Whether you are a weekend warrior or a semi-pro athlete, sports are one of our favorite pastimes. When you find yourself sidelined with an injury, it’s hard to see your way back to full function. Any injury that happens while engaging in a sport from running to badminton is, by definition, a sports injury. The question becomes, how do you treat it?
Old Injuries vs New Injuries
One of the first questions any medical professional will ask is, “When did this happen?” Your response will determine your available treatment options. For example, your ankle injury during touch football last weekend will not have the same treatment as an ankle injury that happened 10 years ago. Why?
Scar Tissue
Your body has an incredible internal repair shop, capable of healing most injuries on its own, with a little assistance. When a sports injury is ignored, rather than strategically treated, you risk the build-up of scar tissue in place of healthy tissue. This thick, fibrous tissue is less flexible than its healthy counterpart and often limits a person’s range of motion.
Adhesions
Adhesions are bands of scar tissue that cause tissues to stick together. When an adhesion forms, the only way to separate the two tissues is to break the adhesion. This process is a painful one regardless of whether it is done accidentally as you move or intentionally by a medical professional.
Muscle Weakness
Unless a tendon is involved, new injuries do not usually impact the strength of a muscle immediately. Older injuries, on the other hand, are often accompanied by muscle atrophy from a lack of use.
Best Treatments for Sports Injuries
Fortunately, several treatment options do not differentiate between old and new injuries.
Chiropractic Care
While chiropractic care makes sense to a lot of people who have back injuries, it’s often discounted for injuries in other parts of the body. The truth is, chiropractic care encompasses more than just spinal alignment. Modalities like electrical stimulation, cervical and spinal decompression therapy, and kinesiotaping can relieve pain while treating the injury itself.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been proven to relieve pain, speed healing, and improve the body’s ability to heal itself. Thin, small needles are inserted below the surface of the skin and target specific channels of the body to reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation after an injury.
Massage
Yes, massage feels great, but it has also been shown to speed the healing process along. It also encourages blood flow, reduces swelling in the surrounding tissues, and helps reduce the likelihood of muscle atrophy.
Whether your sports injury is old or new, Pure Wellness can give you a treatment plan that will have you up and at ’em in no time. Call today or schedule your consultation online to find out more.