When To Seek Sports Injury Treatment In London

As most athletes realize, the occasional personal injury is bound to pop up when you put your all into sports. Whether you’re an avid rugby player or a tennis aficionado, any activity that has the potential to place abnormal amounts of strain on your body can eventually end in injury. The most common of these seen among athletes across the board are ankle sprains, knee dislocations, and elbow and shoulder injuries. If you experience these or other injuries out on the field, seeking appropriate and timely medical treatment is the best way to ensure that you’ll be back in the game in no time.

It can be hard to evaluate when you need medical attention and when your health concerns would be solved by rest. Most players of team sports as well as runners, downhill skiers, and many others have suffered from a sprained or rolled ankle at least once in their career. And most of the time it’s no big deal. You likely know the drill: RICE! Rest your ankle. Put some Ice on it. Use Compression to decrease swelling. Elevate it above your heart. That’s all pretty simple. But how do you know if it will be enough?

If your foot or leg is bending at a noticeably abnormal angle, your pain becomes severe in comparison to other sprains you’ve suffered in the past, or your foot is becoming cold or changing color, it is for sure time to call a sports medicine specialist. A popping sound at the time of the injury, or a lack of improvement within one week of the incident, also indicate that you need to see a doctor. So you’re a bit concerned, and you’re on your way to seek the help of a professional. What can you do to help until you get there? First and foremost, if you suspect a more serious injury, keep off it! Find you can’t put weight on your injured ankle without pain or a feeling of instability? Then don’t. Use some crutches; enlist some help. Doing your best to follow the RICE procedure at least until you can see a professional will also up your chances of a speedy and successful recovery after treatment.

Knee sprains are another common sports injury, and should be treated in much the same way as the ankle. Keep off it, apply RICE, and give it a little time. If within forty eight hours the swelling has not gone down and you are still in pain, head to the doctor. Feelings of instability or lessened motion that last for more than twenty four hours are symptoms that also need to be evaluated by a medical professional. Runners are particularly prone to knee injuries, so ensuring proper treatment post-injury is important. If you want to be able to get back out there before the next big race, employ some patience and don’t push yourself too hard after treatment; you could cause further damage to the ligaments.

Sustaining elbow or shoulder injuries may seem like less of a big deal than ankle and knee sprains, but if you play team sports you need your elbows to be in good working order. If your accident has broken the skin over the injury site, or your joint looks misshapen or is not in its normal position, seek help immediately. The presence of extreme swelling directly after the event is another warning sign that you might need a doctor. Signs of nerve damage or blood vessel damage often manifest as feelings of numbness, extreme paleness or cold around the area, or experiencing weakness when trying to move the joint rather than just pain.

If in doubt about whether or not to seek sports injury treatment for these or other injuries, play it safe. Contact Physio 4 Life in Putney for more information.