I Have a Sports Injury: What Can I Do to Get Back in the Game?

The thrill of victory, the pride of playing with a team, the high of setting a personal record, and the agony of defeat. There are so many emotions and reasons we love sports, but there’s also another set of feelings that can take it all away. The disappointment and frustration of a chronic injury or fear and dread after a sudden twist or pop that takes you out of the game. Injuries are simply a part of playing sports. 

Experts have found that up to 90% of student athletes experience a sports injury during their career. Even casual runners and basketball players hitting their local court can end up injured. A CDC analysis found that about 8.6 million sports- and recreation-related injuries occur every year. But most sports injuries don’t doom you to the sidelines for good.

Have you recently suffered a sports injury? If so, come see our team at Steven E. Nolan, MD. Dr. Nolan is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with over 20 years of experience and has received numerous top-surgeon awards during his career. Here, he discusses sports injury prevention, the most common sports injuries and their treatment options and how to recover and get back out there. 

Prevention

The best injuries are the ones that never happen. Many injuries occur when athletes don’t take the right steps to make sure they're ready to play. To start, know where you are as an athlete. A former varsity quarterback probably won’t be able to throw 50-yard touchdowns after taking a few years off, and you should pace yourself when it comes returning to a sport or starting a new one. Other preventive measures include:

• Warm up and cool down each time your exercise
• Stretch regularly 
• Use proper equipment that’s in good condition — soccer and baseball cleats are different for a reason
• Use good technique

Additionally, listen to your body when it’s telling you it’s had enough. This applies to fatigue, overuse injuries, and dehydration among other things. 

Common sports injuries

If you follow any professional team, you know there are more possible injuries than you can count. However, some injuries happen far more frequently. Some of the most common sports injuries that you may suffer include: 

• Muscle sprains
• Strains and tears
• Knee injuries
• Swollen muscles
• Achilles tendon injuries
• Pain along the shin bone
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Fractures
• Dislocations

Sports injuries fall into two categories, acute and chronic. Acute injuries happen suddenly when you're actively participating — fractures, disclocations, and sprains fall into this category. Chronic injuries, also known as overuse injuries, develop over time and include inflammation and some muscle tears. 

Treatment

The first step in treatment is to stop immediately when you feel pain. There is no honor in playing injured. For most non-severe injuries, you can rely on the RICE method: 

• Rest: protect and rest the injured area and avoid activities that cause pain or soreness.
• Ice: cold reduces swelling; apply ice for 10 to 20 minutes at least three times per day
• Compression: wrapping the injured area reduces swelling
• Elevation: keep the injured area at or above heart level to keep swelling at a minimum

For more severe injuries, you may need to look into prescription pain medications, physical therapy, and/or surgery. Dr. Nolan specializes in minimally invasive arthroscopy, a surgical technique that puts less stress on your body than open surgery and can speed up diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. 

Recovery

The key to recovery is taking things slowly. Don’t try to do too much too quickly because you can delay recovery and may re-aggravate your injury. While you should start movement as soon as allowed, make sure you go gently — your range of motion should increase as pain decreases. 

Also, don’t forget mental recovery. Keep perspective as you work back from injury and see if you can improve your game with other parts of your body. Find ways to stay involved with your team or sport while sidelined to keep your passion alive. A full rehabilitation takes both your body and mind. 

To learn more about sports injuries and how you can get back in the game, request an appointment online or over the phone with Steven E. Nolan, MD, today.