What Can I Do to Help My Sports Injury Heal Quicker?

If you’re an athlete, you know the threat of injury is ever-present. Turn the wrong way, and your future can change in the blink of an eye.

Your next step is crucial — the treatment decisions you make after a sports injury impact your recovery timeline.

At Steven E. Nolan, MD, our experienced team can get you back to playing condition as soon as possible. Here are a few tips on how you can help your sports injury heal quickly.

Facts about sports injuries

In 2023, 3.7 million people in the United States were treated in emergency departments for injuries that occurred while playing sports or using recreational equipment.

The knee and shoulder are the most injury-prone parts of the body; other sports injuries include sprains and strains, fractures, dislocations, Achilles tendon injuries, and more. 

The main factors in sports injuries usually include poor training, improper gear, being out of shape, and not warming up or stretching. Symptoms include sudden, severe pain and swelling, inability to place weight on your knees or feet, tender joints or ligaments, and a bone visibly out of place.

If you get injured while playing a sport, you should seek medical attention immediately — even if you think you don’t need it — to jumpstart the healing process.

How can you recover more quickly?

Your first step is to visit a medical professional for diagnosis or treatment. Don’t self-diagnose and assume you can just shake it off and get back to normal with a little ice. Dr. Nolan examines your injury, diagnoses your injury, and develops a customized treatment plan.

He’s used to working with athletes and will have you back in action as soon as possible safely. Here are a few things he may recommend, depending on your specific injury:

Rest

This is not what high-performance athletes like to hear, but rest may be exactly what you need. An injured body part takes longer to heal if you keep using it, so refrain at least from the sport and possibly from daily activities as well.

Your body will tell you when to rest — pain indicates that you should take it easy. You may even need to keep your injured area immobile with a splint, brace, or sling.

Hot and cold

Alternating hot and cold treatments on the injured body part can improve your blood circulation, which can help carry more valuable nutrients to the injury site to promote healing. 

You can do this with a heating pad and ice packs, moving from a hot tub to a cold swimming pool, or switching from hot to cold water in the shower.

Eat a healthy diet

You can also speed up your recovery with a healthy diet that provides plenty of nutrients to help rebuild and restore damaged ligaments, muscles, and bones. 

Focus on protein-rich foods, vitamin C to help produce collagen to rebuild tissues and reduce inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids to limit inflammation, and calcium-rich foods and vitamin D if you have a bone injury.

Rebuild strength

Because you’ve had to rest, you will likely need to strengthen your muscles to restore your balance, control, and endurance before you jump back into full-speed sports. Resistance training and conditioning can help, and you must also ensure your walking pattern and gait have returned to normal. A good physical therapist can be invaluable in this process.

Steven E. Nolan, MD, is a great place to start for anyone who needs treatment following a sports injury. You can schedule an appointment by calling our Sugar Land office at 281-720-6909 or requesting a specific time with our convenient online scheduler.