One of the biggest fears for any athlete — weekend warrior or professional — is experiencing a sports injury. Not only can a bad injury keep you temporarily sidelined, but if not treated properly, it can also leave lasting damage that could potentially end your career.
Even with all the proper training and conditioning, you can still find yourself experiencing this type of injury. This makes it all the more important to understand what types of sports injuries are most common and how they can be treated so you can get back on the field and live your best quality of life.
Common Injuries That Affect Athletes
ACL Tear or Strain
When trying to pivot or quickly change directions mid-game, athletes may strain or tear their ACL — one of the most important stabilizing ligaments in the knee. If you experience only a slight tear or sprain, an ACL injury can be healed with rest, physical therapy, or stem cell therapy, while full tears often require surgery to heal the wound and alleviate knee pain.
Sciatica
This is a common ailment that plagues athletes, like cyclists or golfers, who maintain a forward posture or perform a lot of trunk rotation. To alleviate the burning or numbness that sciatica can cause in your back and legs, you’ll want to consider medications, nerve blocks, Epidural steroid injection, or other non-surgical forms of back pain management.
Shoulder Injury
Whether due to dislocation, strain, or overuse, a shoulder injury is very common for athletes in a variety of sports since it happens to be the weakest joint in the body. While initial injuries can be treated with ice and rest, prolonged shoulder pain should be addressed through physical therapy, non-steroid anti-inflammatories, or steroid injections.
Tennis/Golf Elbow
After the repetitive action involved with sports that demand heavy gripping, such as tennis or elbow, the tendon in your forearm or wrist can become inflamed and cause pain. In some cases, this injury can be resolved with the help of anti-inflammatory medicines or a brace, while, if the injury is more severe, you may benefit from physical therapy or other pain management therapies.
Non-Surgical Pain Therapies in Newport Beach
At Regenerative Institute of Newport Beach, patients can receive innovative, advanced pain-relieving treatments. Under the direction of board-certified physician Dr. Khyber Zaffarkhan, the team at this Newport Beach clinic can treat the most complex of injuries or chronic pain-causing conditions at one of California’s most state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation facilities.
Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
