Dealing with Sports Injuries
One of the best things you can do to reduce your risk of getting ill and dying prematurely is to get outside and exercise.
In the UK, the Chief Medical Officer recommends that we get at least 75 minutes of ‘vigorous’ activity per week, or 150 minutes of ‘moderate intensity’ exercise.
Of course, if you’re participating in high-impact sports, then you run the risk of injury. While this risk is vastly offset by the ones we’ve just outlined, it’s important to know how best to recover and rehabilitate yourself following an injury – whether it’s a big one, or something minor.
Cross-training
If you’re just doing the same simple movement over and over again, then your risk of injury is vastly increased. Mix things up by doing a few different forms of exercise, to keep your joints and muscles strong. Walking, yoga and weightlifting are all magnificent forms of cross-training, along with the elliptical machine at your gym.
Equipment
Substandard equipment can easily inflict injury. You might think of a weight-training system that fails, here; but just as problematic can be trainers that don’t offer the required level of support. If you’re going to be taking a particular activity seriously, then make sure you invest enough to get the best from it.
RICE
Minor injuries are traditionally treated using a combination of treatments, which are easily remembered thanks to the RICE acronym. Included here is rest, ice, compression and elevation. You might also see a fifth element added: protection (to create the PRICE) acronym. You might also look into over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs.
When to get help
There’s no set threshold at which you’ll know immediately that it’s time to get help, but generally, if an injury is getting worse over time, it’s a good idea to seek medical advice. It might be that you’re doing something wrong and that a failure to get professional treatment actually makes the injury much worse than it otherwise would have been. This can be better understood with the help of an example. Say that you’ve been playing basketball and you twist your ankle, causing ongoing pain and limited mobility. In that case, consulting a skilled Chiropractor in Rowlett, TX or a professional of comparable caliber in your location can help address the underlying issues. They can assess your injury, provide manual adjustments to realign your joints, and offer rehabilitation exercises to promote healing and prevent future injuries. It’s important to remember that failing to seek this specialized care could prolong your discomfort and worsen your condition.
What if the treatment is substandard?
The medical practitioners who treat you owe you what’s called a duty of care. Consequently, if they don’t perform up to the required standard, you may be entitled to take legal action against them. This needn’t necessarily mean that the person in question is incompetent. In fact, you might take legal action against an institution as a whole rather than any one individual. A competent medical negligence solicitor will be able to assess the merits of your case, and advise you as to whether action is worth pursuing.
