O RTHO PE DI CS
LIVING WELL
Treating Common Sports Injuries
Have you ever fallen skiing and
tweaked your knee? How about
stepped into a rut while running
and twisted your ankle? Or maybe
your injuries were on the sports
field as a student athlete or an
adult recreation enthusiast. Most
of us have been injured while
playing a sport at one time in our
lives, or another. Proper healing
of sports-related injuries is vital
to how well that joint works in the
future, and how quickly we can get back to doing the
activities we love.
Common Sports-Related Injuries
According to WebMD, the seven most common
sports injuries include: ankle sprain, groin pull,
hamstring strain, shin splints, torn ACL in the knee,
patellofemoral syndrome of the knee and tennis
elbow. Some are caused by repetitive motion, like
tennis elbow, others are caused by the twisting,
tearing or straining of muscles, ligaments and joints.
“The most common knee injuries I’ve seen are ACL
tears and meniscus tears,” said an Orthopaedic PA
with TMH’s Northwest Colorado Orthopaedic & Total
Joint Center.
Know your Anatomy
Here’s a quick anatomy lesson, which comes in handy
when dealing with a sports injury. Do you know the
difference between a ligament and a muscle? And
did you know there’s such a thing as meniscus that
surrounds your joints? A ligament is a band of fibrous,
tough connective tissue that holds a joint together or
connects a bone to a bone or a bone to cartilage. It’s
not as flexible as muscle that can contract and move.
Meniscus is a thin band of cartilage between the
surface of certain joints, including
the knee. If serious, a torn
meniscus can require surgery.
How about the difference between
a strain and a sprain? A strain is
defined as an injury of a muscle
or tendon, a sprain is an injury to
a ligament. Symptoms of sports
injuries often involve pain and
swelling, difficulty bearing weight
and a sense of instability in the
area.
Treatment Options
Treatment of sports injuries varies, of course, from
simple RICE (rest, ice, compress, elevate) treatment
at home for mild sprains and strains to braces or casts
and physical therapy for more advanced injuries. For
serious tears and breaks, surgery is often needed.
Importance of Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation is often vital to make a full recovery.
“Working with a physical therapist is key for recovery
of sports medicine related injuries. Whether we treat
patients with or without surgery, physical therapists
and our athletic trainer are key members of our team
and are important for getting optimal outcomes,” the
PA said.
With rehabilitation, it’s a two-way street. You must
not only go to physical therapy, but you must also
commit to following through on the home exercise
program provided by your physical therapist in order
to fully recover.
“With physical therapy the patient plays the biggest
role in their outcomes,” the PA said.
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