Health & Wellness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body
Avoiding Surgery after a Sports Injury
Exercise isan importantpartofahealthy lifestyle. For manypeople,playingsports isa funway toburnextra calories,socialize,andgetfit. Unfortunately, thisalso means the occasional sports injury or a flare-up of an old injury or condition. Youdon’thave tobeaprofessionalorevenanamateur athlete to suffer a sports injury. In fact, many times, those most susceptible to sports injuries are people who have just started exercising or participate on a recreational level. Sports injuries in this article will be defined as injuries to the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, bonesandtissuessuchascartilage.Themostcommon sports injuries include: SPRAINS: A sprain occurs when the connective tissue that joins the end of the bone with another is stretchedor torn. Thoseconnective tissuesareknown as ligaments. Sprains are caused by trauma such as a fall or blow to the body that knocks a joint out of position. Ankles,kneesandwristsaremostvulnerable
to sprains. However, back, neck and shoulder sprains are very common too. STRAINS: A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is pulled, torn or twisted. Strains are non-contact injuries,suchas those thatoccur fromoverstretching. A common example of a strain is a muscle spasm. A back or neck strain is a very common injury treated in physical therapy. KNEE INJURIES: According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the knee is the most commonly injured joint. Orthopedicsurgeonsseemore than5.5millionpeopleannuallyforknee injuries,which can include runner’sknee (painor tendernessclose to the knee cap at the front side of the knee), tendonitis and iliotibial band syndrome (pain on the outer side of the knee). Severe knee injuries often include bone bruises or damage to the cartilage or ligaments. SHINSPLINTS: Shinsplintsoccurwhen there isapain along the largebone in thefrontof the lower leg,known as the tibiaorshinbone. Shinsplintsmostcommonly
occur inrunners,especiallythosewhoare juststartinga runningprogram. This isusuallydue topooralignment of the body, or weakness in the leg muscles. The teamatCompletePhysicalRehabilitationcan treat manyorthopedicand repetitivemotion injurieswithout theneed for invasivesurgeriesormedications. In fact, most doctors have their patients try physical therapy first before recommending any other procedures. The licensedphysical therapistsandphysical therapist assistants at Complete Physical Rehabilitation can customize a program that addresses the weakness of your particular musculoskeletal system, allowing you to recover quickly and remain active. Even if you have an old injury, it is important to have it evaluated byourphysical therapists toprevent long-termdamage like arthritis. If you have sports or orthopedic injuries like tendonitis, arthritis, a stress fracture or low back pain, our therapists can design a treatment plan to promote improved function, wellness and minimize the risk of re-injury.
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