Signs Your Shoulder Pain Needs Help
Shoulder pain isn’t uncommon, but how do you know when to see your doctor? Here’s what you need to know.
Participating in sports is a fun activity that helps keep you healthy. Whether you’re on a team or just enjoying weekend leisure, playing sports is a great part of your life. Unfortunately, sports injuries are a common risk.
Certain injuries are more common than others, especially based upon the sports you play. But many sports injuries are preventable. The doctors at Crescent City Orthopedics offer this list of the most common sports injuries along with some tips on how to prevent them.
Sports injuries can occur in any sport and can have a variety of causes. Some are due to collisions with other players, falls, and pulled muscles. The most common sports injuries include:
Not all injuries are preventable, such as those due to collisions with other players. Other injuries are a result of continuing to play when you’re already injured.
You can take a number of steps to prevent sports injuries, ensuring that you stay healthy and off the bench. Here are some of the best things you can do to prevent injury.
Stretching is an important way to warm up and loosen your muscles before activity. There are two types of stretching: static and dynamic.
Static stretches include things like toe touches and holding stretches, which you do in place without a lot of movement. Dynamic stretches include things like jumping jacks, in which you move several muscles at once.
Professional athletes know you have to be in peak physical condition before playing sports. Baseball players, for example, don’t just go out on the field once or twice a week and play the game. They train constantly to be in the best possible physical shape.
Weekend warrior types of sports enthusiasts are most likely to be at risk of injuries. It’s important to get some additional exercise throughout the week so that you’re in good physical condition for play.
You may think that the best way to get better in your chosen sport is just to practice it more often. However, cross-training by playing other sports may help you improve as well as prevent overuse injuries.
Different sports work on different muscle groups and help you to build strength. Cross-training can have many of the same benefits of improving your overall physical condition.
The worst thing you can do when you notice early signs of injury is to continue playing as though everything is fine. Continuing to play when you notice a problem — even if the signs are minor, such as a twinge in a muscle — can result in a more severe injury. This is one time when it’s not good to try to be tough.
If you notice that you’ve turned your ankle, pulled your shoulder, or otherwise feel pain in some part of your body, stop playing. Take some time to rest and apply the RICE principle: rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
Make sure to call the doctors at Crescent City Orthopedics when your injury fails to get better after a couple days of rest or seems to be getting worse. Call our Metairie, Louisiana, office at 504-233-0986, or make an appointment online.
