For athletes, sports-related injuries are a common occurrence. Some may sustain minor injuries, while others may have the bad luck of picking up the worst ones out of them all. However, does it mean that once an injury occurs, an athlete is swiped out of their beloved game for life and can never play it again?
While it may happen in highly minor cases, this is not always true. Why so? Well, because sports injury rehabilitation comes in as a life savior. This therapeutic approach pertains to treating musculoskeletal pain and injury, ensuring the sport lads and ladies get back on their feet. Want to know more about sports injury rehab? This article has you covered.
What is Sports Injury Rehab?
Sports injury rehabilitation – or rehab, is a structured program designed by a physiotherapist or PT, specifically for athletes or individuals who sustain sports-related injuries. This physical therapy is used on people of all ages to treat musculoskeletal system pain, muscle injuries, or illnesses.
During this rehabilitation program, an individual would undergo several different kinds of exercise, movements, therapeutic programs, and several tactics like pain relief techniques, strengthening exercises, mobilizing, and functional skills. With all the applied techniques and rehab tactics, sports rehabilitation helps maintain the health and fitness of an individual, all while assisting them to recover from a sports-induced injury and relieve their pain.
What are the Common Sports Injuries Athletes Can Sustain?
Now that you know what sports rehabilitation is, why don’t we hop on to learn about all the common sports injuries that may lead you to rehab? Interested to learn about them? Well, we have a list concluded for you below:
· ACL Tears
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of the major ligaments of the knee. An ACL tear is a sports-related injury that can cause a tear or sprain on this ligament. ACL injuries occur when the athlete suddenly stops, jumps, lands with pressure, or tries changing direction suddenly.
· Concussion
A concussion is a traumatic injury to the brain when the athlete experiences a bump, jolt, or blow to the head or body, which can cause the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. The sudden movement or jolt can cause chemical changes, damage to the brain cells, and stretching and, hence, should be adequately treated.
· Sprains and Strains
Sprains and strains, while they might sound similar, have a vast difference between them. A sprain occurs when the fibrous tissue that connects two bones, called ligaments, stretches or tears. This usually happens a lot on the ankle in most athletes. Strains, conversely, are tears or injury to the tissue that connects the bone to the muscle.
· Shin Splints
This injury is to the tibia, which is the largest bone of the body and is also referred to as the shin bone sometimes.
· Tennis Elbow
Athletes tend to use a particular part of the body or limb the most, depending on the requirements of their sport. The tennis elbow is a common tendon inflammation injury among athletes who use their forearms the most.
What are the Stages During the Sports Injury Rehabilitation?
Sports rehab isn’t a quick fix through the help of a magic wand. While many non-professional athletes might just give it a few days for injury recovery and run back to play their game, in reality, this is not the case in the professional world. Every athlete who sustains a sports-related injury should understand the several stages of sports injury rehab and complete them before returning to the game. Here are the stages of sports injury rehab:
· Pain and Swelling Reduction
Pain and swelling are the first two common symptoms after a sports injury. Methods like icing, massage, and heating pads ease the pain and swelling. Once the inflammation goes down to a certain extent, it is only then that one should move on to the next stages.
· Improve Joint Mobility and Range of Motion
The next step would be to implement motion and exercise with the area and regain mobility once the pain dies down. The muscles can become stiff when a specific area is injured and rested. Hence, the PT may teach you various exercises to improve mobility and motion.
· Regain of Strength and Endurance
As an athlete, one has to go through immense training and test their physical limits. Hence, when rehabbing from a sports injury, it is essential to ensure your muscles regain the strength and endurance they may need. With the regained strength and endurance, the chances of re-injuries drastically decrease.
· Recovering Sports – Specific Muscles
The last step would be mimicking the motions you are bound to use the most when playing a sport. Hence, your therapist would help you participate in exercises with the same motion and strength you will use on the field.
What to Expect?
During your sports injury rehab, you can expect your PT to understand your struggles, take a physical assessment, and interview on your expectations. This will be followed by exercises and motions that will drive you back to your good old athletic self.
What Sports Injury Rehabilitation is the Best and Where Can You Get It From?
One of the best therapies that can be used for sports injury rehab is cryotherapy. This therapy requires an individual to stand in a cryo-chamber around liquid nitrogen at freezing or near freezing. This therapy helps reduce pain and inflammation, improve circulation, and speed up the recovery time, ensuring the athlete gets back into his game far more quickly.
Sculpted MD is one of the best health spas that effectively carry out this therapy in Denver and surrounding areas. So, when required or want to suggest someone of this therapy, guide them to this Denver cryo.
Conclusion
Any sport you play comes with a risk of injury. Hence, as a professional or non-professional athlete, it is essential to understand ways to reduce the pain or damage of the sustained injury. If you want to know what to expect during sports injury rehab, we hope this article was helpful for you.
