Sport and Overuse Injury
Sport injuries are acute traumas that occur as a result of accidents, poor stretching and training practices, and improper use of sports equipment. Examples of these injuries include sprains and strains, swollen muscles, fractures and dislocations of bones, injuries of the Achilles tendon, and pain and inflammation along the shin bone. Overuse injuries usually build-up and worsen over time and are less noticeable. They occur when repetitive tasks are performed by a specific body part. Some overuse injuries are stress fractures, rotator cuff damage, tendinitis, tennis elbow, swimmer’s shoulder, jumper’s knee, shin splints, and spondylolysis (low back pain).
Minor damage to the bones, ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and tendons can cause a variety of symptoms, some of which are pain, swelling, tenderness, heat, redness, bruising, and loss of function of the injured body part. In order to ensure that symptoms of the injury don’t worsen in the beginning, the RICE treatment (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) is advised. It is critical to abstain from sport or the initial activity that had caused the injury for some time. Pain relief medication and surgery are additional options for more severe damage. Finally, it is critical to seek the advice of a sports medicine specialist or athletic trainer before starting a new physical activity to prevent any recurrent problems.
Our office provides ultrasound guided joint and tendon injections with cortisone, prolotherapy, PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections, autologous blood injections, medication, chiropractic, physiotherapy, acupuncture, active exercises, psychotherapy, biofeedback, and assistive devices like braces, TENS/MET devices, and orthotics to help those with sport and overuse injuries.
Sources:
“Sports injuries.” MedlinePlus. Available from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sportsinjuries.html.
“Overuse Injuries” Mayo Clinic. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/overuse-injury/art-20045875