Sports Injuries Specialist

What are some common sports injuries?

Examples of the types of sports injuries Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management might see include:

• Sprained ankles
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains
• Medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprains
• Meniscus tears
• Fractures and dislocations
• Rotator cuff tears
• Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
• Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
• Patellofemoral pain syndrome
• Labral tears
• Achilles tendinitis
• Stress fractures

Some sports injuries are acute, like sprains and strains, fractures, and dislocations. They can result from a collision, fall, or overstretching yourself. 

Other sports injuries take time to develop. They consist of tiny areas of damage called micro-injuries in the bone or tissue that gradually increase in number.

What symptoms do sports injuries cause?

Sports injuries are often painful, sometimes extremely so. Depending on the injury, you may also have symptoms such as:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Limited mobility
• Weakness
• Tingling or numbness
• Joint instability
• Inability to use an affected limb

If your sports injury symptoms are severe, you should seek urgent medical attention. 

If you have mild symptoms, you can use the RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) approach. That means resting the injury, using ice packs, wrapping a compression bandage around the area, and raising the limb to reduce inflammation and swelling.

If your sports injury doesn’t improve after a few days, call Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management. 

Failing to treat a sports injury properly slows down healing and could worsen the injury. You could also end up with joint instability, so don’t ignore pain when you’re running or exercising, or your injury could become a chronic problem.

How are sports injuries treated?

Some serious sports injuries, such as complex fractures, might require surgery early. However, Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management can successfully treat most sports injuries with less invasive therapies. 

The team offers a wide variety of sports injury treatments in a convenient office-based environment, saving you money on co-pays and deductibles.

Examples of what your rehabilitation program might feature include:

• Rest or immobilization
• Cold and hot therapies
• Avoiding painful activities
• Anti-inflammatory medication
• Therapeutic massage
• Physical therapy
• Stem cells
• Trigger point injections
• Steroid injections
• Nerve blocks
• Radiofrequency ablation

Your provider designs your treatment plan to start with the most conservative options. If these are unsuccessful, you can try more advanced therapies or a different combination of treatments.

Physical therapy always plays a vital role in treating sports injuries. It relieves pain, enables you to regain strength and flexibility, and improves your range of motion. The increased blood flow also helps you heal more quickly.

Don’t delay in getting treatment for your sports injury, or you could be out of action for a long time. Call Metro Anesthesia & Pain Management today or book an appointment online.