Sports injuries are no fun. They are the last thing you need if you lead an active lifestyle. However, it is vitally important how you heal from that injury so that you can get back in the game.
Myths For Treating Sports Injuries
Here are a few suggestions you may have already heard only this time around, we will explain why you shouldn’t do these things to treat a sports injury.
Apply Heat On An Acute Injury
This is a serious no-no. An acute injury is accompanied by inflammation which triggers pain responses. Cold therapy helps reduce swelling but heat will just increase the swelling.
Walk Off A Shin Splint
Shin splints are a sign of bone overuse. Maintaining activity can make the situation worse by developing into a stress fracture or worse. The best treatment is rest and less activity.
Rest Everything Off
Stopping your activities completely due to a minor strain or sprain is not a good idea. Sure, you may have to find other ways to maintain your fitness while rehabilitating but don’t stop everything.
Running Will Wreck Your Knees
Running does somewhat of the opposite. In addition to providing you with an excellent cardiovascular workout for overall fitness, running strengthens bones and muscles.
Surgery Is Your Only Option
That usually depends on how serious the injury is. For most sports injuries, other forms of rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy, offer the best solution. Surgery is invasive.
Work Through The Pain
You’ve heard this before: no pain, no gain. The suggestion that experiencing pain of any kind is the only path to getting stronger is false. Exercise should be challenging, but also stimulating not painful.
Ankle Sprains Do Not Require A Doctor's Care
Ankle sprains are a common sports injury. Left unchecked, that sprain may hide a fracture, a lesion or cartilage or muscle, or a ligament sprain. A doctor can properly diagnose the situation.
Strength Prevents Injuries
There is some truth to this however, if it were completely true, no elite athlete would ever get hurt. Strength can help you, but muscles can still tear, tendons can still rip, and bones can still break.
Increasing Exercise Speeds Recovery
Assuming you have had a sports injury and a physiotherapist has prescribed an exercise routine as part of your rehab, you must stick to the amount of exercise suggested. Overdoing it can be counterproductive.
Your ACL Tear Just Ended Your Career
There is no doubt that an ACL tear is a serious injury. However, thanks to arthroscopic surgery, and custom rehab programs, full recovery is common. Many athletes have returned stronger than before their injury.
The Only Remedy For Osteoarthritis Is Glucosamine
Using glucosamine alone is not going to heal you any quicker than not using it. However, combining it with exercise and activity modification will get you back to the sport you enjoy so much.
Stretching Prevents Injuries
While there is a good argument that says stretching increases blood flow, preparing muscles for activity, there is also a downside. Stretching too much may hamper some muscles from performing well when needed.
If It Does Show On A Scan, It Doesn't Matter
Sure, an obvious injury is going to be easy to spot on a scan and your doctor will diagnose accordingly. However, “hidden” injuries are still worthy of attention to keep them from getting worse.
Always Trust Sporting Equipment
Sporting equipment like pads, gloves, and helmets serve an important purpose when used during sporting activity. However, they must be used correctly and fit right to do their job effectively.
Do You Need Sports Physio? Contact Newport Physio and Health Today
If you are suffering from a sports injury, one of your best solutions is sports physiotherapy. For help in recovering from any kind of sports injury, contact Newport Physio and Health today. Learn exercises that will promote healing and get you back in action.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you are a casual sports enthusiast or a high-level sports junkie, the last thing you need to slow you down is a sports injury. Regardless of the precautions you take, sports injuries happen. However, they don’t mean that you must suddenly retire from the activity you enjoy. Often, you can get back into the groove with some careful rehabilitation. That usually comes in the form of sports physiotherapy.
Sadly, through the years, many misconceptions have been shared to the point where they are often accepted as truth related to sports injuries. It turns out that most myths on the topic are incorrect and could do more damage than good. To be sure you have the right treatment for your sports injury, seek the guidance of a sports physiotherapist.