Be A “sport” About Pain

Sports are a mecca for injuries, and Dr. Nikesh Seth treats a wide variety of sports injuries every week. From tennis elbow to jumper’s knee, sports are by design a high-risk activity. Even seemingly gentle sports like golf has its own set of unique injuries. The combination of repetitive movements with often high-risk and high-impact movements makes the perfect storm for an injury.

One of the most frustrating types of injuries is a repetitive stress injury, such as tendinitis, commonly known as tennis elbow. Tendinitis can occur in any tendon that is overused. If caught early, rest is the usual prescription, which can be maddening for an athlete. If untreated, it can lead to serious complications.

Torn ligaments are another common sports injury. Ligaments are fibrous tissues that connect bone to bone (tendons connect muscle to bone). When a ligament is frayed or torn, it has little chance of healing on its own. The blood flow is very poor to ligaments, and blood is critical for the body to heal itself.

Fractures are another common sports injury. From breaking a bone in the toe getting stepped on on the soccer field to a major fracture such as a broken leg bone from skiing, fractures can be barely noticeable or totally disabling. Whether you’re a professional athlete, weekend warrior, or simply love sports as a way to stay fit and have fun, you’re at a higher risk of injury than a sedentary person.

Weekend warriors are perhaps the most at-risk group. These types of sports lovers take the week (and a fair amount of weekends) off, but “go hard” when they do engage in sports. This sparse training doesn’t allow the body to adapt, which puts it at a higher risk of injury. It could be argued that weekend warriors are at an even higher risk of injury than a professional athlete.

Schedule Your Consultation with Integrated Pain Consultants Today!

Of course, the more contact a sport has and the more demanding it is on the body, the higher the risk factor. If you’ve suffered a sports injury, pain management and alternative healing therapies are available. Contact Integrated Pain Consultants and schedule your consultation – 480-626-2552.