What is a Sports Injury, and How Can I Quickly Recover?
August 01, 2022
It’s been a while since you laced up your skates, but the challenge of a pickup hockey game with your friends sounds like too much fun to pass up. You grab your old (and thankfully not too smelly) hockey bag and eagerly head over to the rink, looking forward to a lively game and some good-natured chirps. After the 1st period, you still feel pretty good. Fatigue starts setting in during the 2nd, and you’re being a little sloppier with your starts and stops. On one such push, you feel your right knee buckle and hit the ice pretty hard. You’re able to make it to the bench, but are pretty sure you’ve just suffered a sports injury. What should you do next?
If you still feel pain, swelling, or weakness after a few days, contact Pain Treatment Specialists. Our team of nationally recognized pain specialists are experts in minimally invasive knee and back pain treatments designed to relieve your pain and get you back on the ice quickly. Depending on the type of injury, our treatments are customized to meet your pain needs. Don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment at one of our pain clinics in NYC, Long Island, or northern NJ so you can get back to physical activity as quickly as possible.
What is a Sports Injury?
If you’re participating in a sport and hurt yourself…voila! That’s a sports injury. Sometimes if you haven’t warmed up properly or it’s been a while since you’ve played (ahem… pickup hockey…) then you might be more susceptible to a sports injury. Some of the most common sports injuries include:
- Fractures, such as broken bones.
- Swollen muscles due to overuse.
- Ligaments (tissues that connect bones) that are overstretched or torn can result in an ankle sprain.
- Tennis elbow, which includes pain and swelling in the tendons on the outside of your elbow
- Knee injuries that don’t allow your knee joint to complete its full range of motion
- Tearing or overusing muscles and tendons that results in a strain
- ACL injuries disrupt your Achilles tendon and make it difficult to walk. Achilles tendonitis occurs through the overuse of this tendon, and results in heel pain.
- Rotator cuff injuries that prevent your shoulder from moving in all directions
While children and young adults are at the greatest risk for incurring a sports injury, older adults who continue physical activity may also be at risk. You may also aggravate an existing sports injury from your younger years, and may be exacerbated due to overuse. Many adults also delay seeking treatment for their sports injury, which then grows into a more serious injury over time. Carrying extra weight also put adults at a greater risk for a sports injury.
Book an appointment at Pain Treatment Specialists if you believe you’ve suffered a sports injury. Our team of pain management doctors easily treat minor injuries with minimally invasive pain treatments that quickly relieve your pain.
What are the Best Treatments for Ankle Sprains, Tennis Elbow, and Knee Joint Injuries?
Common sports injuries include knee joint injuries, tennis elbow, and ankle sprains. How does the team at Pain Treatment Specialists treat each of these injuries?
Ankle sprains are painful, but are also easily treated. This sports injury occurs when you twist or roll your ankle, which stretches or tears the ligaments that hold your bones together. Symptoms of a sprained ankle include pain when you put weight on it, swelling, instability, or a popping sound when the injury occurred. At Pain Treatment Specialists, we recommend physical therapy to speed up the healing process of your sprained ankle. During your PT sessions, you’ll regain your range of motion and ankle strength, and also undergo heat and cold therapies designed to reduce pain and swelling.
Tennis elbow also benefits from physical therapy sessions. This condition is named after the repetitive motion of a tennis backhand than inflames the tendons that connect your forearm muscles to the bones in your elbow. Resting your elbow from repetitive motions and wearing a supportive brace also helps your tennis elbow heal.
Knee joint injuries restrict your knee’s range of motion and make walking or climbing stairs very painful. This is often due to the loss of knee joint fluid as we age, or due to osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid injections are highly effective at treating this type of knee pain. Hyaluronic acid is the main component of joint fluid, and this injection supplements your knee’s natural joint fluid. This minimally invasive treatment helps your knee quickly regain its range of motion without a painful, grinding sensation.
Book an appointment at Pain Treatment Specialists and see how our team of nationally recognized knee pain doctors address common sports injuries with pain management treatments.
Should I Limit Physical Activity?
Yes, resting the affected area from your normal physical activities is a good idea. Additionally, you can ice the area in 20-minute intervals to reduce swelling and pain. Compress the area with a brace or bandage for additional support, and elevate whenever possible to reduce swelling. You can also use over-the-counter pain medicines to alleviate your pain when needed.
Be ready for your next pickup hockey game by treating your sports injury at Pain Treatment Specialists. By addressing your sports injury quickly, you’ll prevent future damage and get back to regular activities quickly.
Book a Consultation
Scheduling a consultation with one of our pain treatment specialists is one of the best ways to determine the proper solution for pain relief.
Meet our Harvard trained team
Dr. George Hanna
Harvard Medical School | NY & NJ Pain Specialist
Dr. Hanna received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed anesthesiology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital – Harvard Medical School and a pain management fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Harvard Medical School. Dr. Hanna was then appointed Clinical Instructor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School – training new graduates for over 3 years in anesthesiology and pain management techniques at Massachusetts General Hospital.
