Sports Injury Prevention and Treatment

Sports are a common hallmark in virtually every culture in the world; whether you’re a fan, a professional, an amateur, or a casual observer. Athletes will always put their health and lives on the line for the rush of competition, the glory of victory, and the adoration of the audience. Many people have consistently found it incredibly fun and fulfilling, and continue to do so.

This being said, with high reward comes high risks, and as such, it is common to sustain debilitating injuries while participating in sports or other athletic activities. We all know at least one person who “would have went pro if it weren’t for (their) bum knee.”

Here are some tips and tricks to prevent and treat sports injuries.

Prevention

• Create a fitness plan that emphasizes cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility. This will help decrease your chance of injury.
• Make sure all of the pieces of equipment that you’re using are up to regulation for the sport, including your shoes.
• Strengthening your core will help enhance your stability and balance, which will condition you to avoid certain injuries. Planks and crunches are a great way to start strengthening your core.
• Don’t overwork your active muscle groups. Alternate what part of the body you’re focusing on from day to day.
• Performing cool-down exercises after exercising or participating in sports is a vital part of health maintenance. Take twice as long with these exercises as you do with your warm-ups.
• Stay hydrated. Hydrate plentifully ahead of time. This helps to avoid dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.
• Stretch slowly. Only stretch to the point of tension. You shouldn’t experience any pain. If that’s the case, you may be overextending yourself. Hold for 20 seconds at a time.
• Make sure you have the proper technique for the sport you’re playing and the exercises you’re performing.
• Don’t exercise or participate in sports when you’re tired or in pain. Take rest breaks if you do get tired.
• Go at a slow pace during strength training. Make sure you feel the full range of motion while exercising.

Treatment

• If you suffer from an injury, be sure to go through the proper rehabilitation period before participating in regular exercise or sports.
• Don’t exert yourself when performing any activities of daily living while injured.
• Be conscious of how you got injured, so that you can avoid being put in the same situation that resulted in your injury.
• If you’re performing rehabilitative stretches, take your time. As said previously, only stretch to the point where something is felt, and don’t go beyond. Take it easy, you may end up making it worse.

See an expert.

Our team at Healthpointe is dedicated to relieving your pain, so you can get back on the court or the field in no time. We offer a range of services, including Sports Physicals. Healthpointe has an extensive roster of board certified physicians who are well suited to help with pain management and sports injuries. Our team can help assist you with prevention and treatment of a variety of ailments. Fill out this form to set up an appointment today.

We are also now offer texting services! Give us a call or text us to schedule an appointment today at (714) 367-5390.

We have locations in and near Anaheim, Colton, Corona, Garden Grove, Irwindale, La Mirada, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Ontario, Perris, and Temecula.