Seeing people of all ages increasing their activity in our community is very welcome to our team at Republic Pain Specialists. Whether for the pure love of the sport or because it is the best choice for increasing strength and reaching a healthy weight, being active is vital in our lives. Unfortunately, with sports related participation comes sports related injuries in many. These injuries can do more than keep you on the sidelines, they can cause ongoing issues and pain, but we can help.

Types of Injuries

You can theoretically injure any part of your body, including your jaw, eyes, nose, and ears, depending on the athlete and the sport being played. However, most sports related injuries are divided between the arms, the legs, and the back. According to healthline.com, the lower body is injured 42% of the time in sports related injuries and the upper body accounts to 30%.  These may be strains, sprains, broken bones, and torn ligaments. 

Prevention of Injuries

There are a number of ways to help prevent injuries and showing these precautions is the best way to avoid these chronic issues.

• Check Your Equipment - this includes shoes, any braces you may need, and equipment that is used for the sport you are participating in.
• Warm-up - this is crucial for any sport and may be tailored to the activity itself. Let your muscles and heart rate warm up slowly, then take time to stretch.
• Listen to your body - over exhaustion is a common way athletes are injured. There is a balance between allowing your body to strengthen and pushing your body beyond that point.
• Cross-train - it is important to strengthen all of your body and to allow a fuller range of motion by trying different sports or exercises. Runners may try swimming or cycling, basketball players may benefit from HIIT or strength training, etc.
• Hydrate - having enough water will prevent heatstroke and keep your body ready for the next bout of sport you want to participate in.

How we can help

In every pain related case, and sports injuries are no exception, we may treat you in a completely different way. Our first priority is to determine the cause and location of the pain. A comprehensive exam and discussion is vital in our treatment. In some cases, an injury may have even been caused by a weakness or emerging issues somewhere else in your body and we need to determine that. Once we have a better idea of what is happening in your body, we can make recommendations. Strengthening those parts of your body will be helpful for getting back on the field, court, or track, but many patients will need additional help. This help may come in the form of nerve blocks, massage treatments, or therapy of some sort. Only an appointment with us will be able to determine the best solution.

If you suspect a sports related injury, or know you have a lingering issue you have been ignoring, contact us today. We have the expertise on our team to help provide a tailored plan to assist you in getting back on track (or on the court) as soon as possible.