Living an active lifestyle is an important part of staying healthy. However, with lots of repetitive activity, overuse injuries may arise. These are common in many athletes, and the pain from these injuries can cause a decrease in quality of life and quality of activity. Therefore, it is important to know how to recognize the signs of these injuries and how to treat them if they do arise. There are more treatment options than ever before, and patients should be aware of all of their options.
Examples of Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries can include medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints) from excessive running on hard surfaces or with improper footwear, lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) from repetitive arm and wrist motions and patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee) from repeated jumping or running activity, which a knee pain doctor in Frederick, MD, like from Pain & Spine Specialists of Maryland, LLC, can help treat. Those who are dedicated to one type of sport or who exercise very often may be more prone to overuse injuries. Incorrect form and other factors can also be a reason for the injury.
Treatment Options
In recent years, many patients have been looking for alternative ways to treat overuse injuries to avoid surgery. While advanced procedures are sometimes necessary, treatments like chiropractic care and physical therapy can be effective. A chiropractor can work with a patient to align the joints and muscles back to where they should be, and they can also offer tips for home care. Multiple appointments will likely be needed to fully treat an injury, and rest during the healing process is important.
Self Care
The important thing for athletes to know is that they should seek care as soon as they notice symptoms of an overuse injury. Treatment in the early stages is often easier, less invasive and more effective than treatment in late stages of an injury. When receiving care from any type of provider, the patient must be willing to follow recommendations; these might include specific exercises to do daily or even refraining from using those joints and muscles for a certain period of time. The road to recovery will be much more difficult if the patient is not compliant with self care.
Sustaining any type of injury can be discouraging, and it is especially so for those who are used to being active all the time. However, it is important to treat the issues so that you can get back to doing what you love. Be sure to seek out the right care providers and follow all recommendations to be on the way to a speedy recovery.