Understanding Medical Restrictions

Injuries are typical in sports, especially in contact sports. Some of the most common sports injuries include knee injuries, muscle sprains, bone fractures, dislocations, and Achilles tendon injuries. Even when you've been checked and treated for injuries, chances are the pain and other symptoms may come back. In such cases, your performance may be negatively affected.  Don't let an old sports injury continue to slow you down. Follow these precautions and recommendations:

R-I-C-E

Treating new or old sports injuries involves Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation. When you feel pain from a previous sports injury, you need to decrease your sport-related and even regular activities and rest the injured area. If the pain is severe, put an ice pack, cold pack, or ice bag on the affected area for 20 minutes about four to eight times a day. Next, you'll need to put even pressure on the affected area to reduce swelling. Lastly, you need to elevate the injured area at a level above your heart.

Orthopedic Surgeon

In some instances, reappearing old sports injuries could mean serious conditions. It is best to visit an orthopedist to check it and conduct initial tests. An orthopedic surgeon is a doctor specialized in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of injuries affecting the body's musculoskeletal system including bones, joints, ligaments, nerves, muscles, and tendons. If your orthopedist recognize that your injury requires treatment and surgery, he or she may perform different types of surgeries such as arthroscopy or the use of special camera when treating problems inside a joint, fusion of bone grafts and other internal devices to heal bones, internal fixation or facilitating bone healing through holding it with metal plates, soft tissue repair or mending of damaged tendons or ligaments, and osteotomy, or the correction of deformed bone through either cutting or repositioning. Visit an orthopedist to see if the old injury requires additional treatment.

Playing Again

Rest is as important as the treatment process. It is crucial for the healing process to take your time in resting until you're sure that your injury is healed. Old sports injuries often reappear as result of imbalance between rest, treatment, and rehabilitation. Don't play sport again until you're sure that the pain, swelling, and stiffness are completely gone. If you're to play again, start slowly. Avoid getting into intense participation again. Start slow and build up slowly to full performance and speed.

Occupational or Physical Therapy

You could also try occupational or physical therapy. Physical therapy focuses on strengthening the injury and improving metrics like range of motion. Occupational therapy focuses on restoring your ability to do specific actions, like walk up stairs, jump, or do the motions necessary to play a certain sport. 

Old sports injuries should never be disregarded. They reappear as a serious symptom or serve as a reminder to slow down with your sports to prevent further injuries from occurring. Visit an orthopedist immediately, RICE, and rest if needed.  For more information, contact a company like Hands-On Physical Therapy.