or broken a bone
- Are in extreme pain
- Aren’t able to put weight on the injured area
- Have numbness, tingling, or paralysis
- Have increasing pain or loss of mobility
- Have increasing swelling or bruising
Your orthopedic specialist can recommend a number of effective treatments including:
- Immobilization with a walking cast or other devices
- Assistive devices like crutches
- Medications including anti-inflammatories and corticosteroids to reduce swelling
- Splints and other devices to help realign bones
- Surgery to realign bones or reattach tendons and ligaments
You can do a lot to prevent sports injuries by remembering to wear the appropriate footwear and protective gear for the sport you are playing. Also remember to stretch and warm-up before activities to avoid muscle, tendon, and ligament strain. If you are starting a new sport, go slowly according to your overall fitness level.