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Different Types of Sports Injuries and How Physical Therapy Can Treat Them

Sports injuries are common. Whether you play football, hockey, basketball, or any kind of sport,

By Samantha DavisPublished 3 years ago 5 min read
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Sports injuries are common. Whether you play football, hockey, basketball, or any kind of sport, you will suffer an injury at some point due to extensive practice. All sports have a risk of injury, and it is inevitable. If you struggle with some sort of sports injury while reading this article, do not lose hope.

Physical therapy can effectively treat sports injuries. If you are an athlete from Virginia, visit the sports injury clinic in Fredericksburg, VA. Physical therapists will evaluate and locate the source of your pain to provide you with an individualized physical therapy treatment plan so that you can return to the sport you love.

Different Types of Sport Injury

Athletes get injured with different types of sports injuries. In this article, we have listed the most common injuries caused in sports.

1) Strains and Sprains

Strains and sprains are the most common type of sports injuries and can occur while performing any physical activity. If they occur one time, there is a more chance of happening again.

A strain occurs when the muscle is stretched beyond its limits by a tendon that binds the muscle to the bone. It leads to pain, weakness, stiffness, and swelling. A sprain occurs when a ligament that acts as connective tissue between two bones is stretched beyond its limits and tears. It leads to swelling, discomfort, pain, and trouble moving the affected joint.

2) Shin Splints

Shin splints occur when the shinbone is subjected to extra pressure or stress, which leads to pain. The pain generally occurs at the front outside part of the lower leg but can also occur in the foot and ankle. This sports injury is referred to as medial tibial stress syndrome.

3) Knee Injuries

The knee is one of the parts that gets injured more often and is the most complex joint in the human body. Mild knee injuries include runner’s knee and iliotibial band syndrome. Severe knee injuries include ACL tears. Knee injuries include a dull pain that travels from the hip to the knee, making it more painful and difficult for repeated movements.

4) Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is a condition caused due to the repetitive use of arm, forearm, and hand muscles, thus resulting in elbow pain. It causes pain and irritation in the tissue that connects the forearm muscles and elbow. The pain usually occurs on the outside of the elbow and sometimes in the forearm and wrist.

5) Dislocations

A dislocation occurs when the bones in the joint are pushed from their original alignment due to increased pressure. The condition causes severe pain and leads to immobilization of the joint. A joint can be partly dislocated or fully dislocated. Subluxation is the condition where a joint gets partially dislocated.

Contact sports like football or physical activities that involve excessive stretching or falling can result in dislocations.

6) Achilles Tendonitis

Achilles tendonitis is a repetitive stress injury at the Achilles tendon, the back part of the ankle, which is the largest tendon in the human body. The condition leads to pain and stiffness in the ankle and the back of the heel.

Physical Therapy Treatments for Sports Injuries

Whatever the sports injuries, physical therapy modalities combined with proper physical activity can reduce pain and promote fast healing. Initially, physical therapists examine the patients’ medical history, symptoms, and fitness goals. They will then create an individualized treatment plan appropriate for your fitness level.

1) Heat/Cold Therapy

Practitioners use heat and cold therapy alternatively before proceeding to therapeutic exercises. RICE - Rest, ice, compression, and elevation are a practical part of the typical rehabilitation process of sports injuries.

Heat therapy warms up the soft tissues, removes waste, increases blood circulation and metabolic activity, thus relieving pain and spasms. Physical therapists use heating pads or heat packs to carry out heat therapy.

Cold therapy decreases the temperature of soft tissues, narrows the blood vessels, and slows blood circulation. Physical therapists treat the affected area with ice cubes wrapped in a towel. It reduces pain, inflammation, and spasms. Cold therapy should not be used immediately before physical activity. Effective cold therapy involves multiple daily treatments, 20 to 30 minutes per session.

2) Therapeutic Exercises

Maintaining proper physical activity can help injured athletes restore function and mobility and improve strength and flexibility.

Stretching - Physical therapists recommend stretching to relax the muscles and decrease swelling.

Strengthening Exercises - After an injury, inactivity prevails due to weak muscles. Strengthening exercises provide support to those muscles and help repair them.

Range of motion exercises - These exercises can improve and maintain the range of motion of joints.

3) Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation(TENS)

TENS is a small battery-powered device that transfers low voltage electrical current through the electrodes adhered to the patient’s body. These impulses can block the pain signals to the brain and increase the number of endorphins which are the human body’s natural painkillers. This method is effective in promoting pain relief temporarily.

4) Ultrasound Therapy

Ultrasound therapy is effective in treating connective tissue injuries like sprains, strains, or tendonitis. The sound waves create vibration directly in muscles, tendons, joints, and ligaments, thus increasing friction in the affected areas. This process starts the healing process.

Final Thoughts

Physical therapy helps to regain strength and mobility after an injury. Even though sports injuries are usual, consulting a physical therapist and receiving the necessary treatment will effectively reduce pain and symptoms. Physical therapists not only treat the patients for injuries but also educate them on better lifestyle changes to prevent further injury.

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