Sports injuries are excruciating and one of the fastest ways to get good players off the field. Regardless of the sport you play or how if you hurt yourself, the treatment and time needed to heal injuries are often similar.
An acute muscle injury occurs when you suddenly stretch a muscle beyond its elasticity. It can be done on the sports field or in your garden. If you are experiencing one of these injuries, you must take care or assess the injury correctly and contact a doctor immediately. You must not ignore the pain or other symptoms of sports injuries. Ignoring and continuing to play can worsen your injury and may affect you for the rest of your life. Although there are some injuries that you can treat at home, it’s always better to be on the safe side.
This article provided by Dr Chandra Sekhar B who gives information about how to take care of sports injuries.
The most common sports injuries:
Common sports injuries are strains and sprains. A strain is a ligament injury. A ligament connects the bones in the joints. Sudden stretching of ligaments across its boundary breaks or tears it.
A strain is an injury to muscle fibres or tendons that attach muscles to bones. A strain is referred to as “pulled muscle”. Excessive stretching or excessive muscle usage causes the fibres or tendons of the muscles to tear.
Immediately After Your Injury:
You can expect several things to happen in the first few hours after a muscle injury. In addition to muscle pain, swelling and bruising can occur. Early acute pain can give way to throbbing pain. The injured area is also sensitive to movement and gentle touch. You might not be able to use it usually for the first few hours.
If you don’t have any of these symptoms, use the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevate) to treat your injury immediately after it occurs and for the next 48 hours. Proper care and care starts with being smart and knowing when to stay away from an injury. Your first decision after an injury can affect the way you always treat it.
R.I.C.E. is an abbreviation that is widely used by coaches and sports athletes to remember how to treat minor muscle injuries. It stands for rest, ice, compression and elevate.
Rest:
Rest is one of the most effective ways to start your healing process. Your initial muscles are weak and vulnerable to further injury, especially in the morning. Start taking rest to help for early recovery and injury to heal.
Ice:
The benefits of using ice are most significant on the first or second day after injury. Apply a bag of crushed ice, a bag of frozen vegetables, or an ice pack for your injury. It reduces pain and prevents swelling by reducing blood flow to the area. To avoid frostbite, never place ice directly on your bare skin. Instead, wrap it in a cheesecloth or towel before applying it to the damaged area. Apply ice for 15 to 20 minutes each and let the skin return to the average temperature between freezing.
Compress:
An elastic bandage wrapped tightly around your injury can reduce swelling by preventing fluid from accumulating. It can also help relieve pain by keeping the damaged area slightly immovable. A bandage may not be enough to repair a damaged area fully, but it does provide support and reminds you to remain silent.
If the bandage causes numbness or tingling, remove and wrap it loosely. It should not be too tight so that it causes discomfort or impedes blood flow. Even mild compression can help prevent the buildup of fluid around the injury.
Elevate:
If you elevate the injury above the level of your heart, the swelling gets minimized, allowing fluid to flow out of the area. If you cannot lift it above your heart, try to keep the injured area at the same level or near your heart. If you have an injury to your buttocks or thighs, try placing your buttocks with one or two pillows and lowering your back to facilitate lifting.
When should you go to the doctor?
If you suspect your injury is severe, make an appointment with a doctor or go to the emergency room. The following symptoms can be signs of serious injury that requires professional treatment:
- Severe swelling and pain
- Deformities such as large lumps or bent limbs at strange angles
- Cracking or popping sounds when moving damaged areas
- Inability to carry or support weight with the injured area
- Instability in a joint
- Trouble breathing
- Dizziness
- Fever
You should also contact a doctor if you have an injury that looks small but does not improve with home care. After the first month, there should be no swelling or visible bruising around the damaged area. If you see swelling or discolouration after four weeks, make an appointment with a doctor. Severe pain after the first few weeks is also an excellent reason to visit. The treatment for the sports injuries at the hospital are:
Pain Relief Medications:
Pain relievers can be used to relieve pain. Ibuprofen and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), tablets or creams can also be used to alleviate pain and reduce swelling.
Immobilization:
Sometimes immobilization can help prevent further damage by reducing movement. It can also reduce pain, muscle swelling and muscle cramps. For example, slings, and castings can be used to immobilize injured hands, shoulders, wrists and feet during healing.
If you have a sprain, prolonged immobilization is usually not necessary. You should try to move the painful joint gently as soon as you can do it without significant pain.
Physiotherapy:
Some people who recover from long-term injuries can benefit from physiotherapy. It is a special treatment that uses techniques such as massage, manipulation and movement to increase freedom of movement, strengthen surrounding muscles and restore the normal functioning of damaged areas.
A physical therapist provided by your doctor can also develop a training program to strengthen the affected body part and reduce the risk of injury recurrence.
Corticosteroid Injections:
A doctor can recommend corticosteroid injections if you experience severe or persistent inflammation. It can help reduce the pain caused by your injury, even though pain relief is minimal or only temporary for some people. Corticosteroid injections can be repeated if necessary, but you can usually only do two or three injections per year.
Side effects can include skin thinning, fat loss, and infection. Your doctor can explain the possible side effects in more detail.
Surgery And procedure:
Last and final treatment for sports injuries if all the above therapies fail your doctors may suggest surgery that depends on your conditions of the injury.
Most sports injuries do not require surgery, but severe injuries, such as Severely damaged bones may require corrective treatment. It can include manipulation or surgery to secure bones with plates, screws, or rods. In some cases, it is possible to realign the bone that was moved without surgery.
Some other injuries sometimes require surgery — for example, surgery to repair a torn shoulder ligament.
Conclusion:
Whether you are an amateur or professional athlete, it is not uncommon for you to hurt yourself from time to time. You can treat mild muscle trauma at home by using R.I.C.E. Method. Within the first few days after your injury, rest the injured area, ice, compress and elevate.
After the swelling subsides, try alternating cold and hot treatments with relieving pain. Start to stretch and move slightly. If you suspect that your injury is severe or your recovery process is not going well, make an appointment with a doctor.
It is better to reduce the risk of injury by following prevention tips and immediately treating the injury. If anyone is injured while playing, call Dr Chandra Sekhar.B at 9959588389 to schedule an appointment.
