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Recovering from a Sports Injury
5 Tips to Speed Up the Recovery Process
Athletes are extremely prone to developing sports injuries since they put their muscles under a lot of stress during their frequent workouts. Sport injuries can result in lifelong damage to the affected area and very unpleasant pain during workouts.
Recovering from a sports injury takes a long time, but visiting specialists such as Knoxville,TN chiropractors can help speed your recovery.
Here are five tips for recovering from a sports injury:
- Use R.I.C.E. As soon as you feel an injury, be proactive about treating it. The best thing you can do in this case scenario is use R.I.C.E, which means rest, ice, compression and elevation.
The second you feel a muscle pop or a bone crack, stop what you’re doing and sit down. The less stress you put on the injury, the better and faster you’ll recover. Next, you need to ice the injury in order to reduce the swelling and inflammation.
However, using a cold pack is a better option than using ice. One method that is particularly green and frugal is to use a large bag of frozen peas from the grocery store.
The small round shape of the peas allows the bag to conform to your arm, leg, etc. After icing for a half hour or so, simply toss the bag into the freezer to solidify again. After you ice the injury, compressing is key. Wrapping a bandage is a quick way to compress the injury and help reduce pain. The last step is to elevate your injury with pillows or books.
- Eat Protein. Protein is an important nutrient in food that is composed out of amino acids. Since hair, muscle, skin and organs are made out of protein, this nutrient is vital in the human body.
If your body lacks protein, then it won’t be able to repair damaged tissue after a workout, which increases your chance of a sports injury. Those with sports injuries should increase their protein intake because it would help speed their recovery.
- Take a Break. Unfortunately, a small injury can become bigger if you don’t give it enough rest. Some athletes are so committed to their workouts that they ignore pain and keep pushing through it.
Doing so is not advised, however. Depending on the severity of the injury, it’s best to take some time off from your training to let your body heal. Every case is different; with minor injuries you can maintain your base with short recovery runs.
More severe injuries may require four to six weeks off. The bottom line is to monitor your condition as time passes.
- Light Exercise. Very light exercise is a great way to strengthen an injured muscle. Physical rehabilitation exercises are a great way to regain feeling of the injury. Swimming is a great way to exercise without straining your injury to a further extent.
One of the best options for runners is aqua-running. Just get a Aqua Jogger Classic Belt, hop into the deep end of the pool, and simulate running. You’ll find that the water resistance offers a good workout while playing nice with your joints.
- Alternate Heat and Cold. Alternating between a hot and cold pack is a great way to ease pain and allow the muscle to relax. For many years, “experts” have vacillated between advocating and cold. Today, the consensus is alternating.
About the Author:
Brionna Kennedy is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing up in Washington, then moving down to Oregon for college. She enjoys writing on fashion and business, but any subject will do, she loves to learn about new topics. When she isn’t writing, she lives for the outdoors. Oregon has been the perfect setting to indulge her love of kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking.
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