What are some common sports injuries?
Just about anything can happen out there on the field, but there are some injuries that are more common than others, such as:
- Shin splints
- Knee injuries, including ACL tears
- Ankle or hamstring sprains and strains
- Pulled groins
- Tennis elbow
- Shoulder and hip injuries
What injury you’re most at risk for depends on the particular sport you play.
What causes sports injuries?
Most types of sports injuries you can encounter tend to fall into one of a few categories:
Poor Training
One of the most common causes of sports injury, failure to properly exercise, stretch, and build strength for the muscles you’ll be taxing during your sport can lead to injury.
Accidents
Collisions, tumbles, and other physical accidents that occur during the course of sports activities can lead to varying degrees of injuries.
Predisposition
Sometimes a sports injury doesn’t have a directly sports-related cause but is the result of the way your body is made. For example, having one leg that is slightly longer than the other or flat feet can increase your risk of wear and tear related injuries.
How are sports injuries treated?
Dr. Hindocha can treat most sports injuries with a combination of a few treatment options:
Manual Therapy
Providing physical manipulation to trouble areas can restore mobility after certain sports injuries.
Massage Therapy
If your sports injury is causing pain across a large area of your body, a therapeutic massage can relieve localized pain and let you focus on recovery.
Spinal Adjustments
For sports injuries affecting your extremities, Dr. Hindocha may provide extras-spinal adjustments. For sports injuries affecting your back or neck, Dr. Hindocha might provide spinal adjustments, including spinal decompression, to realign abnormalities and relieve pain.
Medication
If your sports injury prevents you from moving very easily, such as a hip or knee injury, Dr. Hindocha might recommend a specialist referral for medications.
Physical Therapy
Strengthening exercises are a critical part of correcting sports injuries, and more importantly, making sure they don’t happen again when you go back onto the field. Once you’ve suffered an injury like an ACL tear, you’ve effectively increased your chances for the same injury in the future. Strengthening the injured area beyond where you began can help reduce re-injury.
Rest
Minor and major sports injuries alike benefit from rest. Hot or cold compress, elevation, and over-the-counter medication can help the healing process as you rest.
If you regularly participate in sports and have recently experienced an injury, let Dr. Hindocha diagnose your injury to make sure you’re on the road to recovery. Call to schedule your consultation or book online.
