What to Do When You Have a Sports Injury

Whether you’re a casual or a pro athlete, injuries can happen. That’s why it’s important to get relief as soon as possible and to make sure that you are doing everything you can to ensure a good recovery. Here are some tips on what to do the next time you get injured.

1. RICE: Immediately begin the RICE technique. Rest the affected area, use ice or a bag of frozen vegetables to decrease swelling on the area, compress with a firm bandage, then elevate to the same level of your heart to reduce swelling even more.
2. Heat: It may seem counterintuitive, but 48 hours after RICE, you can use heat such as a warm compress to relax tight muscles and sprains. This will also bring some needed comfort to your body. Use a warm compress a few times a day, 20 minutes each time.
3. Take some time off: Don’t pressure yourself to keep going unless you’re sure that you’re healed. Strenuous activity when your body isn’t ready can seriously slow down recovery and even make the injury worse. Depending on the severity of the injury, you might need to take several weeks off from your regular activities. Instead, do less stressful exercises if possible in order to maintain your physical health.
4. See a doctor: If the pain persists or feels like it’s getting worse, you’ll need to see a doctor. A consultation will give you the answers you need to find out if you need surgery or another form of treatment. At Alternative Disc Therapy, Dr Warren Bleiweiss offers a range of treatments to help patients with all types of injuries. He is a pioneer in regenerative medicine and other minimally-invasive treatments designed to provide the best outcomes with the least amount of recovery and rehabilitation time.

You may notice that we haven’t mentioned pain medication. While pain medication has its place, it’s becoming more and more widely accepted that its use can be problematic. Patients who regularly use over-the-counter pain relief medication report its effectiveness reduced, forcing them to increase the dosage to potentially dangerous levels. At our clinic, we recommend treatments that minimise the amount of medication used and treating the root causes of the pain rather than just relieving the pain itself.

Contact us today to arrange a consultation to find out more!

Sources:

1. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=85&contentid=P00935
2. https://orthop.washington.edu/patient-care/articles/sports/common-sports-injuries-and-sports-injury-prevention-tips.html
3. https://www.healthline.com/health/sports-injuries#treatment