Sports Injuries Treatment

Sports injuries are a common cause of pain and symptoms for a lot of people. They are the reason for many people to seek treatment from Osteopaths. There are many different reasons that cause sports injuries and there are many different types of sports injuries. Sports injuries can range from a dull ache to sharp shooting pain.

 

Some of the common causes of sports injuries include:

• Repetitive movements

• Incorrect technique

• Poor posture

• Not warming up

• Not cooling down

• Falls

• Trauma

 

The above causes will generally lead to functional pain that is related to stress and strain being put on the body and causing general musculoskeletal pain. This would be considered general back pain. Apart from falls and trauma the other causes will put stress and strain onto the body which, over time will lead to injury.

 

Some injuries and trauma including falls can cause more serious problems that may require an assessment by a doctor.

 

Symptoms of sports injuries can vary widely depending on the area injured and the cause of injury. The most common symptom is pain, this pain could be an ache or a sharp shooting pain, it could be constant or intermittent. The pain could be aggravated by activity or it could come on after activity. Numbness, tingling and pins and needles are all symptoms that can be caused by issues of the nerves.

 

Osteopaths can assess the area of pain and the surrounding areas to diagnose the cause of your injury. An assessment will involve taking a case history to understand the nature of the problem and what you were doing when the injury occurred. An assessment will also involve palpating the area, which involves feeling the muscles and joints to work out which are tight and restricted.

 

The most common types of sports injuries are:

• Muscle strains

• Joint sprains

• Muscle tears

• Ligament strains

• Dislocated joints

• Broken bones

 

Most of the above problems can be treated by Osteopaths. Osteopathic treatment is a form of manual medicine, which involves hands on techniques to help relieve pain and symptoms. Treatment involves helping to settle down the injured area and decreasing inflammation. This is achieved by loosening the tight muscles, strengthening the weak muscles, and helping to get restricted joints moving better. This will restore function to the area.

 

Broken bones will require treatment at a hospital.

 

Sports injuries treatment generally involves the following:

• Massage

• Stretching

• Mobilisation

• Manipulation

• Exercises

 

A common question when it comes to sports injuries treatment is whether the treatment is painful. Generally, most of the techniques won’t cause pain, but treatment of an injured area will be sensitive for most people. You should always let your Osteopath know if the treatment is painful, but sometimes you may need to go through a small amount of pain to get better.

 

Other forms of treatment that can help with sports injuries include:

• Pain medication

• Anti-inflammatories

• Heat pack

• Ice pack

• Massage

• Acupuncture

 

If you have suffered a sports injury, you should get assessed and treated by an Osteopath as soon as possible.