Prevent First-Time Injuries and Injury Recurrence with Sports Medicine

The term “sports injury” refers to an injury sustained while participating in a physical activity, whether an organized sport, an exercise routine, or a recreational activity such as biking.

Sports injuries fall into two categories: acute and overuse/chronic. Acute injuries, such as fractures, concussions, or sprains, occur suddenly, often due to a direct impact, fall, or collision. Overuse injuries, on the other hand, develop over time, often due to rigorous athletic activity, overuse, and repetitive motions.

Regardless of which type of sports injury you have, the right treatment is essential for eliminating your pain, preventing recurrence, and getting the green light to return to play. Our team of providers at International Spine, Pain & Performance Center provides sports medicine services in our Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, offices. 

In this article, we dive deeper into the topic and highlight one of the biggest advantages of sports medicine: not only do sports medicine treatments address current issues, but they can also help prevent first-time and recurring injuries. 

Risk factors for sports injuries

Some of the most common sports injuries include tennis elbow, runner’s knee, golfer’s elbow, dislocations, bursitis, sprains and strains, concussions, contusions, and fractures. 

While anyone can sustain a sports injury, you’re more likely to sustain one if you:

• Wear the wrong type of shoes or ill-fitting shoes
• Don’t use the correct form
• Overtrain or undertrain
• Aren’t flexible
• Jump or run on hard surfaces
• Have a prior sports injury
• Play the same sport each year 

Whatever type of injury you have or what events led up to the injury, sports medicine can help you get back on track. Sports injury treatments involve many procedures, therapies, and strategies to reduce pain and improve functionality. 

Note that the specific treatments vary depending on your injury's type and severity. 

Preventing first-time sports injuries 

Sports medicine shines when it comes to treating injuries, but those principles can help you prevent first-time sports injuries. In other words, you can take advantage of sports medicine care before you're injured. 

Before you can create an injury prevention strategy, it’s essential to pinpoint what’s causing the majority of sports injuries. In the previous section, we explored the most common injuries, and many of them are a result of:

• Poor mechanics
• Overuse
• Insufficient stretching before activity
• Fatigue (which can diminish focus, attention, and reaction time)

Sports medicine professionals can create training plans and prevention guidelines to help reduce your risk of injury. Basic prevention guidelines include:

• Properly warming up before activity.
• Wearing the right gear (including shoes and protective padding relevant to your sport).
• Simply understanding the limits of your body.

Cross-training also helps prevent overuse injuries. 

If you have any weak spots 一 such as weak ankles 一 we can guide you to help address your specific risk factors. Physical therapy can improve your flexibility, strengthen the muscles that support your joints, and improve your range of motion.

Other lifestyle modifications, such as eating well-balanced meals, staying hydrated, and practicing good sleep hygiene, can go a long way in preventing first-time injuries. Your body performs better when you're well-rested, well-nourished, and properly hydrated. 

Because good nutrition plays a significant role in improving performance, our sports medicine experts at International Spine Pain & Performance Center can craft an individualized nutrition plan to improve your endurance, strength, and recovery 一 all of which can help prevent injuries.

Preventing injury recurrences

Injury recurrences are different from first-time injuries. Injury recurrence means that you’ve re-injured a previous injury. Sports medicine is especially useful here. When you have an initial injury, if it’s not treated properly or if you return to the game too soon, you have a higher risk of reinjuring yourself. 

Having a proper rehabilitation plan in place reduces your risk of future injuries 一 both re-injuries and new injuries. Sports medicine therapies and treatments ensure that your initial injury is thoroughly treated before you resume activity. Our expert team customizes your rehabilitation plan based on your injury and your preferred sport or activity. Your treatment plan may include anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, regenerative therapy, and interventional pain management. 

Want to learn more about sports medicine here at International Spine, Pain, & Performance Center? Schedule your sports medicine consultation at the location closest to you.

The term “sports injury” refers to an injury sustained either while participating in a physical activity, whether that’s an organized sport, an exercise routine, or a recreational activity such as biking.

Sports injuries fall into two main categories: acute and overuse/chronic injuries. Acute injuries, such as a fracture, concussion, or a sprain, occur suddenly often as the result of a direct impact, fall, or collision. Overuse injuries, on the other hand, develop over time, often as the result of rigorous athletic activity, overuse, and repetitive motions.

Regardless of which type of sports injury you have, the right treatment is essential for eliminating your pain, preventing recurrence, and getting the green light to return to play. Our team of providers here at International Spine, Pain & Performance Center provides sports medicine services in both our Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, offices. 

In this article, we dive deeper into the topic and highlight one of the biggest advantages of sports medicine: not only do sports medicine treatments address current issues, but it can also help prevent first-time and recurring injuries. 

Risk factors for sports injuries

Some of the most common sports injuries include tennis elbow, runner’s knee, golfer’s elbow, dislocations, bursitis, sprains and strains, concussions, contusions, and fractures. 

While anyone can sustain a sports injury, you’re more likely to sustain one if you:

• Wear the wrong type of shoes or ill-fitting shoes
• Don’t use the correct form
• Overtrain or undertrain
• Aren’t flexible
• Jump or run on hard surfaces
• Have a prior sports injury
• Play the same sport each year 

Regardless of what type of injury you have or what events led up to the injury, sports medicine can help you get back on track. Sports injury treatments involve a wide range of procedures, therapies, and strategies designed to reduce pain and improve functionality. 

Note that the specific treatments vary depending on the type and the severity of injury you have. 

Preventing first-time sports injuries 

Sports medicine shines when it comes to treating injuries, but those same principles can help you prevent first-time sports injuries. In other words, you don’t need to wait until you’re injured to take advantage of sports medicine care. 

Before you can create an injury prevention strategy, it’s essential to pinpoint what’s causing the majority of sports injuries. In the previous section, we explored the most common injuries, and many of them are a result of:

• Poor mechanics
• Overuse
• Insufficient stretching before activity
• Fatigue (which can diminish focus, attention, and reaction time)

Sports medicine professionals can create training plans and prevention guidelines to help reduce your risk of injury. Basic prevention guidelines include properly warming up before activity, wearing the right gear (including shoes and protective padding relevant to your sport), and simply understanding the limits of your body. Cross-training also helps prevent overuse injuries. 

If you have any weak spots 一 such as weak ankles 一 we can provide guidance to help address your specific risk factors. Physical therapy can improve your flexibility, strengthen the muscles that support your joints, and improve your range of motion.

Other lifestyle modifications, such as eating well-balanced meals, staying hydrated, and practicing good sleep hygiene, can go a long way in preventing first-time injuries. When you’re well-rested, well-nourished, and properly hydrated, your body simply performs better. 

Because good nutrition plays a big role in improving performance, our sports medicine experts at International Spine Pain & Performance Center can craft an individualized nutrition plan to improve your endurance, strength, and recovery 一 all of which can help prevent injuries.

Preventing injury recurrences

Injury recurrences are different from first-time injuries. Injury recurrence means that you've reinjured a previous injury. Again, sports medicine is especially useful here. When you have an initial injury, if it's not treated properly or if you return to the game too soon, you have a higher risk of reinjuring yourself. 

Having a proper rehabilitation plan reduces your risk of future injuries 一 both re-injuries and new injuries. Sports medicine therapies and treatments ensure your initial injury is thoroughly treated before you resume activity. Our expert team customizes your rehabilitation plan based on your injury and preferred sport or activity. Your treatment plan may include anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, regenerative therapy, and interventional pain management. 

Want to learn more about sports medicine at International Spine, Pain, & Performance Center? Schedule your sports medicine consultation at the location closest to you.