What is a sports injury?
A sports injury is any bodily damage that occurs while you’re exercising. Sports injuries can affect your bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nearly any other part of your body. Some common sports injuries include:
- Muscle strains
- Ligament strains and sprains
- Bone fractures
- Joint dislocation
- Shin splints
- Tendon rupture
Many sports injuries don’t seem that serious at first, but if you don’t take care of the problem right away, it can often worsen and cause lasting damage.
What causes sports injuries?
Some of the main reasons you may experience a sports injury include:
Overtraining
Some mild muscle soreness is a good thing. It means that your muscles are breaking down and rebuilding themselves. But too much training, whether it’s too much intensity, overly long exercise sessions, or both, can lead to serious injury that can cause major soreness and pain.
As soon as you notice your post-workout discomfort is beyond a normal “good” muscle soreness, stop training and get help at Millennium Park Medical Associates.
Lack of conditioning
To exercise safely, especially when it comes to sports, you need to condition your body. Body conditioning exercises help you essentially build up your body so it’s strong and flexible enough to handle intense exercise. If you start a strenuous exercise program or jump into a new sport without conditioning, you’re at risk for a sports injury.
Improper technique
Improper technique means that your stances and movements aren’t correct. This puts your whole body at risk for a sports injury. Before you start any new sport or activity, make sure you research the proper techniques to reduce your risk.
The wrong equipment
The wrong equipment, whether it’s improper shoes, a lack of protective padding, or something else, is a very common cause of sports injuries. Before you start playing, make sure you’re protected head to toe in the way that’s recommended for your activity.
Of course, sometimes a sports injury is caused by bad luck or unfortunate timing even if you’re well-prepared and protected. No matter why your sports injury happened, Millennium Park Medical Associates has all your recovery needs covered.
How do you treat sports injuries?
After Dr. Khan diagnoses the problem using the in-office equipment at Millennium Park Medical Associates, she creates an effective recovery plan.
You likely need to rest for a prescribed period of time to allow your body to fully recover. Dr. Khan may prescribe medication to reduce your inflammation and pain. Depending on the injury, you may need an immobilizing device like a splint, boot, or cast.
Dr. Khan can give you personalized advice regarding your return to full function. Remember, rushing it could make your injury worse.
For any type of sports injury, call Millennium Park Medical Associates or book an appointment online today.
