Pain Management for Sports Injuries
Sports injuries can cause havoc on your active lifestyle. However, many injuries and the associated pain can be easily treated with non-surgical modalities. From muscle sprains to joint arthritis, the doctors at your pain clinic Rutherfordton NC location (as well as at our 14 additional Asheville-area locations) want to get you moving! Read on to learn more about how we can help.
Why Sports Injuries Occur
As a prevalent sports pain relief clinic, we’ve seen dozens of different causes of injuries over the years. However, there are some causes that occur more often than others. The top factors that play into sports-related injuries include the following:
Improper protective gear
Little/no warmup or cool down
Participating in an activity that’s above one’s ability level
Heavy contact sports
Sports that involve repetitive stress to joints due to quick, tight turns, jumping or additional high impact maneuvers
When to Get Help
Many athletes are taught to get comfortable with the concept of pain. While it’s often associated with resilience and growth, there is a point at which discomfort is no longer healthy or beneficial. We encourage athletes to work with coaches and trainers who help them learn to identify healthy boundaries with training and pain management. Some of the symptoms that indicate it’s time to get help from a doctor or pain specialist include the following:
Reduced range of motion
Reduced ability to perform
Deformed joint or bone area
Injury that is hot to the touch and/or inflamed
Weakness or inability to bear weight
Injury Prevention Tips
Regardless of where the athlete’s experience lies on a scale of beginner to professional, prevention is key. When we say prevention, we’re referring to time spent in training as well as the pre- and post- performance routine. One of the top tips in injury prevention is to incorporate a solid warm up and cool down around every practice and game. This helps warm up the muscles for peak performance as well as decrease recovery time following that performance.
Other tips for preventing injury include wearing appropriate protective gear, incorporating cross-training into practices and workout time, and making rest a priority. Our pain doctor Rutherfordton NC team (locations also in 14 additional Asheville-area towns) recommends 1 to 2 rest days a week on average. This, along with staying hydrated, are simple ways to help keep injuries at bay.
Non-invasive Treatments
For those athletes who are living with chronic pain or new injuries, working with a pain specialist can be life changing. This is especially true for professional athletes or young athletes who hope to recover quickly and continue playing their sport of choice. At Comprehensive Pain Consultants of the Carolinas, we specialize in highly effective, modern, non-invasive treatments for pain management. Some of our top methods to help athletes recover include the following:
Physical therapy
Pain psychology services
Health and nutritional counseling
Medication management support
Nerve blocks
Over the counter and/or prescription medication
Pain Clinic Rutherfordton NC
If sports are a big part of how you measure your quality of life, it’s important to find ways to ensure you can play pain-free for years to come. Don’t let your pain linger; call our Asheville sports pain relief clinic today to discuss your options. We can help with chronic pain, new injuries and working with your team of trainers and coaches to help prevent injury. Come see us at one of our 15 convenient Asheville-area locations.