Recreation and Sports Hub

Sports injuries, these days are not just limited to professional athletes or boys who participate in school sports programs. Today, many people of both sexes and all ages are regularly involved in sports and fitness activities. There are women involved traditionally men’s sports such as soccer, basketball, and kick-boxing. As a whole, most people participate in sports like golf and tennis, and/or other healthy activities like running, aerobic classes, and weight training. Despite the activity,though, there is constantly the risk of injury.

Nearly all of injuries generally fit into two classifications: 1) traumatic injury, such as a slip, fall, or collision and, 2) repetitive stress or overuse injury.

Traumatic Injuries

These injuries produce the debilitating problems often associated with trauma. Nearly all traumatic injuries are to the ligaments, the tissue that connects bone to bone, and to body muscles, but fractures and dislocations do occur at times, in particular with contact sports. A strain is any harm to either a muscle or its tendon, and a sprain is an injury to ligaments.  The most frequent places for these kinds of injuries are the ankles, knees, and shoulders, but other areas can be affected including the low back and neck. Because the spinal cord and/or spinal nerves can be involved, injury to the neck and low back can be quite serious.

A traumatic injury may be relatively mild, such as a “muscle pull” or ankle twist. But, some can be extremely serious and require surgery. The enormity of the injury depends upon several factors, such as the severity of tearing of the tissues, the region of the injury, and the age of the person. Almost all sprains and strains are identified with some degree of swelling and sometimes with internal bleeding, especially with injury to the ankles and knees. With all strains and sprains proper management is crucial, particularly during the initial stages of the injury to insure correct healing and avoid future disability. Therapy from a competent health-care professional, such as your Santa Barbara chiropractor, is highly recommended.

Listed below is an acronym for the post-injury treatment of sprains and strains expressly if no professional help is available: PRICE
P    Protect injury from additional damage
R    Rest the injury
I     Ice injury to lessen swelling, bleeding, muscle spasm, and pain
C    Compress injury with a specialized support or elastic bandage to support injured tissues
E    Elevate the injury, especially when the damage is to ankles and knees

As already mentioned, knowledgeable assessment and treatment are essential to a total recovery. A chiropractor can ascertain the degree of your injury and institute appropriate recovery treatment. When knowledgeable care is provided during the various stages of healing, nearly all those who have sustained sprain and strain injuries will recover. If not treated correctly, some sprains and strains can result in long-lasting problems such as joint instability, painful or weak joints and muscles, and lack of mobility. Experienced treatment of your sports injury by a chiropractor with plenty of experience in sports injury management will insure that your injury heals properly. Call your Santa Barbara chiropractor if you have sustained a traumatic injury.

Overuse or Repetitive Strain Injuries

These injuries are becoming more and more common, particularly among people going out for sports such as golf, tennis, bowling, and any other activity that necessitates the same activity over and over (repetitively). An action as natural and healthy as running, especially on a treadmill, can also be a factor.

Basically, overuse or repetitive stress injuries occur when a person is performs a repetitious activity that causes a very slight strain to tissues, especially tendons and muscles, that in and of itself would not cause a problem, but performed many times has an accumulative effect.  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is one of the most frequent kinds of overuse injuries. The pain, stiffness, and disability coincidental with carpal tunnel problems takes place over a period of time as the muscles and other affected tissue develop changes that no longer permit normal function. There are two types of factors that predispose a person to these types of problems:  1) Intrinsic, i.e., found within a person’s own body, and 2) Extrinsic, i.e., external factors that can generally be changed or controlled by the individual.

Some of the most prevalent intrinsic factors for injury

Age is the mostwell-established intrinsic factor for injury. The older a person is, the easier it is for that man or woman to get injured. Congenital abnormalities are another factor. A number of people are born with joint or muscle problems. And, finally, previous injuries are a factor as they frequently prevent the joints or muscles from functioning correctly.

Extrinsic factors for injury

There are quite a few extrinsic injury factors.  An inappropriate grip size of a tennis racket, worn-out running shoes, an uneven treadmill surface, or a too-hard surface for soccer are all examples of faulty sports equipment that can produce problems. Incorrect technique, like an awkward golf grip or swing, can produce stress and strain injuries. All sports activities demand an amount of pre-conditioning, which is why people who aren’t in shape who continue to extend the duration of an activity without easing in slowly, as well as those who lack flexibility, are injured most often. Warming up is very important before sports activities and not warming up, that is, not stretching or preparing for an activity is a widespread cause of injury.  And, finally, but perhaps surprising to some, stress is a factor. Muscles that are tense and inflexible as the result of stress are too tight and, therefore, unprepared for most sports activities.

It is encouraging to remember that most factors are extrinsic and, hence, they are factors that can be individually regulated. Before embarking on a new sport, or as a way to ward off injury in a current sport, it’s smart to get an assessment of your current body condition. If you’ve been injured, it is vital to seek out a experienced professional, like a chiropractor, to determine the nature of the injury and prepare a plan of treatment. If left untreated, sports injuries can considerably affect a person’s life and limit a favorite activity. Treatment such as joint manipulation, massage, bracing, and specific exercises is generally needed to stabilize the condition. A chiropractor is a good source of help. Call a chiropractor if you’re either thinking of beginning a new activity, you’re feeling pain related to a current sports activity, or you’ve sustained a sports injury. Your Santa Barbara Chiropractor has years of experience helping people just like you.

There are many types of injuries that happen to athletes due to repetitive motion and over use. Running is often incorporated as part of a conditioning program, or as a sport on its own, and a common injury from running is shin splints. Sharp pain on the outside edge of the shin is the most common symptom. This type of injury can be as mild as a minor annoyance, or prove to be serious enough to stop any kind of activity that involves running.

Rest, ice and elevation are the best treatments for shin splints. The ice will reduce any inflammation and the elevation of the limb will reduce swelling and fluid build up. In this case, the body can be left to heal itself and rest is most often the best medicine. As an additional measure, you can take ibuprofen to help alleviate the pain.

Perhaps the best treatment for shin splints is prevention. There are a number of exercises that you can do which will strengthen the calf and muscles surrounding your shin. Calf raises, lunges, and a wide range of weight exercises on a power sled will help to build a solid muscle mass around your shin and calf. This increase in strength and stability will enhance your body’s ability to take some abuse and greatly decreases the possibility that the shin splints will be a recurring injury.

If, after several weeks of rest, ice, and elevation you are still experiencing sharp pain when you try to run, it may be time to see a doctor. There is another overuse injury that has similar symptoms, but which may require additional treatment. Stress fractures are painful, and typically require a much longer recovery time. If you allow your shin splint to go unchecked, they can often be the pre-cursor to a stress fracture, so don’t let them linger without some kind of treatment.

Stretching can also provide some temporary relief. Finding a good stretch that works the lower front part of your leg might be difficult. However, by stretching the quadriceps (the front of the thigh) you also relieve a lot of the tension in your shin. By grabbing one foot and pulling it up behind you, you can give your quad a good stretch. When the quad is stretched it tightens all the connecting tendons and the muscles attached to those tendons; as the quads relax, so does the rest of the leg, including the shin. You can make the stretch even more efficient for a shin splint by pulling back your toes as you have your leg bent behind you.

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Many of us probably don’t think much about our fingers. We use them for everything and probably take for granted the sensitivity and dexterity involved. The thought of a jammed finger might not seem like such a big deal. Our fingers have so many nerve endings concentrated into such a small area that an injury to the fingers can be quite painful.

A finger jam occurs when it receives a hard blow to the end of the finger, basically crushing all of the different joints together. The result can be a painful injury that swells and limits the mobility of your finger. Just as with physical injury, if you think in any way that it may be fractured, the smartest thing to do is to get to physician as soon as you can so your finger can be set the right way. If however, the injury appears to be minor and you are content to treat it at home, here are some steps that you can take to alleviate some of the discomfort.

The most important thing you can do for any sports injury is to get some ice on it. Ice helps to reduce the swelling as well as numb the pain. When you apply ice, apply it in 20 minute sessions over the course of the day. The ice will constrict the blood vessels and keep the blood from collecting around the injured area. As the blood flow decreases, the swelling goes down and the pressure is relieved.

Further pain relief can be found in over the counter painkillers like ibuprofen. They help to manage the inflammation that is a result of the swelling and also help to reduce pain. If you feel that these over the counter pain killers are not strong enough to help you manage the pain, then you probably need to see a doctor for your injury.

The ability to immobilize the injured finger will allow it to heal a little faster and will also help to prevent you from injuring it further. You can buy finger splits for a relatively small amount of money at most pharmacies. They are typically made of an aluminum shank that is padded on one side with foam rubber. Becayse the flexibilty of aluminum can be shaped to fit over the most comforting shape of your finger. Once you have created a splint that comfortably fits you, it is best to have somebody assist you to tape it on securely utilzing athletic tape. You should find that the immobility lessens the pain considerably as well.

Broken bones are difficult to diagnose without the help of an x-ray. If the swelling in your finger doesn’t go down in a few days and the pain is still there, you may need to go see a doctor. Broken bones should not go untreated. To leave them to heal on their own could result in irreparable damage. At the very least, the finger could heal crooked, at its worst, the bone could heal so badly that you completely lose all mobility in that digit and it might have to be re-broken and set all over again.

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A pulled muscle is one of the most common injuries that athletes suffer. It is caused when a muscle group is over-stretched and it results in soreness and sometimes a loss of mobility. Minor swelling can occur and sometimes even a bruise. The bruise is created because the pull can result in small tears in the muscle fiber. If those tears bleed a little bit, then you may see some bruising over the sore area.

Ice works very well with a pulled muscle. The ice will reduce any swelling in the area and help alleviate the pain. Ibuprofen may also be taken to further reduce swelling and pain.

The only thing that can cure a pulled muscle is time. If you were to travel to a clinic made for sports clinic they might be capable of giving you various types of treatments which will assist in speeding up the process of healing, however you will not find a magic fix. The best thing you can do is to take it easy while the muscle tissue heals itself and make sure that you don’t over exert it.

When you are able to resume activity, always make sure that you take the time to stretch well and to warm up properly. Over-exerting cold muscles is often the cause of the pull in the first place. If you attempt to make a set of muscles to work hard while not allowing it the right amount of time to establish the right amount of blood flow, you are sure to be asking for trouble.

You may find that wrapping the affected area with an elastic bandage helps keep it warm and loose, thus preventing the possibility of further damage. These wraps are available at many local pharmacies and sporting goods retailers.

If, after a period of time, you see no improvement then you may want to seek treatment at a sports medicine facility. If you have underestimated the extent of your injury, then you may have something more substantial than a pulled muscle and you may have actually torn it. The result is that the muscle tears free from the bone and can curl back up on it self. This is extremely painful and it is unlikely that it could happen without you knowing it, but prolonged pain is probably something that you should get checked out. A severely torn muscle can require surgery to repair and the longer you wait the worse it will get.

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The best advice for any major injury should come from your doctor, however there are a few things that you can do on your own to help heal your sprained ankle and lessen the pain involved.

This kinds of injury normally occurs whenever a persons ankle is rolled to far in one direction or the other and the persons tendons as well as their ligaments which provide support and keep it upright are stretched too far. The result is a painful injury that can lead to swelling and immobility. As with any injury, you should immediately ice the ankle. The ice constricts the blood vessels in the affected area, thus restricting blood flow. This restriction in blood flow help to control the swelling. The ice also helps to numb the pain. You should continue to ice the injury for 20 minutes several times a day.

If the injury is causing enough pain that it prevents you from walking, then you should see a doctor for some x-rays. The injury could be more significant than you thought. If the injury is just causing you minor discomfort then you may find further relief with an over the counter pain killer. One that is an ibuprofen product will help reduce some of the inflammation that may be causing the stiffness, and the ibuprofen will also help to numb the discomfort.

While your tendons as well as your ligaments function to repair as well as strengthen themselves, you might look to take it easy for a period of time. Since they have been stretched past their normal capacity, they will be weaker and the probability that you could injure yourself again is higher during the time when your body is rebuilding its strength. One of the ways to assist your body to have a quicker recovery is to give the injured ankle some added support. You can by supportive ankle braces over the counter at many pharmacies or sporting goods stores. These will have a tight fit over a persons foot as well as the ankle and provide a degree of support to supplement your normal strength of your ankle, which could be lowered due to injury. While it is acceptable to utilize these support while in the phase of recovery, you might wish to speak with a physician in regards to extended use, as your body may end up depended on the brace for support in time will never actually reacquire its own strength.

There is nothing wrong with trying to treat your injury at home. However, if you have already tried using ice and ibuprofen and you are still experiencing pain or having problems walking, then you should get to a doctor for a proper diagnosis. There are other problems, such as torn ligaments, tendons or small fractures that could also be the result of your injury and the only way you will know this is by having a professional assess the situation.

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