When discussing about sports medicine, many people probably think that it is a subject only for professional athletes. In reality, however, sports medicine is an orthopedics subject that is involved with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of sports-related injuries while enhancing the performance of athletes and ordinary people to allow them the play sports better.
Shoulders and knees are at high risk of suffering from injuries.
Even though each sport has its own specific type of injuries, if you are observant, you will find that the shoulder and knee joints are fairly common sites of injury in practically every sport. These injuries are divided into 2 groups as follows:
- Acute injuries. These are injuries that occur immediately after playing sport or after experiencing an impact. Its first-aid principle is simply RICE, which is R = rest by immediately resting the part that is injured or immediately stop the game; I = ice by applying ice pack immediately to the site of injury; C = compressions, that is, to find a cloth to wrap around the injury; and E = elevation, that is, to raise the injured site to prevent additional swelling.
- Chronic injuries. These are caused by neglect of a particular body part, which leads to imbalance. Chronic injuries are harder to treat than acute injuries.
Assess injury symptoms to choose treatment methods.
During treatment, the doctor will discuss with the patient to determine whether or not the patient has indications for surgery. If no surgery is required, the patient should follow their doctor’s recommendations, such as by not playing sports that create risk for additional injuries while possibly undergoing physical therapy and muscle training to maintain their own muscle mass, depending on the doctor’s diagnosis.
As for patients who cannot return to play certain types of sports, they might be able to play other sports that do not contribute to their injuries in order to maintain their muscles. In addition, for patients required to undergo surgery, after surgery, they should take care of their bodies to maintain their muscle mass and ensure that they can function as nearly normal as possible.
Endoscopic surgery is a better option.
Endoscopic surgery is an innovation that has been around for many years. Today, the indications for endoscopic surgery for each part of the body have expanded in line with technological advances and the skills and experience of each doctor. As a result, surgery is the first treatment choice for many patients today, because this type of surgery does not involve big open wounds.
This is because endoscopic surgery creates a small incision that minimizes tissue damage during repair in addition to reducing development of fibrosis during surgery. In addition, physical therapy after surgery can be performed more quickly than open surgery, and there is less post-operative pain. Because of these advantages, endoscopic surgery has become a standard treatment technique that is popular today.
Prevent injuries by following these techniques.
- Warm up your body. It is something everyone should do before playing sports. Spend about 15-20 minutes to warm up your body. Perhaps you can warm up by running lightly to start a sweat, since a single degree increase in body temperature can significantly increase your muscles’ elasticity, thereby reducing risk of injury.
- Stretching and extending your muscles before playing sports can prevent injuries.
